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Case study: coastal tourism in Port Hinchinbrook
Topic : Case study: coastal tourism in Port Hinchinbrook
In this topic you will learn...
Chapter 1 :
Geographical process
The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is the largest coral reef structure in the world
The tourism industry is an extremely important source of income in the GBR area
The Hinchinbrook region lies at the junction of two World Heritage listed areas
The Hinchinbrook Channel and Hinchinbrook Island are home to endangered species
In 1985 a proposal for constructing a resort at Port Hinchinbrook was put forth
The construction of a large marina sparked the most controversy over the development
In 1994 the Labor government reversed approval for development of the resort
In 1996 the Howard Government re-approved development of the resort
Tourism development results in significant increases in human populations at host sites
Increased human populations result in infrastructure and pollution related challenges
Chapter 2 :
Perceptions of different groups
The Cardwell Shire Council supported the development of Port Hinchinbrook
The council perceived that the development would bring economic and social benefits
It was predicted the development could provide up to 1000 jobs in the local community
The council argued that an increase in visitors would lead to more permanent residents
Local residents were divided over the development of Port Hinchinbrook
The developers argued that it would be beneficial to visitors, the locals and the economy
The developers argued that adequate environmental standards would be employed
The biggest concern of the scientific community was the issue of acid sulphate soils
Dredging and removing mangroves upsets soil compositions and can threaten habitats
Environmentalists argued damage to the natural values of the area would be irrevocable
Chapter 3 :
Action taken and process of management
The Hinchinbrook foreshore up to the low tide mark falls under State control
The federal government became involved because of the site's location next to World Heritage areas
No Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was ever undertaken for the development
The responsibility for requesting an EIA fell into the hands of the council
Approval to dredge the channel was not granted as the required permit was not received
Foreshore work started in 1988 but was halted because the company went bankrupt
A new proposal was put forth in 1993 by a company called Cardwell Properties (CP)
An Environmental Review Report replaced a full EIA during the second approval stage
In 1994 a proclamation was made banning dredging and mangrove removal activities
In 1996 a new federal government was elected and the 1994 proclamation was reversed
Chapter 4 :
Responses to the decision
The Friends of Hinchinbrook (FOH) appealed Senator Hill's decision in the Federal Court
FOH believed that Senator Hill had acted 'unreasonably' and did not consider all factors
FOH could apply for a 'judicial review' of Senator Hill's decision, not a 'merits review
FOH lost their Federal Court appeal because Senator Hill's action was deemed 'lawful'
A Senate Inquiry was conducted into the Port Hinchinbrook development in 1998-99
The inquiry described the management of Port Hinchinbrook as a 'tragedy of errors'
Development proceeded and Stage One of the development was complete by 2004
Port Hinchinbrook is open for visitors despite pending approval for Stage Two
Chapter 5 :
Implications for sustainability, social justice and equity
Port Hinchinbrook highlights the complicated nature of coastal tourism management
Port Hinchinbrook exemplifies the difficulty of balancing environmental conservation with tourism
The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is one of the world`s greatest ecological sites
Proposals similar to the Port Hinchinbrook resort are common in the GBR
The full impacts of Port Hinchinbrook are not known because no EIA was conducted
No EIA meant the public was not informed of all the likely impacts of the development
Processes of management in the Port Hinchinbrook case excluded certain stakeholders
Ill-defined terminology in agreements worked to the development company's advantage
Decision-making processes that took place were neither just nor equitable
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