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DPI Research about 'Lifestyle' Landholders

Who are Small Rural Landowners? I Characteristics of Lifestyle Landholders | Some Common Descriptions | Publications by DPI Staff | Other Current Research

    DPI has been researching small and lifestyle landholders since 2002. This research has provided an understanding of:
    • the location, impact and issues associated with increasing numbers of small landholders
    • how to communicate with this group to help with land protection
    • landholders' views and interests in natural resource management
    • what factors may influence landholders’ decision-making for property management
    Who are Small Rural Landowners?

    In recent years there has been a wave of new buyers of agricultural land around the fringes of towns/cities and in attractive rural landscapes in parts of Australia. Traditional farming regions are being transformed in response to population shifts, change in community values and lifestyle aspirations.

    In order to stimulate economic development and prosperity the Victorian State Government is encouraging people to move to rural and regional areas of the State. This is part of a Government target of increasing the annual rate of population growth in Provincial Victoria (external link) to 1.25% in 2006.

    These new arrivals are often referred to as small lifestyle landholders and they are changing the demographics of these areas.

    What is a Typical Small Rural Landholder?
    • Land size between 2 - 100 hectares (5-250 acres)
    • Estimated value of agricultural operations low as primary income is from non-farm source
    • Reduced reliance on agricultural income as a driver for land use and occupancy
    While this group of landholders live on rural properties, farming is not their primary occupation or income source as they have chosen to live on land primarily for lifestyle reasons.

    DPI demographic mapping has identified the broad geographical locations where small landholders are found (in Victoria and across Australia).

    To view the attached PDF documents in this page you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. A free copy can be downloaded from Adobe Acrobat (external link).

    Location of Victorian small farms (EVAO less than $75,000) in 2001

    Small farms in Victoria Map (PDF 512KB)

    DPI has been studying the changing rural social landscape since 2002. We have found that lifestyle landholders, with their predominantly urban backgrounds, are likely to have different values and aspirations compared with those of their traditional farming neighbours as well as a lower level of knowledge about agriculture or land management.

    In 2006 DPI began a new project providing Services and Information for New Landholders. Funded by the Provincial Victoria Economic Statement, Moving Forward Statement (external link), the project has been created to develop new ways to effectively engage these landowners to ensure they understand their obligations as land managers and are able to carry out appropriate land management practices.

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    Characteristics of Lifestyle Landholders:
    • Connection to major centres - moderate/high
    • Disposable income - high
    • Outside labour - moderate
    • Off-farm income - very high
    • Distance from regional centre - low
    • Technical agricultural and land management expertise - low
    • Business expertise - moderate/high
    • Farming history - low
    • Connection to industry bodies - low
    Some Common Descriptions

    Terms relevant to describing rural lifestyle landholders (taken from Bureau of Rural Sciences 2006)
    • Hobby farmer - someone who owns a rural property but is not primarily a farmer by occupation or income
    • Lifestyle farmer - rural landholder who farms or lives on the land principally for lifestyle reasons not for financial reasons related to farming
    • Small farmer - rural landholder who owns a small acreage
    • Peri-urban landholder - landholder owning land at the fringe of an urban area, beyond the suburbs
    • Sea changer - someone who has moved from a large city to a smaller town or rural area (used to refer both to people moving to these situations on the coast or in some parts of the inland)
    • Tree changer - as for ‘sea changer’ but meant to refer specifically to people moving to ‘the bush’ rather than the coast
    • Downshifter - someone making a voluntary decision to sacrifice financial benefits in favour of a better lifestyle e.g. more leisure time, less stress, healthier environment.
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    Publications by DPI Staff
    • Rural peri-urban interface and extension.
    		Interface & Extension Report (PDF 165KB)
    • A National Forum - Small lifestyle farms and biosecurity was convened to inform the research in June 2006.
    		Small Farms & Biosecurity (PDF 665KB)
    • In 2001 DPI funded a visit to the United States of America to investigate small farms programs, and the applicability and relevance of these to Victoria. The report "Recognising the Value and Potential of Small Farms; Learning from the the USA" is available in PDF format
    Recognising the Value and Potential of Small Farms: Executive summary, Introduction & Contents

    		Introduction (PDF 174KB)
    Business Development and Marketing

    		Chapter 2 (PDF 687KB)
    Direct Marketing Chapter 3 (PDF 1.4MB)

      Other Current Research

      Biosecurity and lifestyle landowners.

      Project Brief (PDF 69KB)


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