Whitsunday and Mackay Islands Visitor Management Strategy ...

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24 Whitsunday and Mackay Islands Visitor Management Strategy Table 6.5.1 Future camping management arrangements [CONTINUED] Closures Maximum percent available for commercial use Planned capacity (no. people/night) Existing capacity(no. people/night) Camper nights 2005 Site Island Setting Joes Beach Whitsunday Island Natural 438 12 12 50 Dugong Beach Whitsunday Island Moderate use 729 36 36 100 No commercial camping in school holidays Chance Bay Whitsunday Island High use 80 12 12 100 D. Camping areas where capacity will be reduced Neil’s (Sandy) Beach Carlisle Island Moderate use 125 30 12 50 East Side Bay Gloucester Island Natural 30 8 6 0 Cockatoo Beach North Molle Island Moderate use 286 48 24 100 Tancred Island Tancred Island Natural 88 12 6 0 Northern Spit Henning Island Moderate use 242 24 18 100 Maureen’s Cove Hook Island Moderate use 638 36 24 100 Roylen Bay Goldsmith Island Moderate use 116 30 12 100 Hut Site Outer Newry Island Natural 120 10 6 0 Tugs Point Rabbit Island Moderate use 886 30 12 0 Refuge Bay Scawfell Island High use 100 30 12 0 Close camping area if camping conflicts with increased levels of day use E. Camping areas to be closed Olden Island Olden Island Protected 0 12 not applicable not applicable Geographers Bay Henning Island Natural 109 12 not applicable not applicable Bloodhorn Beach Hook Island Moderate use 38 0 not applicable not applicable Homestead Bay Cid Island Natural 0 12 not applicable not applicable Sawmill Beach Whitsunday island Moderate use 457 24 not applicable not applicable Turtle Bay Whitsunday Island Natural 86 12 not applicable not applicable Boat Port Lindeman Island Moderate use 31 12 not applicable not applicable Burning Point beaches Shaw Island Protected 0 12 not applicable not applicable Naked Lady Beach Thomas Island Natural 92 12 not applicable not applicable Sandy Bay Long Island Natural 51 12 not applicable not applicable Western Bay Brampton Island High use 58 8 not applicable not applicable
6.6 Resorts and developments The following resorts and residential developments are located on islands and adjoin national parks: » » » » » » » » » » Club Med, Lindeman Island South Molle Island Resort, South Molle Island Peppers Palm Bay, Long Island Club Crocodile Long Island Resort, Long Island South Long Island Nature Lodge, Long Island Hook Island Wilderness Resort, Hook Island Brampton Island Resort, Brampton Island Keswick Island Development, Keswick Island Camp Island tourist lease, Camp Island Homestead Bay lease, St Bees Island. Some resorts hold leases over national park while others hold special leases under the Land Act 1994, which is administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Water. Resorts play an important role in providing a range of visitor facilities and activities. In many cases, resort and development managers rely on nearby national parks to provide tourism and recreation opportunities for their clients. Requests for group and special activity permits on parks usually come from resorts hosting large company events. Resort guests often use adjacent national parks at no cost. Various arrangements are currently in place for resorts and developments to contribute to the cost of park management. Resort managers and park neighbours provide in-kind support such as temporary accommodation for QPWS staff, facilities to store equipment, vessel transport and staff to help with park management. Elsewhere, funds are provided to QPWS for park management and to assist resorts with environmental education and nature-based visitor activities. As resorts are located close to bays with good boating access, public access to an island national park may require visitors to pass through a resort lease. Often the only public vessel service to the island uses a jetty next to a resort or development lease. Air transport to a national park island usually requires use of a resort airstrip. Generally, resort leases have easements and conditions that provide for public thoroughfare. Resort and development managers are sometimes reluctant to encourage public access through their facility, as they are concerned this may detract from their guests’ experience, or that public visitors may use facilities specifically provided for resort guests. Managing boundaries with resorts and residential developments is often challenging for both QPWS and park neighbours. Important issues include weed and pest animal invasion, risk of wildfire and impact of native wildlife on grounds, facilities and guests. QPWS has authorised park neighbours to locate infrastructure such as water tanks, dams and service utilities outside their lease on adjacent national park. Occasionally, park neighbours wish to develop walking tracks and visitor facilities for their guests on nearby national park. Desired outcomes » » Neighbouring resorts and developments work co-operatively with QPWS to minimise impacts on national parks. Neighbouring resorts and developments contribute to park management where tourism and recreation opportunities are provided for guests. Policies, guidelines and actions » » » » Negotiate formal agreements with all park neighbours to ensure that appropriate financial and/or in-kind contributions are being made for park management. These agreements will be negotiated recognising that commercial activity fees and charges are not fully levied on neighbours. Before 2009, review and renegotiate all existing agreements between neighbours and QPWS with particular emphasis on: › › › › co-operative management of domestic animals, fire, weeds and pests safe and clearly marked public access through resorts and developments to neighbouring national park contributions to park management minimising pre-existing non-conforming uses of protected area estate. Allocate a developed setting to beaches immediately adjoining resorts and major residential developments. With resort managers, investigate future private investment to develop infrastructure at Long and Brampton islands. All facilities will be required to be open for public access. Exclusive operator use will not be permitted. With resort managers, investigate future private investment to develop infrastructure at Long and Brampton islands. Facilities must be open for public access. Opportunity Strategic directions 25
Page 1 and 2: Visitor Management Strategy Whitsun
Page 3 and 4: Table of contents 1 Executive summa
Page 5 and 6: Recreational boating at Hook Island
Page 7 and 8: MAP 1 Planning area locality Introd
Page 9 and 10: Tourism trends The Mackay region (b
Page 11 and 12: Hill Inlet Planning approach “ T
Page 13 and 14: Table 5.1 Setting High use Moderate
Page 15 and 16: Table 5.3 Visitor use permitted wit
Page 17 and 18: Cid Harbour Views of Shaw Island fr
Page 19 and 20: Table 6.3 Significant capital inves
Page 21 and 22: Management strategies » » » Conc
Page 23 and 24: Whitsunday Island » » » Table 6.
Page 25: Table 6.5.1 Future camping manageme
Page 29 and 30: 6.8 Education and information 6.9 W
Page 31 and 32: Strategy review and evaluation This
Page 33 and 34: Acknowledgements This Visitor Manag

Whitsunday and Mackay Islands Visitor Management Strategy ...

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