The Exploring Wildflower Country MIDLANDS ROUTE Product Development Plan Prepared for the 9 Local Governments that make up Western Australia’s “Wildflower Country” Moora Dalwallinu Coorow Perenjori Carnamah Morawa Three Springs Mingenew Greater Geraldton in November 2011 by Acknowledgements Outstanding input to this Report was received from the following Shire representatives: Rebecca McCall, Manager Community & Economic Development, Shire of Moora Mark Hook, CEO, Shire of Coorow Bill Atkinson, CEO, Shire of Carnamah Chris Jackson, CEO, Shire of Three Springs Ian Fitzgerald, CEO, Shire of Mingenew Local input to projects such as this is vital, and the consultants thank these people for making their time available to be involved in the process. The Shire Councils involved in the project would like to gratefully acknowledge grant funding received from: This report was prepared by: Jesse Brampton Mike Maher Kulbardi Hill Consulting Transplan Pty Ltd 175 Hare St, Albany, WA 6330 78 Gardner St, Como, WA 6152 Phone: 08 9841 7252 Phone: 08 9474 4655 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... 1 SECTION 1: PROJECT BACKGROUND AND BRIEF ............................................................ 4 Background to the Exploring Wildflower Country concept ........................................................................ 4 “Wildflower Country” ................................................................................................................................................... 5 Expanding the visitor appeal of Wildflower Country – through space and time ............................... 6 The project brief ............................................................................................................................................................... 6 Project benefits ................................................................................................................................................................. 7 SECTION 2: SHAPING THE PROJECT ................................................................................ 9 The site selection process ........................................................................................................................................... 9 List of sites considered ................................................................................................................................................... 9 Summary of sites included in Midlands Route project .................................................................................. 23 Map of sites selected .................................................................................................................................................. 25 Exploring Wildflower Country – both routes .................................................................................................. 26 Two possible local loops .......................................................................................................................................... 27 Staging the project ...................................................................................................................................................... 28 The “ArtBelt” project ................................................................................................................................................... 29 Possible local add-on projects ................................................................................................................................. 30 SECTION 3: INTERPRETATION – THE KEY TO SUCCESS .................................................. 32 What is interpretation? ............................................................................................................................................. 32 Guided walks and talks ............................................................................................................................................... 32 Displays, artwork / sculpture, artefacts ............................................................................................................. 32 Steel cut-outs images .................................................................................................................................................. 33 On-site signage ............................................................................................................................................................... 33 Brochures, maps, written guides ............................................................................................................................ 35 Electronic media – primarily audio (CD, narrow-cast FM, pod-cast etc) ............................................ 35 The thorny issue of themes ..................................................................................................................................... 35 Getting the interpretive mix right ........................................................................................................................ 36 Steel cut-outs – putting life into the landscape ............................................................................................... 38 Interpretive structure suggestions ........................................................................................................................ 41 Interpretive signage – filling in the background ............................................................................................ 42 Site and advance warning markers – a creative approach ........................................................................ 46 Site & advance warning marker locations ........................................................................................................ 47 Cost estimates – all interpretive elements ....................................................................................................... 49 Steel cut-outs and associated first-person panels .......................................................................................... 49 Interpretive signage .................................................................................................................................................... 49 Site and advance warning markers ...................................................................................................................... 50 SECTION 4: INFRASTRUCTURE / SITE WORKS / SIGNS .................................................. 51 Infrastructure recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 51 Land tenure, native title and other permissions ........................................................................................... 52 Main Roads WA .............................................................................................................................................................. 52 Department of Environment and Conservation .............................................................................................. 52 Department of Indigenous Affairs ......................................................................................................................... 53 Land clearing / native title permits ...................................................................................................................... 53 Directional and other signs ..................................................................................................................................... 54 Directional and information sign designs .......................................................................................................... 54 Directional and information sign – numbers and locations ...................................................................... 59 Cost estimates – directional and other signs .................................................................................................... 61 SECTION 5: WORKS LIST & COST ESTIMATES ............................................................... 63 Summary table – ALL proJect costs ..................................................................................................................... 74 SECTION 6: SITE PLANS ................................................................................................ 75 GPS Coordinates for all Sites .................................................................................................................................. 75 SECTION 7: INTERSECTION DRAWINGS ........................................................................ 99 SECTION 8: POSSIBLE FUNDING SOURCES ................................................................. 104 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 104 Funding Programs .................................................................................................................................................... 104 TQAL (formerly known as the Australian Tourism Development Program .................................... 104 Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program (RLCIP) ...................................................... 107 Regional Development Australia