DPIPWE - Tourism Master Plan for the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Final draft RELEASE 4 September 2020 - DL - RTI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment commissioned ERA Planning and Environment to lead a multidisciplinary team to develop the Tourism Master Plan and who have in collaboration with the Department prepared this document. The team comprises: ERACONTACT Planning DETAILSand Environment (principal consultant) Master planning Cultural Heritage Management Australia ParksCultural and values Wildlife and AboriginalService community engagement GPO Box 1751 Hobart,SGS Economics Tasmania, & Planning 7001 Economic, tourism and visitation analysis Noa1300 Group TASPARKS (1300 827 727) Initial engagement facilitators www.parks.tas.gov.au Hit Send DPIPWE Editors - RELEASE - DL - RTI Front photo credit: Joe Shemesh DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES, PARKS, WATER AND ENVIRONMENT The area of country that is encompassed in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is Aboriginal land. In fact, the whole island of Lutruwita/Tasmania is Aboriginal land. Our sovereignty was not, and never will be, ceded. Aboriginal people have been in Lutruwita since the beginning of time; our stories of creation tell us that. We are more than simply ‘custodians’ or ‘caretakers’.DPIPWE We are the land, country, and she is- us. For many, many generations we have cared for our country, and coexisted with plants, animals, birds and marine life, taking only what was needed to sustain us. We remember and honour the strength and ingenuity of our Ancestors, and our Elders – past and present. Rocky Sainty RELEASETasmanian Aboriginal - DL - RTI Photo credit: Chris Crerar DPIPWE - INSERT TEXT FROM ZOE RIMMER RELEASE Tasmanian Aboriginal - Zoe Rimmer DL - RTI Photo credit: Cam Blake Contents Foreword v 1 Introduction 1 1.1 About the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area 2 1.2 Why a master plan? 3 1.3 Scope of the Tourism Master Plan 6 1.4 Process of preparing the Tourism Master Plan 8 1.5 The Management Plan 9 2 Strategic framework 11 2.1 The vision 12 2.2 The strategic principles 12 2.2.1 Key Principle 1 – Protecting the OUV 13 2.2.2 Key Principle 2 – Determination by Tasmanian Aboriginal people 14 2.2.3 Secondary Principle 1 – Conscious, meaningful and authentic experiences 14 2.2.4 Secondary Principle 2 – Supporting regional communities 15 2.2.5 Secondary Principle 3 – Valuing the role of tourism 16 3 Potential opportunities 17 3.1 Value proposition 18 3.2 Node hierarchy 18 3.2.1 Digital node 19 3.3 Planning projects 20 3.4 Planning priorities for the node hierarchy 21 3.5 Cultural presentation hubs 29 RTI3.5.1 -Primary DL cultural - presentation RELEASE hubs - DPIPWE29 3.5.2 Secondary (local) cultural presentation hubs 29 3.6 Journey-based experiences 32 3.6.1 Journey-based experiences recommendations 33 3.7 Multi-day experiences 36 3.7.1 Multi-day experience recommendations 37 Tourism Master Plan for the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area | i 3.8 Strategic framework map 40 4 Aboriginal cultural values initiatives 43 4.1 Aboriginal employment, business opportunities and funding 44 4.2 Interpretation of cultural values 45 4.3 Dual naming 46 4.4 Aboriginal involvement in decision-making 47 4.5 Aboriginal cultural values initiatives recommendations 49 5 Storytelling and wayfi nding 51 5.1 Storytelling 52 5.2 Wayfi nding 52 5.3 Storytelling and wayfi nding recommendations DPIPWE53 6 Strategic guidance - 55 6.1 Purpose of strategic guidance 56 6.2 Recreation Standards Framework 56 6.2.1 Visitor management 57 6.2.2 Carrying capacity 57 6.3 Visitor experience statements 59 6.3.1 What are visitor experience statements? 59 6.3.2 Visitor Services Zone 59 6.3.3 Recreation Zone RELEASE 60 6.3.4 Self-Reliant Recreation- Zone 60 6.3.5 Wilderness Zone 61 6.4 Events 61 6.5 Science, DLresearch and conservation 62 6.6 Access- 62 6.7 Quality assurance 63 6.8 Strategic data collection and analysis 64 RTI6.9 Strategic guidance recommendations 65 7 Assessment guidelines 69 7.1 Purpose of assessment policy guidelines 70 7.2 Approach to assessment 71 7.3 Social and economic considerations 71 7.4 Bushfi re management 72 Tourism Master Plan for the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area | ii 7.5 Lighting 73 7.6 Noise pollution 74 7.7 Group numbers 74 7.8 Visual impacts 75 7.9 Visitor accommodation, huts and camping 76 7.10 Sustainable construction and operation 76 7.11 Protecting natural values 77 7.12 Protecting cultural heritage values 78 7.13 Biosecurity 79 7.14 Cumulative impact 79 7.15 Wilderness values assessment 80 7.16 Approach to infrastructure 81 7.17 Assessment policy guidelines DPIPWE82 - Acronyms 91 Glossary 93 References 99 RELEASE - DL - RTI Tourism Master Plan for the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area | iii DPIPWE - RELEASE - DL - RTI Photo credit. Joe Shemesh Foreword The Tasmanian Wilderness World The Tourism Master Plan will realise signifi cant Heritage Area (TWWHA) covers opportunities for the presentation