Cr. Ann Bunnell

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National Ecotourism Australia Conference
Hobart, Tasmania 1 December 2005
Townsville Fostering Partnershipsand
Opportunities in Ecotourism
Cr. Ann Bunnell Deputy Mayor - Townsville City
Council (paper by Ann Bunnell Greg Bruce)
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• Welcome to Townsville

• Townsville is Queenslands largest regional
  City, and together with the neighbouring City of
  Thuringowa is home to over 158,500 people and
  covering a combined area of c. 4000 km2 (TCC
  1800 km2).

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• A Distinctive Queensland Experience

• Townsville is where the Tropical Savannas meet
  the coast and is the southern gateway to the Wet
  Tropics and at the Citys Strand foreshore abuts
  the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

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• Our area has coastal mountains, wetlands and a
  diverse marine environment consisting of fringing
  coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass gardens, and
  islands.
• To this extent we offer our own distinctive
  experience along the Coast of Queensland and even
  in Australia.

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• Monsoonal-influenced tropical savannas and
  wetlands at Mt Stuart and the Townsville Town
  Common Conservation Park
• World Heritage Wet Tropics Rainforests from Mt
  Elliot to Paluma
• Extensive areas of RAMSAR listed wetlands at
  Bowling Green Bay National Park (57,900 ha)
  Cromarty
• World Heritage marine and coastal environments of
  the Great Barrier Reef lagoon from the seagrass
  beds, mangroves and estuaries of our intertidal
  wetlands to our fringing coral reefs of Magnetic
  Island and Cleveland Bay

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• Some of Townsvilles Key Habitats and
  Environments
• (TCC only)

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• Townsvilles Vision for Ecotourism

• Taken from the Ecotourism Australia definition
• "Ecotourism is ecologically sustainable tourism
  with a primary focus on experiencing natural
  areas that fosters environmental and cultural
  understanding, appreciation and conservation".
• We have developed our own Townsville Ecotourism
  Vision Statement
• To ensure an ecologically sustainable and
  economically viable ecotourism industry in the
  Townsville region. Where the rich natural
  diversity, cultural heritage, and unique
  lifestyle are so valued by the entire community,
  that they are proactive in its management and
  conservation for future generations. Ecotourism
  represents the pre-eminent form of tourism in the
  region and engage, educates and delights our
  visitors.

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• Townsville undertaken to promote ecotourism in
  our region, commencing with the development of a
  community-based Townsville Ecotourism Strategy
  - progressively implemented.
• Included developing and promoting opportunities
  for business and fostering cooperation across the
  North Queensland region in collaboration with
  Townsville Enterprise (TEL) and others
• Included the notion of the Townsville
  Experience with our own distinctive culture,
  people (Aboriginal Settlement), history, and
  not least environment.
• The redeveloped Strand Foreshore has become in
  many ways an icon to this particular aspect of
  promoting the Townsville Experience and
  features not only great facilities and friendly
  people but environmental art, interpretation,
  protection of natural environments (turtles
  dugong) and scenic views to the World Heritage
  waters of Cleveland Bay and Magnetic Island.

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• The Townsville Ecotourism Strategy builds on the
  recommended roles of local government in
  facilitating Ecotourism opportunities as
  specified in the Queensland Ecotourism Plan and
  provides a response relevant for the Townsville
  municipality and community.
• The Strategy was developed from two community
  consultation sessions held in 1998 (Townsville
  Ecotourism Workshops) representing a broad cross
  section of the community, including academics,
  researchers, ecotourism operators, local
  government, Tourism Queensland and Townsville
  Enterprise Ltd.

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• Townsvilles Ecotourism Strategy - implementation

• This strategy has included development of the
  Councils innovative and dynamic web-based
• Townsville Regional Natural Assets Database and
• www.townsville.qld.gov.au/nad/
• State of Environment Report 2003
• www.soe-townsville.org/
• www.soe-townsville.org/ecotourism/

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• Other Significant Outcomes arising from Strategy
• Working regionally with stakeholders and
  community to develop partnerships, business
  opportunities, networks and visions for the
  future of ecotourism in Townsville region
• Implementing interpretative eco-landscapes on
  the ground and across the city (Nelly Bay
  Habitat Strand wind turbine Mt Stuart Rowes
  Bay)
• Upgrades of facilities and walking tracks both
  locally regionally
• Emergence of eco-catchment tours for promoting
  environmental awareness, ownership and
  integration
• Increase in number of local regional
  nature-based or ecotour operators from 1-2 to 9
• In addition Townsville Enterprise has taken up
  the ambit and is facilitating additional regional
  ecotourism initiatives such as the Regional Bird
  Watching Cluster and Discovering Tropical
  Queensland Loop project.
• (TCC and other
  regional Councils are contributing financially to
  this project)

