Issue 2 August 2003
Bi-Monthly Newsletter
Old Burnie Hospital The demolition of the old Burnie Hospital at South Burnie has begun and is expected to take about 20 weeks. Fairbrother Pty Ltd has been on site since the end of June preparing for demolition and has obtained all the consultative and approval requirements to start physical demolition. The demolition project is being funded by the State Government under a partnership agreement with the Cradle Coast Authority and the Burnie City Council. Later this month the joint venture partners will begin seeking expressions of interest for new development of the site.
Cradle Coast Authority Board The Cradle Coast Authority has a new board of directors. The eight dir ectors were appointed from 25 nominations received in response to public advertisements and council nominations. The new board is: Russell Paterson, Bob Wilson, John Howard, Allan Leeson, Megan Cavanagh-Russell, Ross Hine, David Brewster and Alf Mott. The new board will meet for the first time in early September and will be profiled in the next edition of this newsletter.
Regional Touring Guide The Cradle Coast Regional Touring Guide 2003-2004 will be officially launched later this month. Strong advertising support has enabled the Authority to double the size and print run of the guide. The content of the touring guide is based on the touring route strategy which was completed in June.
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Bass Highway Upgrade Underway
he safety of the Bass Highway through Sisters Hills is being addressed thanks to the efforts of a new working group. Immediate measures endorsed by the working group include sign upgrades, the erection of a ‘trucks entering’ sign for eastbound traffic near Whites Rd, renewal of reflective pavement markers and guideposts and a resealing program to be implemented during the next two summers. Longer term measures will include major realignments and the investigation of rail options between Burnie and Smithton. The Sisters Hills section of the Bass Highway has been a long term issue for local residents because of fatalities and near misses on this section of the highway. Concerned local residents and road users held a public meeting in February and the Cradle Coast Authority agreed to take a lead role in securing future upgrades of the road. In March the Authority met with the Minister for Infrastructure, Jim Cox, and representatives from DIER to discuss immediate and longer-term measures to address the safety issues. A Bass Highway Working Group has been formed with representation from the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources, the Authority, Circular Head Council, WaratahWynyard Council, Burnie City Council, the community and the RACT. The working group has met twice and conducted a site
inspection which enabled c o u nc i l and c o m mu ni ty representatives to identify problem areas on the road. It also enabled local road users to identify and document their concerns. The Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources will continue to document road issues and will soon begin a technical analysis of the identified issues. The working group will continue to review the success of the immediate measures, review current priorities and identify any additional high priority projects. Once the sign upgrading and resealing programme has been completed, available funding will be directed to other projects prioritised by the working group. The Government will be working co-operatively with the Cradle Coast Authority to ensure that the plan is implemented in the best interests of the region. The Bass Highway is a priority for strategic development because of its contribution to economic development as a regionally significant heavy freight and tourism route.
Upgrading of the Bass Highway west of the Cam River was identified as a regional priority in the Cradle Coast Partnership Agreement and is another successful example of councils, the Authority and the State Government working in partnership to address issues which cut across council boundaries.
Coastal Weed Brochure Launched
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dentifying weeds has never been easier—thanks to the publication of a new 32-page colour booklet, Coastal Weeds of the Cradle Coast Region.
The project was funded by a $14,000 Australian Government Envirofund grant to the Australian Plants Society (APS) North-West Branch and managed by the Cradle Coast Authority. The booklet, which is available free of charge from local councils, gives tips on identifying environmental weeds, weed removal and weed control methods. It also provides full colour photographs which make it easy to distinguish the plant species. In the past 30 years at least 35% of all plants that have become environmental weeds were deliberately introduced as garden plants. Examples include fuchsias, agapanthus and foxgloves.
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SPOTLIGHT ON . . . TOURISM DEVELOPMENT Touring Route Strategy The Authority is currently s e e k in g s ta k eh o ld e r support for implementation of the Cradle Coast Touring Route Strategy. The strategy, completed in June in consultation with State and Local Government and the tourism industry, identifies the key selling points of the region as a touring destination. Implementation of the strategy will include coordinating product and infrastructure development, marketing and visitor experience with the goal of spreading tourism benefits evenly across the region.