of the TWWHA almost one quarter of Tasmania while conserving its values through a strategic and planned approach; it will ensure that tourism and is one of the largest temperate and recreation in the TWWHA are socially and natural areas in the Southern environmentally sustainable, both for visitors, but Hemisphere. It is one of the last equally as important, for Tasmanians. It provides a truly wild places on earth, rich in decision-making framework and policy direction biodiversity and ancient geological for the presentation of the TWWHA’s Outstanding features. It is a signifi cant and Universal Value and recognises the importance of Tasmanian Aboriginal people’sDPIPWE direct involvement precious cultural landscape for in the presentation- of their cultural values. Tasmanian Aboriginal people who The Plan provides guidance for future land have had an ongoing connection to management decisions by government, for the land, sea and sky across the area for activities of the tourism industry, and for other at least 35,000 years. stakeholders who hold a genuine passion for and connection with the TWWHA. This plan identifi es The TWWHA is recognised through the World three high priorities: preparation of a master plan Heritage Convention as having both natural and for the Mt Field National Park area, establishment cultural heritage of Outstanding Universal Value of an Aboriginal advisory body for the presentation and is one of only two properties in the world listed and interpretation of Aboriginal cultural heritage, for meeting seven out of ten criteria for World and preparation of an Air Access Policy. Heritage listing. It is an extraordinary place with signifi cant inherent values that are irreplaceable.RELEASE The Tourism Master Plan prioritises investment in facilities and experiences in the Visitor Services The TWWHA, interwoven with the- island’s history, and Recreation zones and identifi es those is an important part of the Tasmanian identity. For actions required to ensure they are provided in many people, the area is intrinsic to their sense of a way that is consistent with the protection of place. The area is also, as a place of Outstanding the TWWHA’s Outstanding Universal Value. Key Universal Value, importantDL to people across the recommendations identifi ed in the Plan include world. - policy development, site planning, and assessment considerations for how activities and experiences The TWWHA underpins Tasmania’s brand as are provided. a global destination for nature-based tourism and contributes to the economic prosperity and This Tourism Master Plan responds directly wellbeingRTI of all Tasmanians in many ways. It is to Recommendation No.7 of the joint IUCN / an economic driver for regional communities, ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission in 2015. providing business opportunities and employment, and it provides for health and wellbeing outcomes for locals. Tourism Master Plan for the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area | v DPIPWE - This page is intentionally blank RELEASE - DL - RTI DPIPWE - 1 Introduction RELEASE - DL - RTI Photo credit: Craig Vertigan 1 Introduction 1.1 About the Tasmanian Ancient species, like the deciduous beech, King Billy pine and pencil pine, live on today and there Wilderness World Heritage Area are rare and threatened plants and animals for The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area which the TWWHA represents the greatest chance (TWWHA) covers almost a quarter of Tasmania’s of survival. land mass. Occupying more than 1.58 million hectares, it is one of the largest temperate natural Its large extent, remoteness and naturalness 2 areas in the Southern Hemisphere. It meets form the foundation for its integrity , seven out of ten criteria for world heritage listing enabling signifi cant natural, biological and (Department of the Environment and Energy, n.d.). geomorphological processes to continue. There Only one other place on Earth – China’s Mount are low levels of disturbanceDPIPWE from pests, weeds Taishan – meets that many criteria. and diseases and limited modern-day intervention. Over 80 per cent of- the property is zoned as During the last Ice Age, the TWWHA was home to ‘wilderness’3. the southernmost people in the world: ancestors of today’s Tasmanian Aboriginal people. Those early Within the TWWHA there are sites of signifi cant Aboriginal people adapted to changes in climate European heritage, such as Sarah Island. and the natural environment through the full The TWWHA is also recognised for its social, glacial-interglacial climatic cycle, and the TWWHA recreational, health, scientifi c and educational bears testimony to their life and culture. The area is values and for its ecosystem services (such as rich in archaeological evidence of early clean air and water). While European historic occupation , and ongoing archaeological and heritage and the social, recreational and cultural values surveys continue to reveal and educational values are not part of the Outstanding inform the cultural heritage of the TWWHA.