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• Emerging from the progression of the Ecotourism
  Strategy are three themes that help to
  encapsulate this rationale
• Ecotourism Economy, Environment and Future
• Environmental Education and Experience, and
• Regional and Local Partnerships and Opportunities

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• Ecotourism Economy, Environment and Future
• Townsville City Council has been for a long time
  committed to providing recreational opportunities
  for our citizens and visitors, which is seen as
  vital to maintaining a prosperous, vibrant,
  tropical city and region where people enjoy
  living, working and visiting.
• Ecotourism is seen as making an important
  contribution to both the local and regional
  economy, by meeting the growing expectations of
  tourists for quality experiences which include
  the natural environment and information.
• The 4th National Conference on Tourism Futures
  (2005) clearly states in its Conference
  Communiqué that Ecotourism was considered the top
  opportunity for growth.
• This perception aligns well both with the
  competitive advantages identified in the
  communiqué including pristine beauty, unique
  experience, culture friendly people, and the
  same assets and advantages seen in our local
  area.
• In 2003 International ecotourists were recorded
  as being almost double the number of
  non-ecotourists, and stayed twice as long and
  subsequently spending much more per trip

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• Environmental Education and Experience
• Locally ecotours environmental and
  eco-attractions such as Reef HQ and Billabong
  Sanctuary, along with provision of eco-learning
  landscapes are see as key aspects of ensuring our
  region and city are seen as sustainable and
  attractive place to visit and stay.
• They are seen as important opportunities to
  educate locals and visitors about our
  environment, and assist our own community to find
  our own sense of place.
• They also provide opportunities for people to
  become involved as volunteers or start their own
  business providing ecotours/attractions.
• A shift is happening in the way we engage with
  our communities, people want to find a meaning
  of place and tourism has an important role and
  opportunity for community capacity building.
• (2005 Tourism
  Futures Conference Gold Coast)

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• Regional and Local Partnerships and
  Opportunities
• Townsville has a strong commitment to the
  development of a vibrant ecotourism industry as
  demonstrated by Councils ongoing support to
  creating networks, fostering partnerships working
  closely with eco-tour operators, local business,
  Townsville Enterprise and neighbouring Local
  Governments.
• Council participates fully in the TEL Ecotourism
  Sub-Committee (Tourism Advisory Committee)
• Eco-tours across the region establishing and
  promoting ecotourism including interpretative
  signage, attractions, and tours.
• Arguably these ecotours have played a key part
  in breaking down some of the barriers which
  historically existed between our various
  communities. Thus enabling participants
  (including volunteers, Councillors, and Local
  Government staff) to see that we are essentially
  all part of one integrated region.
• There are now many integrated and collaborative
  nature-based tourism projects under way across
  the region, which demonstrate the effect of this.
  

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• Townsville Ecotourism Networks
• - fostering regional cooperation and
  partnerships

• TCC has provided a senior officer as Chair of
  Ecotourism Sub-Committee Townsville Enterprise
  Ltd. for three years
• With key objective to foster and develop regional
  partnerships in order that the region works
  together and obtains resources and support
  appropriate to needs.
• Key projects and outcomes include
• Ecotours to various Local Government areas
  promoting initiatives, integration, awareness and
  partnership (Townsville, Burdekin, Magnetic
  Island, Hinchinbrook, Thuringowa)
• Networking and sharing information on local
  eco-tourism initiatives such as attractions (e.g.
  walking tracks) and interpretative facilities
• Mapping of ecotourism attractions and potential
  sites and maps and
• Producing web pages of ecotourism by each Local
  Government across the region and uploading on TEL
  web site.

