Premium Ecotourism Products on Whitsunday Island Feasibility study Department of Environment and Science Reference: 503504 Final report 2019-01-17 Log Disclosure 2009 DES Act on RTI Published 19-067 File A Page 1 of 225 Document control record Document prepared by: Aurecon Australasia Pty Ltd ABN 54 005 139 873 Level 14, 32 Turbot Street Brisbane QLD 4000 Locked Bag 331 Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia T +61 7 3173 8000 F +61 7 3173 8001 E [email protected] W aurecongroup.com Log A person using Aurecon documents or data accepts the risk of: a) Using the documents or data in electronic form without requesting and checking them for accuracy against the original hard copy version. b) Using the documents or data for any purpose not agreed to in writing by Aurecon. Document control Report title Feasibility study Disclosure Document code Project number 503504 File path C:\Users\anna.gannon\AppData\Roaming\OpenText\OTEdit\EC_cs\c187438359\Whitsunday Island feasibility study_final 10.12.18.docx2009 Client Department of DESEnvironment and Science Client contact Michael O’Neill ActClient reference DES 18007 Rev Date Revisionon details/status Author Reviewer Verifier Approver (if required) 1 2018-10-12 Draft feasibilityRTI study report AG PG LK 2 2018-11-23 Final draft feasibility study AG PG DK report 3 2018-11-29 Final draft feasibility study AG PG DK report v2 4 2018-12-12 Final feasibility study report AG PG DK 5 2018-12-21 Final feasibility study report v2 AG PG DK 6 Published2019-01-18 Final Feasibility Study AG DK Current revision 6 Approval Author signature Approver signature Name Name Title Title Project number 503504 File EDOCS-#7475505-v1-Whitsunday_Island_Feasibility_Study_Final 2019-01-17 Revision 6 19-067 File A Page 2 of 225 Contents 1 Background and strategic context ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction and purpose .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background to the Project ........................................................................................................ 1 1.3 Governance .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.4 Location .................................................................................................................................... 2 1.5 Project need ............................................................................................................................. 3 1.6 Project objectives ..................................................................................................................... 3 1.7 Policy context ........................................................................................................................... 4 1.8 Alignment with other projects ................................................................................................... 5 1.8.1 Wangetti Trail ............................................................................................................ 5 1.8.2 Cooloola Great Walk – Great Sandy National Park .................................................. 5 1.8.3 Thorsborne Trail – Hinchinbrook Island National Park ..............................................Log 5 1.8.4 Gold Coast hinterland ................................................................................................ 5 1.9 EOI process .............................................................................................................................. 5 2 Methodology ................................................................................................................................................ 6 2.1 Introduction and purpose .......................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Risk analysis ............................................................................................................................. 6 2.3 Environment overview .............................................................................................................. 6 2.4 Cultural heritage overview ........................................................................................................ 7 2.5 Legislative overview ................................................................................................................. 8 2.6 Social impact assessment ......................................Disclosure.................................................................. 8 2.7 Stakeholder and community consultation................................................................................. 8 2.8 Market demand analysis.........................................2009.................................................................. 9 2.9 Options analysis ....................................................................................................................... 9 2.10 Construction and operationalDES costs ............................ ............................................................ 10 2.11 Cost benefit analysis and economicAct impact analysis ............................................................. 10 2.12 Delivery model/privateon investment opportunities analysis ...................................................... 12 3 Risk analysis .............................................................................................................................................. 13 3.1 Introduction and purposeRTI ...................................... .................................................................. 13 3.2 Identification of risks ............................................................................................................... 13 3.3 Risk register ............................................................................................................................ 16 3.3.1 Quantification of risks .............................................................................................. 17 4 Environment overview .............................................................................................................................. 18 Published4.1 Introduction and purpose ........................................................................................................ 18 4.2 Whitsunday Island – features and values............................................................................... 18 4.2.1 Context .................................................................................................................... 18 4.2.2 Management ............................................................................................................ 19 4.2.3 Natural features ....................................................................................................... 19 4.2.4 Recreation and tourism ........................................................................................... 20 4.2.5 Other infrastructure .................................................................................................. 21 4.3 Desktop assessment of the existing environment .................................................................. 21 4.3.1 EPBC Act Protected Matters report ......................................................................... 21 4.3.2 Fauna....................................................................................................................... 22 4.3.3 Flora......................................................................................................................... 2 3 4.3.4 Broad vegetation groups ......................................................................................... 24 4.3.5 Geology ................................................................................................................... 24 4.3.6 Consultation – environment ..................................................................................... 27 19-067 File A Page 3 of 225 Release 4.3.7 Marine Park ............................................................................................................. 29 4.3.8 Hazards ................................................................................................................... 31 4.4 Environmental constraints analysis ........................................................................................ 31 4.4.1 Mapped constraints ................................................................................................. 31 5 Cultural heritage overview ....................................................................................................................... 33 5.1 Introduction and purpose ........................................................................................................ 33 5.2 Cultural heritage values .......................................................................................................... 33 5.3 Desktop assessment of existing cultural heritage environment ............................................. 33 5.3.1 World Heritage listing .............................................................................................. 33 5.3.2 Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (DATSIP) Cultural Heritage Database and Register ............................................................................. 33 5.3.3 Local and state