What are the barriers and opportunities for producers to move towards ecological sustainability?
To address question 1, we used a technical reference panel, combining expertise from a range of areas to complement the research team. Although we initially considered sustainable configurations for the four properties studied, to be able to generalize and communicate results to industry it was more appropriate to identify generic principles and land-use thresholds. The process of consultation, the principles and thresholds, and their scientific rationale are described in McIntyre, McIvor & MacLeod (2000). We used four properties as case studies to address questions 2 – 4. Two properties were located in the Burnett region and two were located in the Crows Nest district. We surveyed the current natural resource condition of the four properties and assessed the extent and location of changes to grazing and tree cover that would be required to meet the minimum requirements for ecological sustainability. The assessments are documented in Martin et al.(2000). We then explored the impact on
