Conceptual vision: View west from redesigned Twelve Apostles lookout 7.0 Consultation and Engagement SHIPWRECK COAST MASTER PLAN 7.0 CONSULTATION AND ENGAGEMENT 7.0 Consultation and Engagement 7.1 OVERVIEW The engagement program provided an opportunity for the The strategy was designed to meet the following community and all stakeholders to meaningfully contribute to communication and engagement objectives: the development of the master plan and township interface and visitor precinct plans. Given the coast is a place of local, – To enable a diverse range of community values, priorities national and international significance, the program involved and expertise/local knowledge to inform the development intensive local engagement along with web-based platforms to of the master plan; facilitate the participation of members of the wider community – To understand the present range of visitor experiences interested in the future of the parks. and aspirations; – To facilitate the participation of the Shipwreck Coast’s many “communities of interest” in the study process; and – To promote a shared understanding and dialogue around issues and opportunities relating to the parks. While community and stakeholder feedback was critical in shaping the evolution of the plan, it is important to note it is one of many inputs to the preparation of the eventual master plan. Shipwreck Coast ‘Your Plan’ consultation website platform Stage 2 Community workshop in Port Campbell 88 Revision I SHIPWRECK COAST MASTER PLAN 7.0 CONSULTATION AND ENGAGEMENT 7.2 WHAT WE DID Engagement program Consultation featured across all stages of the development of the master plan, culminating in Stage 5 with the exhibition 01 ISSUES & 02 VISION & 03 DRAFT 04 PRELIMINARY 05 DRAFT of the draft master plan. More than 50 meetings, briefings, OPPORTUNITIES PRINCIPLES CONCEPTS MASTER PLAN MASTER PLAN workshops and presentations were held and there were over 30,500 hits on the Your Plan website. Listening + Sharing + Understanding Testing + Exploring + Designing Responding + Refining Uncovering the Reflect Stage 1 Explore the shared Communicate back Exhibit Draft Master issues and listening results back to the vision by testing agreed concepts Plan and resolve to the community community to build tangible initiatives through developing outstanding issues without pushing ideas a shared vision. Top and ideas with the Draft Master Plan issues become project everyone principles Engagement tools and techniques The engagement approach for developing the draft master plan was characterised by a multi-tiered consultation platform Stage Stakeholder Stakeholder Community Your Plan project that comprised the following: Briefings Shipwreck Meetings- Melbourne Workshops and website Coast Information Sessions – Interactive custom-built project website (shipwreckcoastyourplan.com.au) which enabled the 01 – Local Parks Victoria staff – Government agencies – Community workshops – Mapping community to comment throughout the consultation – Adjacent landowners – Tourism & bus operators in Port Campbell, – Survey process. At each stage, new information was loaded on – Park user groups Peterborough and Princetown the website with a comment period of 3-4 weeks. There – Traditional Owners were over 5000 users; – More than 20 community and stakeholder workshops, 02 – Local Parks Victoria – Victorian Design Review – All communities – Local Your Plan Kiosks information and briefing sessions along the coast and in rangers and operational Panel workshop in Port – Surveys Melbourne were undertaken to develop the vision and team Campbell – Submissions principles, and to review options for the master plan; – 3 periodic project reviews were undertaken by the Office 03 – Local Parks Victoria – Government agencies – Peterborough – Local Your Plan Kiosks of the Victorian Government Architect’s Victorian Design rangers and operational – Tourism & bus operators – Port Campbell – Online submissions Review Panel; team – Park user groups – Twelve Apostles Visitors – Email and written – Farmers and landcare – Victorian Design Review Kiosk submissions – Site visits and stakeholder meetings to ensure the project groups Panel – Princetown team gained` an in-depth contextual understanding of the – Local heritage and – Conferences and – Open Room Parks various sites and priority issues; environmental groups seminars Victoria offices, 3 weeks – Local tourism operators – Traditional Owners – There were 9 informal drop-in sessions within coastal – Shire Council briefings villages and towns to disseminate information widely and to gain feedback from the public; – Requests for feedback and detailed submissions at 04 – Local Parks Victoria – Government agencies – Peterborough – Local Your Plan Kiosks rangers and operational – Tourism & bus operators – Port Campbell – Online submissions all stages. These were received via Your Plan, written Team – Park user groups – Timboon – Email and written submission, emails and telephone calls; – Farmers and landcare – Victorian Design Review – Princetown submissions – There were 8 focused workshop sessions with subject groups Panel – Open Room Parks matter experts from different government agencies and – Local community focus – Conferences and Victoria offices, 3 weeks group Seminars departments with responsibilities in the area as well as the – Peterborough Residents newly formed Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Board Association which has provided valuable guidance; and – Shire Council briefings – National, regional and local newspapers, project postcards, articles in community newsletters and posters 05 – Local Parks Victoria – Government agencies – All communities – Local Your Plan Kiosks in local shops were used to raise awareness of the rangers and operational workshop in Port – Online submissions project. team Campbell – Email and written – Peterborough Residents – Traditional Owners submissions Association The following table outlines the various types of engagement – Shire Council briefings activities that informed the development of the master plan along with the groups and communities that were involved. Revision I 89 SHIPWRECK COAST MASTER PLAN 7.0 CONSULTATION AND ENGAGEMENT 7.3 WHAT WE HEARD Consultation with Traditional Owners Stage One – Issues and Opportunities During the development of this master plan, Parks Victoria The early stages of the project were instructive and provided facilitated a number of meetings with representatives from useful guidance to the team around local values, community the two established Traditional Owner groups within the study aspirations, user group needs and some very detailed area, Kuuyang Maar and Eastern Maar. As part of that process, information on issues facing the parks. Some of the key things the following principles were developed: we heard in the stage one feedback included: – The term ‘Traditional Owners’ describes a broad range Importance of ecology and culture of individual people, communities and organisations. – Protecting the region’s extensive natural and cultural Traditional Owners may have different or competing views assets should be the prime focus of the master plan. and interests, recognition and legislative authority. All wish to have a voice in the future of the ‘Shipwreck Coast’. – Visitors should be informed about how they can help to reduce impacts on the environment before they arrive. – Traditional Owners support in principle the objectives of the Shipwreck Coast Master Plan, particularly the need to – Educating people about the history, ecology and geology protect cultural and environmental values while building of the coast is an important way of ensuring its unique the economic and employment opportunity for Aboriginal value is recognised and appreciated. people, and others living within the region. – Traditional Owners view the master plan and its initiatives Sustainable tourism as an opportunity for Aboriginal employment and business – The master plan needs to address sustainable tourism across all aspects of implementation, operation and and ensure that visitors contribute positively to service delivery. communities along the coast. – Traditional Owners expressed a strong interest to be part – Providing better tourism infrastructure that complements of the decision making group, charged with responsibility the existing character of the towns will be a key challenge. for implementation of the master plan. – Traditional Owners seek a better model for park A richer visitor experience management which provides a sustainable stream of funding for research and conservation of cultural values, – The master plan should aim to provide a richer and more and their interpretation. Partnership with Traditional engaging experience for visitors to the Shipwreck Coast. Owners is required to ensure this work is funded, that – The plan should not necessarily focus on attracting more intellectual property is protected when story and traditional visitors but should encourage them to stay longer in the knowledge is gathered, and when interpretation and area to help strengthen the local and regional economy. tourism business linked to that information and knowledge is established. Quality infrastructure – A stronger emphasis on researching and interpreting – Any new buildings and infrastructure should be low scale, Aboriginal cultural values, alongside the existing shipwreck complement the landscape and be of a design quality that and geological stories, is required. matches the stunning environment. – Capacity building