Cradle Coast Tracks Strategy
Prepared for
By
With assistance from Allison Wing / WINGS Angelic
September 2003
NOTE RE TERMINOLOGY IN THIS REPORT “TRACKS” or “TRAILS”
The debate over whether a defined and formed route used by walkers, cyclists or horse riders is a ‘track’ or a ‘trail’ has raged in Australia for many years. Regardless of which is ‘right’ t he terms are basically considered interchangeable by most agencies and organisations. However, for the purpose of this report the term ‘track’ has been used in all cases to avoid any confusion with the growing number of tourism / driving routes being publicised as ‘trails’. This terminology is consistent with the Tasmanian Walking Tracks Strategy.
Cradle Coast Tracks Strategy
Executive Summary & Recommendations
PART 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Maher Brampton Associates
1
Cradle Coast Tracks Strategy
Executive Summary & Recommendations
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS Setting the Scene Tasmania promotes itself to the world as a bushwalking destination – and is very successful in doing so. Within that state-wide focus the Cradle Coast Region (the north west and west coast) is blessed with some of the major icon attractions that bring thousands of people to the state every year – Cradle Mountain, the Overland Track, the west coast ‘wilderness’, parts of the Franklin and Gordon ‘wild rivers’ area, Macquarie Harbour and more. Wild rivers, rugged mountains, rainforest and wilderness are stamped all over the public face of the region. The north coast is spectacular – and accessible. The west coast is rugged – and romantically remote. Even the farmland has a reputation for aesthetic beauty. The region is blessed with a range of physical endowments rarely matched across Australia – and all of this forms a fertile backdrop for a future tracks and trails program. The Socio-Economic Climate Socially and economically the region presents a very different face. Population is declining, and the decline is predicted to continue over the next 15 years; major industries have moved out en-masse in recent decades, resulting in the second highest level of unemployment in Australia; the percentage of older people is increasing rapidly, and this is expected to accelerate into the future; the level of ‘permanency’ of the professional workforce is dropping, resulting in fewer people developing strong local ties, and the occurrence of cardio-vascular disease is one of the highest in Australia. To flesh out this rather gloomy socio-economic picture a little further, the region is: •
ranked as the fourth lowest in Australia in terms of population growth
•
ranked in the lowest 10 in employed population ratio and employment rate,
•
ranked third lowest region in terms of tertiary qualifications, and
•
ranked in the lowest 10 in terms of household income.
Not surprisingly, the region was selected as one of 8 ‘trial’ regions for special Federal Government funding assistance. This is being channelled through the Cradle Coast Authority, one of the two key partners in this project. It is vital to note that this depressed socio-economic climate generates one of the key potential benefits of this Study. Tracks have much to offer the residents of a struggling region such as this, and the capacity to deliver beneficial outcomes to local people should be sufficient to drive this project forward, regardless of visitor-based outcomes. Opportunity Knocks On a more positive front the number of tourists visiting the region is growing rapidly. The introduction of the ‘twin ferry’ service from Melbourne has generated a substantial boost, with raw numbers showing a quarterly increase from 01/02 to 02/03 of between 12% and 36%. A further bonus is that the enhanced ferry service is delivering a rapidly escalating number of tourists using their own vehicles – and therefore travelling with more freedom to explore. Mt Roland – and the delightful farming country around it – is typical of the landscapes that so many come to see in the Cradle Coast Region Maher Brampton Associates
2
Cradle Coast Tracks Strategy
Executive Summary & Recommendations
Tourism already employs 1 in 10 people in the Tasmanian workforce, and this figure is likely to climb substantially as visitor numbers continue to grow. The Cradle Coast Region is ideally placed to maximise the local benefit accruing from increasing visitor numbers as it is the “gateway” for all those arriving by ferry. To say that ‘opportunity knocks’ would be to underestimate the potential benefits of this fortuitous situation. The Existing Track Supply Situation Finally, in ‘setting the scene’ for this Strategy it is important to be cognisant of the fact that many tracks and trails already exist in the region, albeit of a widely varying standard and entirely haphazard geographical spread. The extensive Audit undertaken as part of this project has identified the following core characteristics of ‘track supply’: •
There are already numerous short walks in the Cradle Coast region, and many more in other regions of Tasmania within a couple of hours drive;
•
There are already enough long walks planned through the Parks and Wildlife Service’s 8 Great Bushwalks for Tasmania program;
•
There are virtually no mountain bike (off road cycle touring) tracks in the region – or in Tasmania for that matter;
•
There are relatively few horse riding opportunities, and many of those that exist are not well known;
•
The region is characterised by haphazard supply – walk tracks appear clustered in a few general locations;
•
Tracks in the Cradle Coast region are poorly packaged and promoted (other than the 60 Great Short Walks program – which is quite the opposite).
