Latest news with #GeorgetteLeahBurns
The Age
5 days ago
- The Age
Just how eco-friendly is Queensland's ecotourism plan?
Ziplines, cableways, anything that suspends tourists through the treetops. These are attractions that evoke strong emotions from Queenslanders, especially when they're suggested for a popular patch of bushland or a World Heritage-listed national park. It wasn't that long ago that a zipline was proposed for Mount Coot-tha, sparking protests and attracting more than 3200 public submissions against the idea. Brisbane's biggest section of bushland was back in the news this week after council announced plans to upgrade it – thankfully, with no zipline in sight. Necessary improvements do need to be made. A visit to Mount Coot-tha early on Tuesday showed a tired planetarium and a tropical dome that's seen better days. But a new proposal to add more infrastructure to the mountain has raised concerns about the environmental impact. Plans to build a cableway through the Gold Coast Hinterland – an idea that has been floated several times in the past 30 years – have stoked similar fears. With three decades of opposition to a plan that would involve clearing trees from a World Heritage-listed forest, you'd think the cableway would have been put to bed a long time ago. But proposals to sail through the hinterland's canopies have been reanimated with this month's announcement of Queensland's 20-year tourism strategy. Loading At the centre of Destination 2045 is a plan to make Queensland a world leader in ecotourism, with the Crisafulli government pledging 45 new experiences by 2045. These are described as 'projects that are ecologically sustainable and primarily focused on experiencing an area in a way that fosters understanding, appreciation, and conservation of the area and its natural and cultural values'. Taken at face value, encouraging more low-impact, nature-based tourism is an excellent proposition. But like a cableway cutting through an ancient forest, there's an oxymoron at the heart of this strategy. Griffith University environmental anthropologist Georgette Leah Burns says ecotourism itself is a well-intentioned, growing industry. The trouble is, the term is not always applied appropriately.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Just how eco-friendly is Queensland's ecotourism plan?
Ziplines, cableways, anything that suspends tourists through the treetops. These are attractions that evoke strong emotions from Queenslanders, especially when they're suggested for a popular patch of bushland or a World Heritage-listed national park. It wasn't that long ago that a zipline was proposed for Mount Coot-tha, sparking protests and attracting more than 3200 public submissions against the idea. Brisbane's biggest section of bushland was back in the news this week after council announced plans to upgrade it – thankfully, with no zipline in sight. Necessary improvements do need to be made. A visit to Mount Coot-tha early on Tuesday showed a tired planetarium and a tropical dome that's seen better days. But a new proposal to add more infrastructure to the mountain has raised concerns about the environmental impact. Plans to build a cableway through the Gold Coast Hinterland – an idea that has been floated several times in the past 30 years – have stoked similar fears. With three decades of opposition to a plan that would involve clearing trees from a World Heritage-listed forest, you'd think the cableway would have been put to bed a long time ago. But proposals to sail through the hinterland's canopies have been reanimated with this month's announcement of Queensland's 20-year tourism strategy. Loading At the centre of Destination 2045 is a plan to make Queensland a world leader in ecotourism, with the Crisafulli government pledging 45 new experiences by 2045. These are described as 'projects that are ecologically sustainable and primarily focused on experiencing an area in a way that fosters understanding, appreciation, and conservation of the area and its natural and cultural values'. Taken at face value, encouraging more low-impact, nature-based tourism is an excellent proposition. But like a cableway cutting through an ancient forest, there's an oxymoron at the heart of this strategy. Griffith University environmental anthropologist Georgette Leah Burns says ecotourism itself is a well-intentioned, growing industry. The trouble is, the term is not always applied appropriately.
