IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envirc/v34y2016i8p1501-1515.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The conditions of practical action: Neoliberalism and sustainability in the Australian road construction industry

Author

Listed:
  • Cameron White

Abstract

In the last decade, in the context of debates about climate change, the Australian road construction industry has focused on increasing efficiencies within road construction processes. This approach to environmental impact management is congruent with existing (road-centric) trajectories of infrastructure development. At the same time, however, it also institutionalises the systemic environmental impacts of the road network. This article examines the historical conditions within which this focus on construction efficiencies emerged as the basis of practical action. Firstly, it examines the neoliberal strategies that led to the privatisation of the Australian road construction industry in the 1990s. Secondly, these Australian road industry strategies are compared with other industry-centred harm-management initiatives and traced back to the tobacco industry tactics of the 1950s and 1960s. Finally, this article argues for a broader, interdisciplinary approach to the analysis and management of environmental impact.

Suggested Citation

  • Cameron White, 2016. "The conditions of practical action: Neoliberalism and sustainability in the Australian road construction industry," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 34(8), pages 1501-1515, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirc:v:34:y:2016:i:8:p:1501-1515
    DOI: 10.1177/0263774X15625642
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0263774X15625642
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0263774X15625642?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Graham Haughton & Phil Mcmanus, 2012. "Neoliberal Experiments with Urban Infrastructure: The Cross City Tunnel, Sydney," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(1), pages 90-105, January.
    2. Murat Arsel & Bram Büscher, 2012. "Nature™ Inc.: Changes and Continuities in Neoliberal Conservation and Market-based Environmental Policy," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 43(1), pages 53-78, January.
    3. Garnaut,Ross, 2008. "The Garnaut Climate Change Review," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521744447.
    4. Mimi Sheller & John Urry, 2000. "The City and the Car," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 737-757, December.
    5. Jennifer Garland & Ruthanne Huising & Jeroen Struben, 2013. "“What if technology worked in harmony with nature?” : Imagining climate change through Prius advertisements," Post-Print hal-02311929, HAL.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kym Anderson & Signe Nelgen & Ernesto Valenzuela & Glyn Wittwer, 2009. "Economic contributions and characteristics of grapes and wine in AustraliaÂ’s wine regions," Centre for International Economic Studies Working Papers 2009-01, University of Adelaide, Centre for International Economic Studies.
    2. Cai, Yiyong & Newth, David & Finnigan, John & Gunasekera, Don, 2015. "A hybrid energy-economy model for global integrated assessment of climate change, carbon mitigation and energy transformation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 381-395.
    3. Kaidonis, Mary & Moerman, Lee & Rudkin, Kathy, 2009. "Paradigm, paradox, paralysis: An epistemic process," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 285-289.
    4. Nigel Martin & John Rice, 2010. "Analysing emission intensive firms as regulatory stakeholders: a role for adaptable business strategy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(1), pages 64-75, January.
    5. Sheng, Yu & Xu, Xinpeng, 2019. "The productivity impact of climate change: Evidence from Australia's Millennium drought," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 182-191.
    6. Hongbo Duan & Gupeng Zhang & Shouyang Wang & Ying Fan, 2018. "Balancing China’s climate damage risk against emission control costs," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 387-403, March.
    7. Giorel Curran, 2011. "Modernising Climate Policy in Australia: Climate Narratives and the Undoing of a Prime Minister," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 29(6), pages 1004-1017, December.
    8. Gill Bentley & Lee Pugalis, 2013. "New directions in economic development: Localist policy discourses and the Localism Act," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 28(3), pages 257-274, May.
    9. Raymond Markey & Joseph McIvor & Martin O’Brien & Chris F Wright, 2021. "Triggering business responses to climate policy in Australia," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 46(2), pages 248-271, May.
    10. Nelson, Tim & Pascoe, Owen & Calais, Prabpreet & Mitchell, Lily & McNeill, Judith, 2019. "Efficient integration of climate and energy policy in Australia’s National Electricity Market," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 178-193.
    11. Dr Barry Naughten, 2013. "Emissions Pricing, 'Complementary Policies' and 'Direct Action' in the Australian Electricity Supply Sector: 'Lock-in' and Investment," CCEP Working Papers 1304, Centre for Climate & Energy Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    12. George Cusworth & Jennifer Dodsworth, 2021. "Using the ‘good farmer’ concept to explore agricultural attitudes to the provision of public goods. A case study of participants in an English agri-environment scheme," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(4), pages 929-941, December.
    13. van der Hoff, Richard & Rajão, Raoni & Leroy, Pieter & Boezeman, Daan, 2015. "The parallel materialization of REDD+ implementation discourses in Brazil," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 37-45.
    14. William Paul Bell & John Foster, 2017. "Using solar PV feed-in tariff policy history to inform a sustainable flexible pricing regime to enhance the diffusion of energy storage and electric vehicles," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 127-145, April.
    15. Wood, Peter John & Jotzo, Frank, 2011. "Price floors for emissions trading," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 1746-1753, March.
    16. Sangha, Kamaljit K & Evans, Jay & Edwards, Andrew & Russell-Smith, Jeremy & Fisher, Rohan & Yates, Cameron & Costanza, Robert, 2021. "Assessing the value of ecosystem services delivered by prescribed fire management in Australian tropical savannas," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    17. Adrian Amelung, 2016. "Das "Paris-Agreement": Durchbruch der Top-Down-Klimaschutzverhandlungen im Kreise der Vereinten Nationen," Otto-Wolff-Institut Discussion Paper Series 03/2016, Otto-Wolff-Institut für Wirtschaftsordnung, Köln, Deutschland.
    18. Freebairn, John, 2012. "Tax mix change to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 56(1), pages 1-15, March.
    19. Peggy Schrobback & David Adamson & John Quiggin, 2009. "Turning Water into Carbon: Carbon sequestration vs. water flow in the Murray-Darling Basin," Murray-Darling Program Working Papers WP2M09, Risk and Sustainable Management Group, University of Queensland.
    20. Nong, Duy & Nguyen, Duong Binh & Nguyen, Trung H. & Wang, Can & Siriwardana, Mahinda, 2020. "A stronger energy strategy for a new era of economic development in Vietnam: A quantitative assessment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envirc:v:34:y:2016:i:8:p:1501-1515. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.