•
Existing promoted tracks appear to have no clear focus or ‘theme’;
The Role of Tracks and Trails Against this backdrop of great physical beauty and natural resources, increasing visitation levels, a depressed socio-economic situation and haphazard track supply this Tracks Strategy is highly timely. Tracks and trails have much to offer a region such as this. Right across Australia the many benefits of well-planned and promoted tracks and trails are being recognised by a range of agencies from National Park services to tourism departments, and from local government authorities to a host of health and well-being organisations. At last, it is being recognised that recreation tracks are not just an outlet for a few long-haired hippies – they indeed perform a number of highly beneficial roles in the broader community: •
They provide opportunities for low-key unstructured passive recreation for local residents and visitors alike
•
They enable users to gain fitness and they foster general well-being
•
They are a valuable tourism attraction, especially when marketed well
•
They can help instil a conservation ethic amongst users, and
•
They can be a means of educating users about the attributes of an area, especially when good interpretation is a feature of the track
Proposed Priority Projects What then, can tracks and trails do for the Cradle Coast Region? This Strategy has been based on extensive face-to-face consultation and weeks of field work in the study area. It is shaped specifically to fit the Cradle Coast’s unique parameters. It proposes not a long list of high-level ‘actions’ attributed to various agencies who may have little incentive to fulfil them, but rather a limited number of specific projects which have the potential to deliver solid and real benefits to the communities of the region.
Maher Brampton Associates
3
Cradle Coast Tracks Strategy
Executive Summary & Recommendations
It is worth noting now that the brief for the Project sought four key outcomes: •
Enhanced coordination/communication between agencies and with the community
•
Increased economic activity and benefits to the region
•
Increased health and well-being
•
Improved alternative transport infrastructure.
In proposing a total of just seven projects the Strategy recognises the limited capacity of the various agencies (and the community) of the Region. It has been felt more appropriate to embark upon a restricted program of activity – but one that is achievable – rather than a ‘pie in the sky’ list of projects that could well seem too daunting to even attempt. Of the seven projects, four are essentially planning or feasibility studies, recognising the inability of a ‘strategy’ to deliver sufficient detail to embark direct into an implementation program. These projects are as follows (see “Recommendations”): •
Waterfalls, Wildlife and Wilderness: 20 Great Short Walks of the Cradle Coast
•
Mountain Bike Mecca: 10 Great Short Mountain Bike Rides of the Cradle Coast
•
Coastal Pathway Feasibility Study
•
Tasmanian Trail: Review of Alignment, Focus and Functionality
Setting each of these against the four desired outcomes of the Strategy will show that each has the potential to deliver against most (if not all) of the target benefits. Implementation via Coordination – The Key to Success While there is little doubt that the recommended projects have the capacity to delivery tangible outcomes for the region and its residents, there is another factor that is the corner-stone to this Strategy moving forward to successful implementation. Weeks of field work and countless meetings and phone calls have clearly identified coordination and communication as the keys to unlocking the benefits of tracks and trails in this region. A plethora of State agencies, nine local governments, various Federal bodies and numerous small communities and community groups all have roles to play. Some acknowledge these roles; some do not yet know that they have a potential role of substance. Few ‘talk’ to each other, and fewer do so in any ordered fashion. Lacking coordination, each has the capacity to be the worst enemy of others. The value of enhanced coordination cannot be underestimated. A starting list of coordination activities is contained in ‘Recommendations’, below, but – almost more importantly – each of the individual projects recommended here-in will benefit substantially from having a better defined and more tightly focussed means of communication between agencies and with/across the community.
Quality trail experiences invariably offer quality interpretation – such as these outstanding ‘signs’ on the Larmairremener Tabelti Aboriginal Cultural Walk near Lake St Clair. Field work shows, however, that this is currently the exception rather than the rule in the Study Area.
