1 Contents Background ................................................................................. 2 Executive Summary .................................................................... 2 Introduction ................................................................................. 4 Overview ..................................................................................... 4 Tourism ....................................................................................... 5 Linking to Shire Strategies .......................................................... 6 Linking to Other External Strategies ........................................... 7 Purpose ...................................................................................... 9 Situation Analysis ....................................................................... 9 Economic Value ........................................................................ 13 Tourism Infrastructure and Product .......................................... 13 Summary .................................................................................. 15 Strategic Focus Areas............................................................... 16 Action Plans .............................................................................. 17 Appendix 1 Outcomes of Industry workshop ............................. 18 Appendix 2 Outcomes of Stakeholder meetings ....................... 26 Lake Leschenaultia ................................................................... 26 No.1 Pump Station .................................................................... 28 Mundaring Arts Centre .............................................................. 30 Water Corporation .................................................................... 31 Perth Hills Discovery Centre ..................................................... 32 1 Background Executive Summary Shire of Mundaring presented a draft Tourism Strategy at This Tourism Informing Strategy 2013 – 2017 provides an Council Forum in July 2012 to inform Council of the draft strategy understanding of tourism within Shire of Mundaring, defines and seek feedback on its content prior to its presentation to current issues and limitations, identifies opportunities to result in Council for formal endorsement. greater tourism yield and establishes the context for the At this time, the implementation of the Integrated Planning and strategies, priorities, timelines and activities in the tourism sector Reporting Framework (IPRF) was in its early stages. The that are included in the Shire of Mundaring Corporate Business Strategic Community Plan, which was adopted by Council in Plan 2013/14 to 2016/17. January 2013, was developed using the draft Tourism Strategy In the development of this Informing Strategy, consultation was as an informing document. The industry consultation, research, undertaken through an industry workshop as well as individual and analysis undertaken in developing the draft Tourism Strategy stakeholder meetings. This, coupled with comprehensive is included as an element in the consultation for the Strategic research and a strategic integrated approach to tourism Community Plan and IPRF suite. planning, has provided the basis for defining the seven focus With further refinement and implementation of the IPRF in 2013, areas below, and the subsequent objectives: all the services and activities undertaken by the Shire have been Focus Area 1 – Investment and infrastructure included in the Corporate Business Plan, which was adopted by To secure land for future tourism growth through effective Council in June 2013. The Corporate Business Plan describes land use planning the priorities, service levels, and activities to be undertaken by To identify new tourism product development potential to the Shire over the four years from 2013/14 to 2016/17. To then meet future visitor demands and expectations formalise the draft Tourism Strategy, complete with its own set of To identify infrastructure requirements to support existing priorities, actions, and resources, would be inconsistent with the and new tourism product IPRF. Focus Area 2 – Facilitation The draft Tourism Strategy has therefore been re-worked as an “Informing Strategy” to the IPRF suite. The priorities, services To minimise inhibitors to tourism development within Shire and actions that Shire of Mundaring will undertake in the tourism policies and procedures To consult and collaborate with all stakeholders sector are described in the Corporate Business Plan 2013/14 to 2016/17. Focus Area 3 – Research The relationship between the Tourism Informing Strategy 2013- To guide the management, development and marketing of 2017 and the IPRF is show below: tourism within Shire of Mundaring through reliable research Focus Area 4 – Marketing To increase visitation and yield 2 To consolidate the branding for Mundaring and Perth Hills Approximately $540,000 over four years for salary expenses To increase awareness of Mundaring and Perth Hills as a at the Mundaring Visitor Centre visitor destination Approximately $128,000 over four years for maintenance / operational expenses at the Mundaring Visitor Centre Focus Area 5 – Sustainability Approximately $80,000 over four years for tourism To continue to operate a Level 1 Tourism Accredited Visitor development including destination marketing expenses Centre Approximately $30,000 over four years for regional tourism # To smooth variations in visitor flow and match with customer expectation # The Shire contributes to the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council (EMRC) for regional tourism. Continuation of this Focus Area 6 – Quality support will be reviewed annually as part of the normal budget To increase the availability and accessibility of tourism cycle. The costs above assume continuation of the current business training provisions for the four years. To increase the availability of and accessibility to skilled workers and volunteers Focus Area 7 – Leadership To demonstrate leadership in the community. To provide advocacy, good governance and positive cultures. To effectively guide the implementation of the Tourism Strategy. As the foundation Tourism Informing Strategy for Shire of Mundaring, achieving many of the identified objectives warrants further planning and consultation. There are no additional financial implications from the Tourism Informing Strategy 2013 – 2017. All activities undertaken by Shire of Mundaring in support of the tourism industry are included in the Corporate Business Plan. An indicative scale of the resources provided by the Shire is: 3 Introduction rural use and public open spaces. The Shire administration centre is located at Mundaring, the principal township, whilst the Overview other townships comprise the villages and rural localities of Bailup, Beechina, Bellevue (part), Boya, Chidlow, Darlington, Shire of Mundaring is located on the eastern fringe of Perth, Glen Forrest, Gorrie, Greenmount, Helena Valley, Hovea, Western Australia, approximately 35km from the centre of Perth. Mahogany Creek, Malmalling, Midvale (part), Mount Helena, It is bounded by the Shire of Toodyay in the north, the Shires of Parkerville, Sawyers Valley, Stoneville, Swan View (part), The Northam and York in the east, the Shire of Kalamunda in the Lakes and Wooroloo. south and the City of Swan in the west and north-west. Shire of Mundaring is served by the Great Eastern Highway, the major east-west transport route between Western Australia and the eastern states, and the Great Southern Highway. The nearest rail service terminates at Midland (16km from Mundaring) providing a regular service to Perth and other network destinations including links to interstate rail destinations. Air travel and freight transport is provided at Perth International and Perth Domestic Airports, both of which are located approximately 26km from Mundaring. The nearest sea access is through the Port of Fremantle (50km from Mundaring) which is the major commercial port for Western Australia. Population The original inhabitants of the Mundaring area were the Nyungar Aboriginal people and the name ‘Mundaring’ is thought to come from an Aboriginal word meaning “a high place on a high place” or “the place of the grass tree leaves”. European settlement dates from the 1840s with the land initially being used mainly for timber-cutting, quarrying, vineyards, orchards and poultry farming. Population was small until the 1880s, with initial settlement Shire of Mundaring encompasses a total land area of 644sqkm, mainly along the railway line and the Great Eastern Highway. of which nearly half is conservation estate or water catchments. Growth took place during the late 1800s and into the early 1900s The Shire is a predominantly rural area, comprising a number of aided by the construction of the Mundaring Weir. The most townships and a mix of semi-rural hobby farms, lower-density significant development occurred in the post-war years, 4 particularly during the 1970s and 1980s. The population grew Tourism is an important industry throughout Mundaring with from approximately 9,000 in 1966 to 26,000 in 1986 then growth visitors enjoying the ‘Hills Lifestyle’ and a range of leisure began to slow from the early 1990s, with the population activities. Tourist accommodation is provided by a variety of increasing from 29,000 in 1991 to an estimated 39,000 in 2012. establishments, including hotels, bed and breakfasts, cabins, Whilst the bulk of the population live in the townships,