Protecting our tourism icon—Cradle Tourism Development Plan
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he recently completed Cradle Tourism Development Plan has been a successful test case for a new partnership model of tourism planning.
The Cradle Tourism Development Plan has been developed by the State Government in partnership with the Cradle Coast Authority and the Kentish Council. The model will now become a blueprint for the development of other key destinations in Tasmania. Cradle Coast Authority Executive Chairman, Roger Jaensch, said the plan was the first to integrate planning and development of tourism infrastructure across different management zones.
The Authority is currently pursuing funding to implement this strategy.
“In the past there was no system for managing areas like Cradle Mountain where several authorities had responsibilities for managing different aspects,” he said.
Copies of the strategy are available at: www.tourismtasmania.com .au/tasind/ind_related/ ccrts/index.html
“This plan will enable us to co-ordinate planning and development at Cradle Valley and to provide appropriate infrastructure to facilitate the growth of tourism.”
Regional Waste Management Audit
Roger said 200,000 people had visited Cradle Mountain during 2002 and this figure was expected to increase by 40,000 by 2005.
The current status of the region’s waste disposal facilities will be investigated as part of a comprehensive regional audit. The Authority, participating currently expressions of consultants to audit.
on behalf of councils, is seeking interest from complete the
The audit will document the existing waste management arrangements and structures in the region and investigate future options for waste management. The audit will begin September 2003 .
in
To cater for this increase, the plan provides for new signage, a new village, a new visitor centre, a centralised sewerage system and a centralised water storage, treatment and supply system.
“In addition, interpretation and communication of the environmental and cultural values of the world heritage area will be integrated and improved to enhance the Cradle experience,” Roger said. The planning process included close consultation with stakeholders and identified a vision for Cradle, priorities for tourism infrastructure development and a process for implementation. The implementation of the plan will be funded by the State Government and its partners and overseen by a Cradle Management Group consisting of representatives of the State Government, the Kentish Council, the Cradle Coast Authority, the Cradle Tourism Association and the Friends of Cradle. The plan can be downloaded in PDF format from: www.tourismtasmania.com.au/ tasind/ind_related/cvtdp/index.html
Sewerage the First Priority The development of a centralised sewerage system is the first priority in the implementation of the Cradle Tourism Development Plan. Cradle Coast Authority Executive Chairman, Roger Jaensch, said the system was critical to the growth of the Cradle Mountain area as one of Tasmania’s key tourism destinations. “Cradle Mountain is rapidly approaching the position that Strahan was in a year ago – a draw card tourism destination with huge visitor demand and insufficient infrastructure to support sustainable development. “We could not let the Kentish Council shoulder this burden
alone or risk a moratorium on appropriate tourism developments or, worse still, damage the unique natural values of the area”. Roger said that because of the world heritage values any system needed to meet the highest standards and was likely to be beyond the capacity of the Kentish Council to provide on its own. The Commonwealth Government has approved expenditure of $50,000 of the Cradle Coast Authority’s Sustainable Regions funding under the Tourism Investment Program for the development of the design and business case for the sewerage system. Tourism Tasmania will contribute $50,000 towards the project and in kind support to the value of $10,000 will be contributed through the Parks and Wildlife Service and the Kentish Council. The project will be managed by the Kentish Council with support from the Parks and Wildlife Service. Roger said the Kentish Council had played a key role in securing the sewerage project. “The design stage is expected to be completed by October 2003 and the project partners are now seeking funding to construct the new sewerage system.”
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SPOTLIGHT ON . . . NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Balancing Use and Protection is Committee’s Challenging Role
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alancing the use of natural resourc es wi th thei r preservation is the challenging role of the Cradle Coast Natural Resource Management (NRM) Committee.
“The next step is for the committee to embark on a community consultation process to ensure broad stakeholder concerns are gathered before the committee begins to identify the possible priority issues for future action.
The Cradle Coast NRM Committee, hosted by the Cradle Coast Authority, is one of three regional committees established under the Tasmanian Natural Resource Management Framework and charged with identifying priorities, linking ac tivi ti es, pr epari ng strategies and promoting natural resource management principles.
“During October we will be holding public meetings across the region asking for comment and input on the priority issues”.
