Designing choice experiments to incorporate tests for geographic scale and scope differences

The focus of this report is to outline the design of EERH Project #2: Estimating protection values at general and case study levels in Theme D: Valuing Environmental Goods and Services. The project is aimed at estimating protection values for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), which for the purposes of this study incorporates the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The GBR is the largest coral reef ecosystem in the world and one of the world’s most important natural assets (GBRMPA 2006). It spans nearly the whole length of the Queensland coast which makes it particularly vulnerable to the impacts of land-based activities. Many Australians are likely to view the GBR as an iconic natural asset, wishing to both enjoy some of the services it provides and see it protected into the future.