Maher Brampton Associates
4
Cradle Coast Tracks Strategy
Executive Summary & Recommendations
Several different mechanisms are available to deliver this enhanced coordination. The three most often seen elsewhere in Australia (and most likely to be of relevance to the Cradle Coast region) are: a) Establishing an ongoing ‘Tracks Coordinating Committee’, perhaps as an extension of the Steering Committee put in place to guide the development of this Strategy; b) Establishing a ‘Cradle Coast Tracks Alliance’ – a broader grouping including representatives of both the primary agencies (state and local) and relevant user groups; c)
Establishing the position of ‘Cradle Coast Tracks Coordinator’, ideally a fulltime ongoing position, dedicated to delivering the outcomes set forth in this Strategy and facilitating enhanced coordination relating to tracks and track programs.
Key Implementation / Coordination Tasks In seeking to decide which mechanism will best deliver enhanced coordination (and therefore the best chance of successful implementation) the agencies sponsoring this project should consider the following non-exclusive list of tasks which need to be undertaken (more detail provided in body of report): a) Continue with the track audit process to fill in all missing information (including current condition) and to map all tracks; b) Develop a Cradle Coast Authority tracks website; c)
Act as a link (or hub) between various agencies – and between these agencies and the community;
d) Establish a ‘Track Register’, to rank tracks according to compliance with standards, including maintenance and promotion; e) Develop and deliver a Skills Enhancement Program, focussing on regular field workshops to download track-specific skills from PWS and private specialists to local government and community groups; f)
Disseminate information and ideas via a newsletter and quarterly trackfocussed forums;
g)
Assist local government and community groups in assessing and upgrading local tracks (both new and existing), then promoting these to residents via simple brochures and maps;
h) Establish a peak user group body to represent the views and aspirations of track users from all three primary groups. In addition, it should be noted that all of the specific projects recommended in this Report will achieve better outcomes if a functional and well-resourced mechanism of coordination is put in place. This is perhaps strongly the case with regard to the potential appointment of a Tracks Coordinator. Having one person with a focus entirely on recreation tracks has the capacity to magnify the benefits accruing from each of the seven key projects. Further, it is quite possible that actual costs for these projects may be significantly reduced by contracting a Tracks Coordinator who could undertake substantial components of the work as part of their position. It is for these reasons that this Strategy recommends that the option of choice for delivering quality outcomes in terms of coordination and the implementation of the projects contained here -in appears to be the contracting of a Tracks Coordinator. Regardless of whether or not this decision is taken, the need for better coordination as a means of impleme nting the recommendations that follow cannot be understated.
Maher Brampton Associates
5
Cradle Coast Tracks Strategy
Executive Summary & Recommendations
A Program of Delivery The Strategy suggests a three year initial implementation program for the 8 projects, bearing in mind that a number of them will flow on into track development programs which may extend beyond that time frame. Estimates in the body of this Report suggest that Year 1 will require $295,000, Year 2 some $245,000 and Year 3 about $130,000. These figures include a Tracks Coordinator (full time) but do not include any flow-on ‘construction’ funds. Should another means of coordination be chosen, then costs will need to be adjusted accordingly. Most of the priority projects will result in the need for substantial implementation and marketing funding – sourcing these funds should also be a core function of the Tracks Committee / Tracks Alliance / Track Coordinator. A range of grant programs are outlined in the report, with a number appearing strong prospects for various elements of the program. In particular, the Cradle Coast Authority’s own ‘Tourism Investment Program” would seem to be ideally suited to supporting several key projects identified in (and flowing on from) this Strategy. Summary In summary, the Cradle Coast Region is blessed with an enviable array of physical and geographical attributes. It is experiencing a surge in visitation, driven by the twin ferries, and (along with the rest of Australia) a growing desire among both visitors and residents alike for passive non-structured and nature-based recreation. Yet it has a declining and aging population base and substantial social and economic challenges. Taken together, these factors create an ideal climate for a carefully targeted, well coordinated and achievable track development program. This Strategy sets out a simple project-focussed program of activity designed to deliver the maximum benefits to the widest cross-section of the community. It does not focus solely on developing new tracks, but recognises the existence of numerous trails right across the region. It will support the upgrading of a number of these, and enshrines the requirement for quality (and carefully targeted) marketing and promotion. It does not impose onerous fiscal requirements on any one agency and seeks to develop partnerships at all opportunities. If the agencies and members of the community who have contributed so constructively to the development of this Strategy can continue to work together on the outcomes of this project then the whole region stands to profit substantially. Tracks and trails have much to offer the Cradle Coast.
