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Survey of Rural Decision Makers 2023

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The sixth biennial Survey of Rural Decision Makers was conducted in winter 2023. Each year, new questions are added to reflect pressing knowledge gaps for industry, policy makers, and scientists. In 2023, new and expanded topic areas included winter grazing practices, forestry risk, biosecurity, volatility in input and output prices, life satisfaction, disaster preparedness, trustworthiness of advice, and the regulatory environment.

Logo: Survey of Rural Decision Makers 2023

These survey data:

  • Provide information that complements rather than repeating other surveys
  • Incorporate emerging topics of interest
  • Enable the delivery of a wide range of analyses and statistical information to support national, regional, and sector policy development and evaluation
  • Support research and insight into decision making among farmers, foresters, growers, and lifestyle block owners.

Summary results for 2023 are provided below.

Survey results

Citation

Stahlmann-Brown P 2023. Survey of Rural Decision Makers 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7931/9kdt-0g35

Current land use and land use change

Commercial and lifestyle block respondents, by region Image
Commercial and lifestyle block respondents, by region
Primary land use Image
Primary land use
Primary land use, by region Image
Primary land use, by region
Current land use is new withing the last 10 years Image
Current land use is new withing the last 10 years
Future intentions Image
Future intentions

Managerial focus and environmental performance

Managerial focus Image
Managerial focus
How would you describe your property’s overall environmental performance? Image
How would you describe your property’s overall environmental performance?
How would you describe the overall environmental performance of farms, forests, growing operations, and lifestyle blocks in your region? Image
How would you describe the overall environmental performance of farms, forests, growing operations, and lifestyle blocks in your region?
How do you think the NZ public would describe the overall environmental performance of farms, forests, growing operations, and lifestyle blocks in your region? Image
How do you think the NZ public would describe the overall environmental performance of farms, forests, growing operations, and lifestyle blocks in your region?
How would you describe the overall environmental performance of towns and cities in your region? Image
How would you describe the overall environmental performance of towns and cities in your region?

Interactive maps

Finance

Recent profitability, by industry Image
Recent profitability, by industry
Debt, by industry Image
Debt, by industry

Regulatory pressure

Regulatory pressures, by industry Image
Regulatory pressures, by industry
Aspects of regulations that people struggle with Image
Aspects of regulations that people struggle with

Life Satisfaction and Community

My local community is cohesive Image
My local community is cohesive
My local community is flourishing Image
My local community is flourishing
I am active socially and feeling connected Image
I am active socially and feeling connected
Present life satisfaction Image
Present life satisfaction
Anticipated future life satisfaction Image
Anticipated future life satisfaction

Interactive maps

Values

My values are similar to those of other operators, by industry Image
My values are similar to those of other operators, by industry
My practices are similar to those of other operators, by industry Image
My practices are similar to those of other operators, by industry
I prefer leaving experimenting with new ideas to someone else Image
I prefer leaving experimenting with new ideas to someone else
I am generally on of the first in my area to try something new Image
I am generally on of the first in my area to try something new
Risk tolerance Image
Risk tolerance

Wilding conifers

Wildling conifer invasions, by region Image
Wildling conifer invasions, by region
Attitudes toward wilding conifers, by region Image
Attitudes toward wilding conifers, by region

Natural disasters and extreme weather

How well-prepared for Cyclone Gabrielle and the North Island floods do you think properties similar to yours were in your district? Image
How well-prepared for Cyclone Gabrielle and the North Island floods do you think properties similar to yours were in your district?
How well-prepared for an event similar to Cyclone Gabrielle and the North Island floods do you think properties similar to yours would be in your district? Image
How well-prepared for an event similar to Cyclone Gabrielle and the North Island floods do you think properties similar to yours would be in your district?

Interactive maps

Demographics

Age of Respondents Image
Age of Respondents
Generations farming in New Zealand Image
Generations farming in New Zealand
Highest education, by industry Image
Highest education, by industry
Educational specialisation, by industry Image
Educational specialisation, by industry

About the survey

Participation

The 2023 wave of survey was completed by 5,243 farmers, foresters, growers, and lifestyle block owners. Two-thirds of respondents identify as being commercial operators while one-third identify as lifestyle block owners.

Donations

To acknowledge the time and expertise shared with us, we made over $49,000 in donations to charities selected by respondents. We are pleased to announce the rural sector’s support of the following charitable causes:

  • Westpac Chopper Appeal ($28,000)
  • East Coast Rural Support Trust ($10,000)
  • Retired Working Dogs ($7,500)
  • New Zealand Red Cross ($3,650)

Charities sponsored by SRDM in 2023

Prize winners

We gratefully acknowledge everyone who participated in the 2023 Survey of Rural Decision Makers. Congratulations to the following five respondents, each of whom won a $500 supermarket voucher:

  • Gill A, Warkworth
  • Gillian S, Waiuku
  • Glenn D, Invercargill
  • Robert W, Balcultha
  • Sally D, Timaru
  • Thomas L, Hastings

Enquiries

If you would like to discuss how Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research can help your organisation gain insights from the Survey of Rural Decision Makers, please contact:

Joanne Dow
Principal Engagement Advisor
dowj@landcareresearch.co.nz
04 382 6641

Key science contact

Pike Stahlmann-Brown

Pike Stahlmann-Brown

Principal Scientist, Economics
Chief Scientist
Contact