Land and Water Australia has funded a study into peri-urban development in Australia. The study is being carried out by researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne and Griffith University in Brisbane. This landmark study of peri-urban regions in two Australian states, Victoria and Queensland, has two key aims. First, it will investigate the nature and extent of contemporary peri urban regions in Australia. This will involve an examination of environmental, social and economic trends in two peri-urban areas, and a description and analysis of current governance, institutional, policy and management arrangements and an evaluation of their adequacy. Second, it will outline the implications of social, economic and environmental changes for future land use and management; identify likely future patterns of socio-economic, agricultural, cultural, natural resource development, environmental and land use change in peri-urban landscapes; and develop scenarios for future land use and management based on 'business as usual', interventionist and deregulated options.