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• Future initiatives include exploring Green Globe
  certification, encouraging Ecotourism
  Accreditation and becoming a network cluster of
  the emerging Centre of Excellence in Tropical
  Design (Sustainability Innovation).
• In addition the principles and objectives for
  promoting ecotourism in Townsville and region tie
  in with the development of Townsvilles own
  Healthy Cities Plan and Sustainable Townsville
  Program ( Reef Guardians Councils).
• The Healthy City Plan includes facilitating
  social capacity building, and integrating health,
  welfare, environment/tourism, and culture as a
  way of reinforcing the idea of linking and
  integrating community, business, prosperity and
  environment (sustainability).
• The Sustainable Townsville Program consists of
  all sustainability programs and initiatives
  (environmental, economic and including
  Ecotourism Strategy) which compliments the
  objectives of the Healthy City Plan.
• www.soe-townsville.org/sustainable/

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• Environmental Protection, Facilities and
  Interpretive Learnscapes

• Castle Hill - Castle Hill is now a reserve
  managed for environmental protection and has been
  subject of intensive walking track upgrades and
  development of scenic viewing platforms
• Town Common The setting aside of a significant
  portion of the city developable area in the Town
  Common for nature conservation has ultimately
  left a legacy of tropical savanna covered hills
  and peaks, lowland woodlands, estuarine habitats
  and freshwater-marine wetlands.

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• Environmental Protection, Facilities and
  Interpretive Learnscapes

• Magnetic Island Situated within the Great
  Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, Maggie has an
  extensive and well used natural and protected
  walking tracks system complimented by
• Nelly Bay Habitat Interpretive Centre an
  award-winning facility used extensively by local
  tour guides and has proved an invaluable
  resource.
• Landscape Ecology, Flora Fauna, and Heritage
  signage interpretive stations across the island
  giving a sense of place
• Other examples of Council providing
  interpretative signage, walking track, and
  viewing platform experiences for visitors include
  Mt Stuart lookout and along the Ross River
  Parkway
• The Strand itself is featured with environmental
  interpretation mainly as artworks and includes
  featuring past and present habitats of the area
• Further Coastal Learnscapes are planned for
  neighbouring Rowes Bay, promoting marine habitats
  of mudflats and sponge gardens with their strange
  and colourful creatures. This is another example
  of a joint project with TCC working with
  researchers at James Cook University, local
  business, and community.

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• Townsville Ecotourism Operators and Opportunities

• Townsville historically has a growing number of
  eco-tour operators, some with National Ecotourism
  Accreditation, others working towards it, or
  still providing excellent interpretive and
  interactive ecotourism experiences

• Billabong Sanctuary Billabong Sanctuary was the
  first attraction and is highly successful
  wildlife park with excellent interpretative
  facilities and educational staff
• Reef HQ education interpretative
  centre-aquarium for Great Barrier Reef World
  Heritage Area
• Magnetic Island Sea Kayaks hold the highest
  level of Eco-Tourism Accreditation. As winners of
  12 local and state tourism awards, they have
  developed and excelled at bringing a unique and
  eco friendly experience to Magnetic Island
  visitors
• Magnetic Island Reef Eco Tours are operated by
  local marine biologist Dr Andy Lewis and take in
  the under-water world of Magnetic Islands
  off-shore reefs

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• Conservation Volunteers Australia Conservation
  Volunteers Australia (CVA) is a national,
  not-for-profit community-based organisation. CVA
  operates volunteer and Ecotour experiences in
  Australia and overseas through conservation
  initiatives and projects.
• Townsville Tropical Tours, Ironbark Tours, NQ
  River Roads, Pop Sullivan Cruisers offer
  Ecotour experiences exploring aspects of the
  region that make it unique and introducing
  visitors to parts of our city and surrounds that
  even residents may never have known existed
• Townsville City Council (EMS) Eco-Catchment
  Tours provide local eco-catchment tours to
  international and national visitors, locals and
  students (2000 students in 2004) and forms
  another emerging component of the Townsville
  Experience

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• Summary

Townsville boasts some great ecotourism
environments and has responded by developing an
integrated suite of educational information and
facilities including great on-line ecological
information. Like all communities with
exceptional and distinctive environmental
character our community places great importance
on the conservation of it. With two of the
worlds great environmental icons on our doorstep
and backyard (Wet Tropics and Great Barrier Reef
World Heritage Areas) we have an important
responsibility to showcase them and Provide
opportunities for tourism business which melds
with our own areas aspirations for a Sustainable
Townsville and Health City. Townsvilles own
distinct environments melding tropical wetlands,
savannas, rainforests and marine environments
offer an important vision for integrating
community with a sustainable future. Council has
sought to do this through partnerships and
fostering regional cooperation.
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THANK YOU Acknowledgements Elizabeth Booth
(EMS) for preparation PPT slides
photos Photographs TCC, Dr A.Lewis, GBRMPA,
D.Silke, Townsville Tropical Tours, Billabong
Sanctuary, and MI Sea Kayaks, Presentation and
Paper will be available on web site
www.soe-townsville.org/sustainable/