MINING AND INDIGENOUS TOURISM IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA David Brereton, Paul Memmott, Joseph Reser, Jeremy Buultjens, Linda Thomson, Tanuja Barker, Tim O'Rourke and Catherine Chambers MINING AND INDIGENOUS TOURISM IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA Technical Reports The technical report series present data and its analysis, meta-studies and conceptual studies, and are considered to be of value to industry, government and researchers. Unlike the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre’s Monograph series, these reports have not been subjected to an external peer review process. As such, the scientific accuracy and merit of the research reported here is the responsibility of the authors, who should be contacted for clarification of any content. Author contact details are at the back of this report. Editors Prof Chris Cooper University of Queensland Editor-in-Chief Prof Terry De Lacy Sustainable Tourism CRC Chief Executive Prof Leo Jago Sustainable Tourism CRC Director of Research National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Mining and indigenous tourism in Northern Australia. ISBN 978 1 920704 94 0. 1. Tourism - Australia, Northern. 2. Aboriginal Australians - Australia, Northern. 3. Mines and mineral resources - Australia, Northern. I. Brereton, David. II. Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism. 338.4791 Copyright © CRC for Sustainable Tourism Pty Ltd 2007 All rights reserved. Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this book may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the publisher. Any enquiries should be directed to General Manager Communications & Industry Extension [[email protected]] or Publishing Manager [[email protected]]. Acknowledgements The Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre, an Australian Government initiative, funded this research. Rio Tinto Ltd also contributed to the project. The three case study mines – Argyle, Comalco Weipa and Century Mine – provided in-kind assistance and facilitated access to their sites. The authors are very grateful for this support. The authors wish to thank the many people who were interviewed or provided information for this report. The authors also wish to acknowledge the assistance of the Project’s Industry Reference Group: Bruce Harvey (Chief Advisor, Aboriginal and Community Relations, Rio Tinto Ltd); Ian Williams (Former General Manager Mining, Pasminco); Jane Ianniello (Research Director, Tourism Queensland); and Lois Peeler (Chairperson of Aboriginal Tourism Australia). ii MINING AND INDIGENOUS TOURISM IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA CONTENTS SUMMARY ____________________________________________________________________________VII CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION _____________________________________________________________ 1 PROJECT AIMS AND BENEFITS _____________________________________________________________ 1 POTENTIAL USERS OF THIS RESEARCH _______________________________________________________ 1 PROPONENTS OF THE PROJECT _____________________________________________________________ 1 PROJECT DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ______________________________________________________ 2 Literature Review and Consultation ______________________________________________________ 2 Definition of Study Area and Mining Infrastructure __________________________________________ 2 Case Study Preparation________________________________________________________________ 3 CHAPTER 2 INDIGENOUS TOURISM IN AUSTRALIA ________________________________________ 5 OVERVIEW OF TOURISM IN AUSTRALIA ______________________________________________________ 5 THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIGENOUS TOURISM IN AUSTRALIA_____________________________________ 5 The Market for Indigenous Tourism in Australia ____________________________________________ 6 THE BENEFITS OF INDIGENOUS TOURISM_____________________________________________________ 7 Economic Opportunities for Indigenous Groups_____________________________________________ 8 The Promotion of Self-determination _____________________________________________________ 8 Cross-cultural Exchanges ______________________________________________________________ 8 Preservation of the Elements of Traditional Culture__________________________________________ 9 Protected Area Resource Management ____________________________________________________ 9 ISSUES CONCERNING THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIGENOUS TOURISM ENTERPRISES ____________________ 10 The ‘Real’ Demand for Indigenous Tourism_______________________________________________ 11 Low Tourism Market Profile ___________________________________________________________ 11 Competition from Eco/Nature-Based Tourism _____________________________________________ 11 Lack of Skills, Qualifications and Business Knowledge ______________________________________ 12 Cultural Factors ____________________________________________________________________ 12 Lack of Control, Ownership and Intellectual Property _______________________________________ 12 Administration of Government Programs and Assistance_____________________________________ 13 Lack of Available Finance_____________________________________________________________ 13 Problems Relating to Any Small and Remote Business _______________________________________ 14 INDIGENOUS CULTURAL TOURISM AND SUSTAINABILITY _______________________________________ 14 MEASURE OF SUCCESS: WHAT IS A SUCCESSFUL INDIGENOUS TOURISM BUSINESS?