Whitsunday and Mackay Islands Visitor Management Strategy ...

Strategy overview
3.1 Conservation values
3.2 Management environment
Whitsunday and Mackay Islands Visitor Management Strategy
The Great Barrier Reef was declared a World Heritage Area
in 1981. It is internationally recognised for its outstanding
natural values, and one of only a few sites nominated for all
four natural criteria (refer to www.environment.gov.au/
heritage/worldheritage/sites/gbr/values.html). Although coral
reefs initially made the area famous, it comprises an
extraordinary variety of other plant and animal communities,
including fringing coastal reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds,
sandy and coral cays, sandy or muddy bottom communities,
continental islands and deep open ocean areas.
The Whitsunday and Mackay islands are visually attractive
with rugged landforms, varied geology, sandy beaches and
fringing reefs. Significant natural values are represented,
including the highest vegetation diversity recorded for any
of the Great Barrier Reef continental islands, with nearly
1000 native plant species (including 20 that are rare and
threatened). Diverse plant communities such as lowland vine
forest, eucalypt woodland, Pisonia forest and grassland are
present. Wildlife is rich and varied and includes 31 mammal,
more than 200 bird and over 50 reptile species. Several
beaches are important nesting sites for green and
loggerhead turtles.
The planning area is also culturally significant. Aboriginal
people inhabited Whitsunday and Mackay islands for more
than 6000 years. Today, evidence of this early occupation
includes shell middens, fish traps, stone quarries and rock
art. Much of the coast and near-shore islands, cays and
reefs have special cultural meaning for Traditional Owners,
fulfilling a significant role in their traditional and
contemporary lifestyles. Hill Inlet, for example is of
particular spiritual importance. The islands also contain
cultural heritage resources that are evidence of more recent
island occupation and use, including shipwrecks, tramways,
fencelines and buildings.
Visitor use of national parks and beaches is regulated and
managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
(QPWS), an entity of the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), through the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and
Marine Parks Act 2004. The EPA has developed the Mackay-
Whitsunday Regional Coastal Management Plan, which
covers the coastal zone and provides direction on how
coastal resources in the region will be protected and
managed in the future.
GBRMPA manages the establishment, control, care and
development of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and
World Heritage Area through the Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park Act 1975. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park includes
all waters to the low tide mark. Visitor use of state waters
and the intertidal zone is managed by the Queensland
Government in a complementary manner under the Marine
Parks Act 2004 and the Marine Parks (Great Barrier Reef
Coast) Zoning Plan 2004.
Local government has important responsibilities in how the
planning area is developed and used. Tourism Queensland
and regional tourism organisations market the area as a
tourist destination on behalf of local and regional tourism
businesses. Commercial operators, resorts and other park
neighbours play a critical role in presenting the parks and
providing infrastructure and services.
3.3 Visitor environment
The islands form a significant part of the Mackay and
Whitsunday regions, two of Australia’s most attractive
holiday destinations. The regions are popular with domestic
and international visitors who come to visit iconic locations
such as Whitehaven Beach. The regions are also an
important component of the Brisbane–Cairns touring route
for travellers exploring the Queensland coast.