Attitudes of local communities: Assessing the social impacts of the South East Queensland Horse Riding Trail Network

SEBASTIAN ROSSI; CATHERINE PICKERING; JASON BYRNE

Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts

Lugar: Brisbane; Año: 2013 p. 35

9781922216458

Griffith researchers surveyed local communities living close to the South East Queensland Horse Riding Trail Network to obtain information about their attitudes to different recreational activities in the parks/reserves. A total of 5000 households (>6%) close to the South East Queensland Horse Riding Trail Network were posted survey packages. This included information for consent to the survey, a two page survey including a map of their local park/reserve which includes part of the South East Queensland Horse Riding Trail Network, and a return prepaid envelope. The survey asked : a) if the respondent used their local park/reserve, and if so, how often, b) the main activities they undertake in the park/reserve, c) if a range of different recreational activities affect them and, if so, why , and d) demographic data. A total of 386 surveys were returned resulting in 9.3% response rate. Similar proportions of males and females responded to the survey and there were no differences among respondents using parks/reserves and those who do not use them. People responding to the survey were mostly mature age with 81% over 44 years old, which differs from census 2011 data for the same localities. However, users of parks/reserves included more people between 35 to 65 years old than non-users. Just over two-thirds of respondents use their local park/reserve. Although usage varied among parks/reserves, nearly all respondents used their local park/reserve (except for Nerang National Park for which only 41% of respondents used it). Common activities undertaken in the parks/reserves were: bushwalking (62% of users), mountain bike riding (7%), picnicking (7%), sightseeing (6%), running (4.6%), dog walking (3.5%), photography (3.5%) and horse riding (2.7%). Generally attitudes towards bushwalking, running and picnicking were neutral or positive; mountain biking, horse riding and dog walking were mostly neutral; although some people felt negatively affected, and some positively affected. Around 60% of respondents were negatively affected by trail bike riding and four wheel driving, with only 5% positively affected. The activities considered to have few environmental and/or social impacts were bushwalking, running, and picnicking, while mountain biking, horse riding and dog walking were considered by around one fifth of respondents to have impacts. In contrast, trail bike riding and four wheel driving were considered to have impacts by over half of all respondents, with many listing multiple impacts. Overall, off-site impacts of the activities on the Horse Trail Network and surrounding parks/reserves were low. Common social impacts reported by non-users included noise, traffic and startling people. Furthermore, non-users also mentioned environmental impacts including damage to plants and animals and frightening wildlife. Similar trends regarding the activities conducted in parks, and attitudes about them were found for each group surveyed: park visitors, stakeholder organisations and local communities. Many of those surveyed reported they were positively or neutrally affected by non-motorised activities in local parks/reserves including horse riding and dog walking, but most reported they were negatively or strongly negatively affected by motorised activities in the parks/reserves. An exception to this was the attitude of recreation organisations and conservation organisations to mountain biking and horse riding, with conservation organisations often listing these activities as negatively affecting them.