Cradle Coast NRM Co-ordinator David McCormack is the first to admit it is a huge job. “Although it’s going to be challenging it’s also very exciting because for the first time we have the opportunity on a regional scale to look at our resources, how we use them, how we can protect them and ensure their long-term sustainability and how we can address any problem areas.” David says one of the main challenges arises from the wide scope of activities included in NRM. “The long-term strategy the committee will develop needs to balance the environmental, economic and social impacts of how we use and conserve our natural resources. “We’re also aiming to develop and reinforce partnerships across a wide range of stakeholders and build links so that activities can add value to each other”. Guiding the process is a 15member committee representing key regional NRM stakeholders. Members of the Cradle Coast NRM committee are: Rick Rockliff (chair), Jenny Whiting, Sharni Radford, Andrew Nichols, Paul Smith, Casey van Eysden, David Robertson, Wendy Horniblow, Steven Fleming, Geoffrey Coles, Brian Mansell, Geoff King, David Henderson, Tess McNeill and John Pauley. David says the committee’s first task is to produce an NRM strategy. “We have produced a situation paper outlining the current state of play of regional resources, past activities and current challenges.
David said there would shortly be a call for applications for a share of Statewide funding valued at $1.8M for priority action projects.
Thanks Dirk The inaugural Cradle Coast NRM Co-ordinator, Dirk Holwerda, has resigned to return to a full-time position as General Manager of the Kentish Council. Dirk has managed the task of establishing the committee and its processes with great ability and unique style. He has been, and will continue to be, a significant asset for natural resource management in the region. David McCormack, who was previously the NRM facilitator for the NRM Committee and Landcare co-ordinator, will take over Dirk’s position from 4 August. We wish both Dirk and David luck in their new positions.
“It is too early to say what these activities might be, but examples of the kind of projects we could fund include fencing projects on dairy farms to address effluent, fencing off areas to protect threatened native vegetation or funding something like a regional weed management project. “These priority action projects are intended to be major scale projects which are of significant value to the region. “Once the strategy is developed the committee will be responsible for the implementation of the identified issues requiring action.’’ David says another priority is to ensure the enthusiasm and involvement of community groups continues. “In the past the National Heritage Trust distributed funding direct to
community groups. “Under the new framework funding will be distributed through the NRM committee and we are determined to ensure the huge achievements made by these groups continue.’’ To help that happen, the NRM committee will shortly be appointing seven NRM facilitators to be located across the region. Their main role will be informing land managers, community groups, landcare groups, local councils and government agencies of the process and opportunities for input. While the Cradle Coast NRM Committee is an autonomous organisation, it is hosted by the Cradle Coast Authority, something that David says gives the committee tremendous advantages. “It enables us to link directly with the region’s overall strategic body and that lets us link our strategic plan with their identified priorities”. David said a perfect example was the NRM Careers project being funded under the Authority’s Sustainable Regions program. “Through this project a consultant has been employed to work with local providers and users of funding, training and skilled labour for the NRM sector to develop strategies that will increase employment, long-term career options and business opportunities in this region.” During the next three years $500,000 will be spent on targeted investment in approved strategies and initiatives to achieve these NRM career goals.
Cultural Audit An audit documenting the cultural assets of the Cradle Coast Region will soon be released. The audit will be a useful resource for local government, artists and event organisers in the region. The audit, funded by Arts Tasmania, documents all of the region’s cultural assets— including stories and themes which link and interpret events, places, people and things that contribute to the cultural character of our region.
Arthur River Road Circular Head tourism is set to increase with the completion in June of a $3 million plus project to seal the Arthur River Rd. The project has been managed by the Circular Head Council and partially funded by the State Government through the Cradle Coast Authority Partnership Agreement. Sealing of the road link between Marrawah and the shack settlement at the mouth of the Arthur River has now been completed. A special feature of the project were the measures implemented to protect seven vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered species from “road kill’’ incidents. The measures included wildlife signage, seven wildlife underpasses and a reduction in the green feed available on the roadsides. The road work is expected to provide additional opportunities for visitors to spend extra time and nights in Circular Head and will complement tourism developments such as Dismal Swamp.
