Lessons from developments of resource extraction industries in rural areas: a literature review

[摘要] At any given point in time, regions may appear static. Their populations, economies and identities may give the appearance that this is how they always were. However, even a cursory glance at history shows that they have changed substantially over time. Usually, when change is driven by mineral and energy resource extraction, the pace of change has been fast - gold rushes are a prime example. Understanding the nature of change is the focus of this report and the research project that builds upon it. Considering this, we start in section 1 by providing a brief discussion on the nature of rural change.In section 2 of this report we summarise some relevant studies that have analysed how different resource developments, especially ones related to the extraction of energy resources, have affected local areas in different countries. From the literature reviewed and referring to economic theory, we categorise the potential socioeconomic consequences that are likely to emerge after resource extraction developments in three levels: initial, direct and indirect effects. The initial effect is given by the increased demand for labour generated by resource extraction projects, a phenomenon likely to happen across cases. Direct effects relate to three main economic outcomes: (1) increased income in local areas (coming from higher wages paid by the resources sector), (2) increased demand for local goods (triggered by higher levels of income in the local economy), and (3) movement of labour from the tradable goods sector to the resources sector. All three effects are direct consequences of increased demand for labour generated by resource expansions. Indirect effects transpire via a range of socioeconomic changes likely to occur as consequence of the described income and demand effects. Among important indirect effects identified in the literature are changes in income inequality, migration, housing affordability and construction employment, among others. In section 3 we also summarise the types of governance changes that can occur as a result of the rapid development of resource extraction industries.Lessons for responding to challenges are presented in section 3. In particular, we consider the importance of dialogue, which plays an important role in how regions respond to changes brought about through extractive industries. Case studies identify the risk of regions developing dependence on subsidies and financial support associated with corporate social responsibility. For this reason, an alternative way of viewing the relationship between regional communities and resource extraction projects involves creating shared value, such as through supply chain decisions. Moreover, the cross-sectoral effects of resource extraction projects are key determinants of how regions experience resource extraction projects, and how benefits of resource extraction are distributed. A key sector here is non-tradable goods, such as restaurants and other hospitality services.Finally, in section 4 the report considers the implications of the literature review’s main findings for the coal seam gas industry in Queensland. The literature review draws attention to the importance of context - the nature of the population and labour market prior to the development of coal seam gas (CSG). Furthermore, it emphasises that headline indicators such as employment and income are important, but should not overshadow indirect effects which may in the long run play a greater influence in determining how rural transition is experienced by the region.

[发布日期] 2013-06-03 [发布机构] CSIRO

[学科分类] 地球科学(综合)