Maher Brampton Associates
6
Cradle Coast Tracks Strategy
Executive Summary & Recommendations
Recommendations Seven specific projects are recommended by this Study. Each fulfils the various key outcomes to a differing degree (see table over page). The seven projects are as follows: (NOTE: this list should NOT necessarily be seen to be in order of priority) a) Waterfalls, Wildlife and Wilderness: 20 Great Short Walks of the Cradle Coast Region. This project involves the identification and development of a series of short walks focussing on ‘waterfalls, wildlife and wilderness’. Many of these track experiences already exist – they simply need upgrading and ‘packaging’. The project is unashamedly modelled on the highly successful PWS “60 Great Short Walks” program, and is designed to build on that program rather than compete with it. b) Local Tracks Enhancement Program: Cradle Coast Authority, in conjunction with the Office of Sport and Recreation and local governments, to facilitate the preparation of local Track Master Plans and other programs designed to prioritise and stimulate local track development (‘in-fill’ for local use). Some planning for tracks is occurring through broader recreation planning processes, but more sophisticated and contemporary standards should be applied. This project is largely work for the Tracks Committee / Tracks Alliance / Track Coordinator. c)
Mountain Bike Mecca. Assessment, selection and development of 10 great short mountain bike rides, focussing largely on disused rail and tramways, and catering primarily to the cross country and family-oriented off-road cyclist (see user profiles, p 47/8).
d) Coastal Pathway Planning Study. A planning and route alignment study for the development of priority sections of a coastal path linking the key towns of the north west coast (Devonport to Wynyard). Such a facility would provide a crucial alternative transport option for many locals. Further, it would stimulate health benefits to users, and provide a valuable recreational resource for locals and visitors alike . e) King Island Tracks Program: Detailed assessment and selection of a suite of tracks on King Island, to be developed and promoted separately to other track programs of the Cradle Coast region. This project recognises that King Island is a destination in its own right, and has a very different visitor focus, attracting primarily tourists from Victoria and New South Wales. f)
Information Collation and Dissemination Program: Tracks are currently available for all three user groups and many more will be developed or upgraded through the programs set out above – they just need to be better promoted. This is best achieved through a concerted effort at compiling information, and publishing it in the form of simple but aesthetically-pleasing brochures/maps. The first priority should be a ‘CCA Horse Tracks’ brochure.
g)
Tasmanian Trail: Review of Alignment, Focus and Functionality. A State-level project designed to enhance the appeal of the Tasmanian Trail, a prospective icon which currently does not live up to its potential. The project should review the focus and function of the trail, in addition to seeking better route alignments and opportunities for infrastructure improvements.
Maher Brampton Associates
7
Cradle Coast Tracks Strategy
Executive Summary & Recommendations
Degree to which recommended projects fulfil desired project outcomes The brief for this Study set out four key desired outcomes. Naturally, all projects will not fulfil each of these outcomes to the same extent. Some have a stronger ‘tourism / visitor’ focus, while others more strongly deliver outcomes for local residents. The following table seeks to indicate the extent to which each project delivers under the four key outcomes. Three stars:
high level of delivery under this outcome
Two stars:
moderate level of delivery under this outcome
One star:
lower level of delivery under this outcome
No stars:
outcome not relevant to this project
Project
Enhanced coordination: inter-agency & community
Increased economic activity & benefits
Increased health and well-being
Waterfalls, wildlife & wilderness
***
***
**
Local tracks enhancement program
***
*
***
**
***
**
***
**
***
*
**
*
Information collation & dissemination
***
*
**
Tasmanian Trail review – route & focus
**
**
*
Mountain biking mecca Coastal pathway planning study King Island tracks program
Improved alternative transport infrastructure
**
***
*
Implementation A further and final recommendation of this report is that a clear decision be taken about the best mechanism for facilitating enhanced coordination (as a means of ensuring efficient implementation) – and that this decision be funded and put in place as a priority outcome of this Tracks Strategy.
Maher Brampton Associates
8