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Tourism and NSW national parks

 

NSW has an enviable reserve system of world heritage areas, national parks, nature reserves, marine parks, Aboriginal areas, caves, wilderness areas, and regional parks. The diversity and richness of this park system is a strong drawcard for international and domestic tourists and visitors, and helps support a strong tourism industry, creating significant economic benefits for the people of NSW.

The NSW Government's State Plan seeks to increase visitation to our national parks, and reserves by 20 per cent by 2016. To meet this target it is vital that we provide high quality and diverse visitor experiences and promote these special places effectively, while ensuring the protection of their conservation values. 

Ministerial Taskforce on Tourism and National Parks in NSW

The Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, The Hon Verity Firth MP and the Minister for Tourism, The Hon Matt Brown MP, have established a Ministerial Taskforce on Tourism and National Parks in NSW. The taskforce will examine and report on opportunities for an enhanced level of sustainable tourism in NSW's parks and reserves that is compatible with the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage values of those areas.

Under its Terms of Reference (below), the Taskforce will advise the Ministers for the Environment and Tourism on practical methods to increase visitation in line with NSW State Plan objectives.

Invitation for public submissions

Submissions are invited from interested individuals and organisations on tourism and national parks. Written submissions are invited, and should be lodged by close of business Monday 29 August 2008.

You can send your submission to:

The Secretary
Taskforce on Tourism and National Parks
GPO Box 7050
Sydney 2001

or email your submission directly to parksandtourism@tourism.nsw.gov.au

Please note that all submissions received by the Taskforce are a matter of public record and are available for public inspection upon request. Submissions made available for public inspection may contain information that is defined as 'personal information' under the NSW Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.  The submission of personal information is voluntary.

Taskforce for Tourism and National Parks: Terms of Reference

Aim: To advise the Ministers for the Environment and Tourism on practical methods to expedite the realisation of NSW State Plan objectives by:

  • identifying ways to promote and protect our state's biodiversity and cultural heritage values through appropriate use of the national parks;
  • creating a platform whereby visitor numbers and tourism expenditure can be increased; and
  • identifying ways to increase management resources and conservation benefits from tourism in national parks.

Terms of Reference:

  1. Propose conservation, visitation and tourism objectives, targets and measures for Parks and related land tenures over the next 1 to 3 years to support State Plan targets and identify planning, development and promotional strategies to support those objectives.
  2. Identify and consult with other potential partners, including industry, other land managers such as NSW Forests and Department of Lands and other States to assist in making recommendations on the delivery of agreed tourism objectives.
  3. Review existing research and information, especially from other relevant jurisdictions, necessary to inform tourism in parks including information to understand potential impacts of tourism on conservation and biodiversity values of parks and commission new research, where appropriate.
  4. Identify any legislative, regulatory and structural constraints to the achievement of the State Plan visitation objectives and make recommendations on overcoming any such barriers.
  5. Assess a wide range of considerations including but not limited to: 
    • developing opportunities associated with the Parks estate, including adaptive reuse of existing facilities, volunteering opportunities, and opportunities for other new tour/experience-based products;
    • ticketing and pricing structures to promote tourism;
    • licensing and accreditation standards for commercial operators, and
    • training needs for guides and visitor services to support the visitor experience and commercial objectives.
  6. Articulate the benefits of tourism in contributing to conservation, including case studies and development models for successful tourism activities in protected areas in Australia and overseas (including comparisons with parks in Victoria and Queensland, highlighting aspects that work, similarities and differences).
  7. Make recommendations as to appropriate terms for a Memorandum of Understanding between DECC and Tourism New South Wales encompassing:
    • stated visitation objectives;
    • the continued protection of appropriate conservation and biodiversity values d;
    • the removal of any unnecessary legislative, regulatory and structural constraints to State Plan tourism objectives; and
    • the identification of mechanisms to increase management resources and conservation benefits from tourism in national parks.
  8. The interim report to be presented to the Ministers for Environment and Tourism by the end of September 2008 and a final report by November 2008.

     

 

 

Page last updated: 16 July 2008