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Abstract
The onus on landholders in relation to environmental performance is ever increasing. One tool
for achieving environmental improvements is the design and promotion of region-specific
‘best management practices’ (BMPs). These are conservation practices aimed at reducing
diffuse source pollution from agricultural lands and thus improving end-of-catchment water
quality. A suite of grazing BMPs were developed for the Burdekin Dry Tropics region in a
consultative fashion but without explicit consideration of knowledge of adoption processes. It
is known from the literature that farmers’ goals and risk perceptions in particular influence
adoption decisions. This paper utilises the data from an earlier grazier survey to explore to
what extent grazier motivations and risk perceptions influence the adoption of BMPs. The
results demonstrate clear correlations between both motivations and risk attitudes, and the
adoption of recommended BMPs, with specific preferences for different BMPs. We conclude
that a sound understanding of landholders’ motivations and risk attitudes is required—in a
regional, industry and environmental context—to tailor programmes aimed at improving
regional environmental performance.