Potential of Ecotourism to Protect Natural Remnant Areas Within The
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The University of Western Australia Department of Environmental Engineering Potential of ecotourism to protect natural remnant areas within the urban environment Fiona Prince Honours Thesis 2002 Fiona Prince Department of Environmental Engineering ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to my supervisor, David Hamilton, for continued support, advice and valuable input. I greatly appreciate Margaret Owen’s assistance, valuable information and stunning photographs Thank you to Daniel Boase-Jelenik, for providing me with valuable information about the Underwood Avenue site Thanks to Greg Hertzler, for his guidance and time Thanks to Don Bradshaw for providing valuable information Thank you to Dr. Paddy Berry for providing me with the results of his research i Fiona Prince Department of Environmental Engineering ABSTRACT The concept of ecotourism is applied to the urban context, in an attempt to determine whether ecotourism has the potential to provide an economic incentive for the retention of urban bushland areas. In exploring this concept, the effects of this vegetation clearance on biodiversity and the community as a whole are assessed, in order to develop an understanding of the effects of urban bushland clearance. Using the concept of ‘triple bottom line’ (environmental, social and economic) reporting, and applying it to a model based on this concept, the issues surrounding any development concept can be assessed. The model is then applied to the case of the Underwood Avenue bushland, Shenton Park, and three development options are assessed. The results showed that urban ecotourism is the best option of the three assessed. ii Fiona Prince Department of Environmental Engineering TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................................... i ABSTRACT..............................................................................................................................................................................ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................................................................................iii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................................................vi LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................................................................. vii LIST OF APPENDICES .....................................................................................................................................................viii 1. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................................... 1 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................................................ 2 2.1 SIGNIFICANCE OF REMNANT VEGETATION................................................................................................................2 2.1.1 Biological Diversity.......................................................................................................................................... 2 2.1.2 The Value of Biodiversity................................................................................................................................. 6 2.1.3 Conservation Initiatives................................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 URBAN BUSHLAND.....................................................................................................................................................11 2.2.1 Urban Ecology................................................................................................................................................. 11 2.2.2 Locally and Regionally Significant Bushland ............................................................................................14 2.2.3 Urban Bushland in Perth...............................................................................................................................15 2.2.4 Flora and Fauna in Perth’s Remnant Bushland........................................................................................16 2.2.5 Government Strategies...................................................................................................................................18 2.2.6 Underwood Avenue Bushland .......................................................................................................................22 iii Fiona Prince Department of Environmental Engineering 2.3 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ..................................................................................................................................32 2.3.1 Brundtland Report...........................................................................................................................................32 2.3.2 Ecological Sustainability...............................................................................................................................34 2.4 TOURISM ......................................................................................................................................................................35 2.4.1 Sustainable Tourism........................................................................................................................................37 2.4.2 Sustainable Tourism Design..........................................................................................................................40 2.5 ECOTOURISM ...............................................................................................................................................................42 2.5.1 Origins..............................................................................................................................................................42 2.5.2 Definition..........................................................................................................................................................42 2.5.3 Principles of Ecotourism................................................................................................................................45 2.5.4 Ecotourist Market............................................................................................................................................47 2.5.5 Ecotourism in Australia.................................................................................................................................51 2.5.6 Ecotourism Case Study...................................................................................................................................51 2.5.7 Urban Ecotourism...........................................................................................................................................54 2.6 ‘TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE’ ECONOMICS.......................................................................................................................59 2.6.1 ‘Triple Bottom Line’ Accounting Principle.................................................................................................59 2.6.2 Environmental Objectives..............................................................................................................................60 2.6.3 Social Objectives.............................................................................................................................................61 2.6.4 Economic Objectives ......................................................................................................................................62 2.6.5 Methodology.....................................................................................................................................................62 3. METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................................................................65 3.1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE EVALUATION OF A DEVELOPMENT ON URBAN REMNANT BUSHLAND 65 3.1.1 Environmental Criteria..................................................................................................................................65 3.1.2 Social criteria..................................................................................................................................................66 iv Fiona Prince Department of Environmental Engineering 3.1.3 Economic criteria............................................................................................................................................66 3.2 SELECTION OF THE STUDY SITE................................................................................................................................67 3.3 APPLICATION OF THE FRAMEWORK TO UNDERWOOD AVENUE............................................................................67 3.3.1 Option 1: Preserve the Bushland – Conservation Only ...........................................................................67 3.3.2 Option 2: Development – Residential..........................................................................................................68 3.3.3 Option 3: Ecotourism