Hunting Tourism Action Plan Community and Stakeholder Engagement Report July 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................................................................................... 4 THE DRAFT HUNTING TOURISM ACTION PLAN ........................................................................................................ 4 HUNTING TOURISM STEERING GROUP ......................................................................................................................... 5 COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PLAN ........................................................................ 5 NEGOTIABLES AND NON-NEGOTIABLES ...................................................................................................................... 6 IDENTIFIED STAKEHOLDERS ............................................................................................................................................... 6 INFORMATION AND ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES ......................................................................................... 7 FACT SHEET ............................................................................................................................................................................... 7 WEBSITE ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 ADVERTISING AND MEDIA RELEASES............................................................................................................................. 7 COMMUNITY INFORMATION SESSIONS ....................................................................................................................... 8 SUBMISSIONS .........................................................................................................................................................................16 SURVEY (ON-LINE AND HARD COPY)...........................................................................................................................22 SOCIAL MEDIA ........................................................................................................................................................................31 RECOMMENDATION............................................................................................................................................ 33 Page 2 of 44 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Towong Shire Council (Council) identified hunting tourism as a potential strategy for generating economic development after it was raised during community consultation for a number of key strategic community plans, including the Upper Murray 2030 Vision Plan and the Our Valley, Our Future project. During December 2016, Council worked with Tourism North East to produce a Draft Towong Shire Hunting Tourism Action Plan. In August 2017, Council adopted the Draft Plan in principle. Following such, Council formed the Towong Shire Hunting Tourism (stakeholder) Steering Group to undertake a community and stakeholder engagement process and deliver a revised plan. Following the formation of the Steering Group, a comprehensive engagement process was conducted during April and May of 2018. The engagement process sought to receive feedback on the Draft Plan from stakeholders via a survey (both on-line and in hard copy), community information sessions, and a call for submissions. The engagement process was promoted widely through community groups, social media, advertising and media engagement. 23 submissions were received from 14 residents and 1 organisation. 159 surveys were completed and the average participation rate at the three information sessions was 35. Social media also provided insight into stakeholders’ perceptions of the Draft Plan. Feedback received through submissions and the information sessions was predominantly from landholders within the Shire. It was made clear that farmers in Towong Shire have a problem with deer numbers, however equally face issues presented by illegal hunting. Such issues include cattle being shot, fences being cut, and trespassers entering private property. The vast majority of feedback received from residents suggests that the community is not in favour of the Plan being pursued in its current form. Concern mainly related to the potential increase in hunters, particularly irresponsible hunters, which many community members believed would occur as a result of the Plan and specifically the marketing and promotion of the region as a hunting destination. Strategies for potential inclusion in a Plan were also identified. Recurrent suggested strategies included the creation of informative material (brochures/websites) which allowed hunters to be better informed on hunting expectations, locations and opportunities within the Shire, and advocacy from Council for more resources to be allocated to the policing of illegal hunting. Upon reviewing all feedback received, the Towong Shire Hunting Tourism Steering Group recommends that Council does not pursue the development of a Hunting Tourism Action Plan. However, Council has an opportunity to advocate on behalf of Towong residents; advocate for improving resources and communication addressing illegal hunting, and for facilitating economic development opportunities. Page 3 of 44 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND Towong Shire is home to a range of pest animals including foxes, rabbits and wild dogs. In addition, there is an abundance of game deer. The pest animals and deer have a serious impact on local natural flora and fauna, and affect farming properties where they destroy fences, consume fodder and graze paddocks intended for domestic livestock. The quantity and quality of deer in particular has made Towong Shire a popular destination for recreational hunters. Hunting tourism was identified in the Upper Murray 2030 Vision Plan as an activity with strong potential, capable of leveraging the Shire’s abundant deer population and scenic natural environment. Hunting tourism was recognised as having potential to significantly boost visitation to the region. The Mitta Valley community has also identified hunting tourism as a potential tourism opportunity, with a small number of operators already active in this space. Opportunities include guided hunting, accommodation tailored to hunters, and facilitated access to private land populated with deer. In addition, various auxiliary services have the potential to benefit. THE DRAFT HUNTING TOURISM ACTION PLAN To explore the options for recreational hunting in Towong Shire and the opportunity that this presents for tourism, Tourism North East (TNE) collaborated with Towong Shire Council to prepare a Draft Hunting Tourism Action Plan. The Draft Plan was developed following consultation with Council, TNE, Game Management Authority, North East Catchment Management Authority, Australian Deer Association, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and local industry that are active in the hunting tourism space. The Draft Plan was presented at an Ordinary Council Meeting in August 2017, where Council provided in principle support and authorisation to seek feedback from key stakeholders and the broader Towong Shire community. Page 4 of 44 HUNTING TOURISM STEERING GROUP Following the decision by Council to provide in principle support to the Draft Plan and release it for feedback from the community, a Hunting Tourism Steering Group was established. The Steering Group included representatives from: • Agriculture Victoria • Towong Shire Council • Community members • Upper Murray Business Inc. • Hancock Victorian Plantations • Victorian Department of Economic • Landcare Development, Jobs, Transport and • North East Catchment Management Resources Authority • Victorian Department of • NSW Department of Industry Environment, Land, Water and • Parks Victoria Planning • Tourism North East • Victoria Police. A key objective of the Steering Group was to facilitate the community and stakeholder engagement process. COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PLAN The Steering Group developed a Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan (Appendix 1) to gather feedback from key stakeholders and community members on the content of the Draft Towong Shire Hunting Tourism Action Plan. The core purpose of the engagement process was to ensure the final Plan considered the broad range of opportunities and issues surrounding hunting in the Shire. In producing the Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan, the Steering Group adopted the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) engagement model. The engagement process aimed to meet the following five principles: 1. Key stakeholders and community members will be provided with balanced and objective information: Information provided will assist key stakeholders and community members understand the issues surrounding hunting in the region, and how the Plan will seek to address those issues. The information provided will be supported with evidence and will reflect a range of viewpoints. 2. There will be sufficient opportunities for high quality feedback: Key