___________________ 15 CHAPTER 3 THE MINING INDUSTRY IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA ___________________________ 16 INTRODUCTION _______________________________________________________________________ 16 Mining in Northern Australia __________________________________________________________ 16 AUSTRALIAN MINING AND INDIGENOUS RELATIONS ___________________________________________ 17 THE BROADER CONTEXT ________________________________________________________________ 18 Mining Infrastructure ________________________________________________________________ 19 MINE SITES AS TOURISM ATTRACTIONS ____________________________________________________ 20 FURTHER SYNERGY OPPORTUNITIES _______________________________________________________ 20 CHAPTER 4 CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO PROXIMAL NATIONAL PARKS AND/OR WORLD HERITAGE AREAS______________________________________________________________________ 21 THE CONJUNCTION OF A NATIONAL PARK AND/OR WORLD HERITAGE AREA, A SIGNIFICANT MINE OPERATION, AND ABORIGINAL LANDS AND COMMUNITIES ______________________________________ 21 Aboriginal Involvement _______________________________________________________________ 22 IMPACTS_____________________________________________________________________________ 24 THE PARTNERSHIP LITERATURE AND EXPERIENCE ____________________________________________ 24 PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES _____________________________________________ 25 MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING LEGISLATION, MONITORING, GUIDELINES, AND BEST PRACTICE _________ 25 CONCLUSION _________________________________________________________________________ 26 CHAPTER 5 COMALCO/WEIPA CASE STUDY _____________________________________________ 27 LOCATION ___________________________________________________________________________ 27 iii MINING AND INDIGENOUS TOURISM IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES______________________________________________________________ 28 THE LOCAL TOURISM INDUSTRY __________________________________________________________ 29 Accommodation_____________________________________________________________________ 29 Fishing____________________________________________________________________________ 29 Camping and Adventure Tours _________________________________________________________ 30 Mine Tours ________________________________________________________________________ 30 Mining Museum_____________________________________________________________________ 30 Scenic Flights ______________________________________________________________________ 30 Bush Safaris________________________________________________________________________ 30 House Boats________________________________________________________________________ 30 CURRENT ABORIGINAL INVOLVEMENT IN LOCAL TOURISM______________________________________ 30 STRENGTHS AND CONSTRAINTS OF THE REGIONAL TOURISM INDUSTRY ____________________________ 31 OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASING ABORIGINAL INVOLVEMENT IN TOURISM _________________________ 32 NANUM TAWAP AND BALKANU CAPE YORK DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION PTY LTD _________________ 33 COMALCO’S APPROACH TO LOCAL TOURISM ________________________________________________ 34 COMALCO INDIGENOUS LAND USE AGREEMENT (PREVIOUSLY THE WESTERN CAPE COMMUNITIES COEXISTENCE AGREEMENT) _____________________________________________________________ 34 WEIPA MULTI-PURPOSE FACILITY _________________________________________________________ 35 THE CAPE YORK CULTURAL CENTRE ______________________________________________________ 36 ISSUES SURROUNDING THE ALCOHOL MANAGEMENT PLAN _____________________________________ 36 Conclusion_________________________________________________________________________ 37 CHAPTER 6 CENTURY MINE CASE STUDY _______________________________________________ 40 LOCATION AND CENTURY OVERVIEW ______________________________________________________ 40 ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES______________________________________________________________ 40 CENTURY AND ABORIGINAL RELATIONS ____________________________________________________ 41 THE LOCAL TOURIST INDUSTRY __________________________________________________________ 41 Attractions