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STAFF PROFILE . . . IAN WALLER Regional Tourism Development Manager
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ate has been the defining force of Ian Waller’s working life.
allowing him to pursue his twin passions of hospitality management and disability support.
The son of U l v er st o ne newsagents, Ian always knew he would end up working with people and suspected it would be in hospitality.
“I spent five years with the Spastic Society and in hindsight these years were the most satisfying, if somewhat frustrating, part of my employment history.”
However, before he could finish his course of study in hospitality management as one of the first intake to the Drysdale School of Hospitality in 1975 fate intervened.
Cradle Coast Authority Regional Tourism Development Manager, Ian Waller.
Contact us … 30 Marine Terrace, Burnie PO Box 338 Burnie 7320 Phone: 03 6431 6285 Fax: 03 6431 7014 Email: suzsmith@cradlecoast.com
Cradle Coast Authority Roger Jaensch—Executive Chairman rjaensch@cradlecoast.com Sarah Poortenaar—Executive Officer spoortenaar@cradlecoast.com
Tourism Ian Waller—Regional Tourism Development Manager iwaller@cradlecoast.com
Natural Resource Management David McCormack—Natural Resource Management Co-ordinator dmccormack@cradlecoast.com
Stronger Learning Pathways Nick Flittner—Project Officer nflittner@cradlecoast.com
“During my first year at Drysdale I was employed as a male supervisor at Oakdale Lodge, a home for disabled adults,” Ian said. “That year changed my focus on life somewhat and made me question my choice of a hospitality career”. Ian moved to Burnie and spent 12 months working as a storeman while he reconsidered his employment options. An opportunity to study community welfare in Victoria arose and Ian grabbed it with the intention of returning to Tasmania when he finished the course. However, opportunities for employment in that field were limited and again Ian returned to the hospitality industry working in management with the Carline Group in Melbourne. Fate intervened again two years later when Ian was offered a job as accommodation manager for the Spastic Society of Victoria
At this point Ian and his wife, Lorna, bought a small motel on the outskirts of Bendigo and spent three years running it— doing everything from cleaning to cooking. “They were great times and gave us a real appreciation of the tourism and travel industry,’’ Ian said. After selling the motel Ian and his family moved to Mildura where they spent the next five years managing a further two motels. “As an operator in Mildura I was a vocal critic of the local tourism association and when it collapsed, as local tourism associations occasionally do, I was challenged to take over the restructuring and management of the association and ultimately to become its first executive officer. ’’ That was Ian’s first foray into regional tourism development— a role he found he loved and has worked in ever since. For the past seven years Ian has been based in South Australia as Regional Tourism Manager for the Limestone Coast region, based in Mount Gambier.
Ian is proud of the fact that under his guidance Limestone Coast Tourism was named the premiere South Australian tourism association four years in a row and Australia’s best in 1998. When the position of Regional Tourism Development Manager for the Cradle Coast Authority was advertised it yet again seemed that fate was directing Ian’s career. “My parents are now living in Devonport and it felt like a good time to come home.” Ian says it is satisfying to apply regional tourism experience he gained in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales to the Cradle Coast Region. “I am enjoying the challenge of overcoming the historic expectations that regional tourism associations provide hands-on support to the industry. “The current role of regional tourism associations, and indeed my role, is to investigate and implement long-term development strategies. “I had often hoped a chance may come up that would allow me to return to Tasmania. “I am pleased this role has allowed me the opportunity to not only return home, but to do so in a way that has given me the scope to make a positive impact on the future development of the tourism industry throughout the Cradle Coast region”.
About us … The Cradle Coast Authority is a joint authority created to co-ordinate and drive economic development within the nine local government areas of North-West and Western Tasmania.
The Authority’s member Councils contribute to its annual budget for core operations, but all regional development activities are funded through partnerships and funding agreements with other bodies.
Its primary role is to identify priorities for economic development and to broker partnerships between levels of government, industry and community groups to address these priorities at a regional level.
The Authority is engaged in a wide range of regional initiatives including tourism, natural resource management, community and cultural development, industry development, education and training, and infrastructure development projects.
The Authority’s Board includes members with experience in agriculture, industry, commerce, education, tourism and local government.
It has formal partnership agreements with all levels of government and is continually seeking new opportunities to represent and serve its region’s interests.