Right: Cradle Mountain Lodge, a fairly luxurious hotel complex, has sat just outside the world-famous Tasmanian national park for decades. Inside the park, accommodation is much more basic.
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Arguments in favour of private development in national parks
1. Private development in national parks will advantage the Victorian economy
It has been claimed that Victoria's national parks are an under-developed resource which could be far better exploited to the benefit of the state's economy.
Dianne Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Tourism Industry Council has stated, 'Victoria has the highest national park visitation in the country, yet the economic yield from this visitation is the nation's lowest. This is largely due to the lack of appropriate infrastructure and experiences available to visitors.'
Ms Smith has added, 'Nature-based tourism is a huge drawcard for those travelling to Victoria ... and we must work hard to produce competitive offerings.
These changes will encourage and facilitate investment in sensitive, appropriate and sustainable tourism infrastructure.
Victoria's tourism industry contributes almost $16 billion to the state's economy each year and employs more than 200,000 people. Tourism diversifies the economy, particularly in regional Victoria, and infrastructure built for use by tourists adds greatly to local communities as well.'
Victorian treasurer, Kim Wells, has stated, 'If we hope to attract more international visitors to Victoria, particularly from markets such as China, we must meet the rapidly growing demand for nature-based tourism.'
Victoria's Tourism Minister, Louise Asher, has stated, 'The independent Tourism Forecasting Committee predicts that by 2020 Victoria will receive approximately 500,000 Chinese overnight visitors - almost double the current level - and expenditure is forecasted to reach $1.5 billion.'
Ms Asher has indicated that the changes allowing for greater private development within the state's national parks were designed to capitalise on this huge potential market, grow the tourism sector and improve access to Victoria's world-class natural assets.
2. Private development in Victoria's national parks will make them accessible to greater numbers and types of tourists
Those supporting private investors being able to fund developments in national parks argue that this will result in improved facilities which will make the parks accessible to a wider range of visitors.
It has been claimed that without improved facilities many people, including the elderly, those with some physical disability and families with young children are simply precluded from enjoying Victoria's national parks.
Peter Ryan, the Gippsland South MLA and Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development and Minister for Regional and Rural Development has pointed to the way in which some existing development has appropriately enhanced the state's national parks, making them more accessible to the citizens of this state and to tourists from other states and countries.
Mr Ryan has stated, 'Wilsons Promontory is a good example of how we can have a marriage of a park environment with limited forms of development.
The cabins at the Prom enjoy an occupancy rate of 98 per cent and no one will say in any shape or form that they have harmed Wilsons Promontory. On the contrary, it has enabled a lot of people to stay at the Prom and there is no reason to be concerned.'
As early as 1991, in reference to the Lower Glenelg National Park, Victoria's then Department of Conservation and Environment noted that as part of the Department's social justice strategy, it had an obligation to provide 'equitable access to the experiences and facilities in the Park through design for disabled access, and direction of publicity, information and education services to a wide range of interest groups and individuals.'
One of the six main principles under which Parks Victoria is intended to operate is that 'They plan and manage places to support use by all abilities and a diverse community.' Supporters of the current arrangements allowing limited private development within national parks argue that all these new regulations do is assist national parks to meet their social justice objectives.
3. Private development in Victoria's national parks will make them better able to compete with other states and other countries
The Victorian government has stressed that private investment in national parks will assist the state to compete with other potential tourist developments interstate.
In its response to the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission's Final
Report on Victoria's Tourism Industry the Victorian government stated, 'Jurisdictions in Australia and internationally, have moved to allow ecologically sustainable development in line with the natural and cultural values of the land. This includes in New South Wales, which has opened up opportunities for sustainable visitor use and enjoyment in their National Parks, and in Queensland, which has sought private sector partners to deliver eco-friendly accommodation under tight environmental controls.'
Louise Asher, the Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events, has emphasised that Victoria is competing with other states, the Northern Territory and New Zealand to gain market share in the lucrative eco-tourism sector. Ms Asher has argued that this state needs to improve its offerings to travellers to induce them to stay longer in regional Victoria. Private development in national parks is seen as a key means of helping to make Victoria competitive.
Ms Asher has stated, 'Eco-tourism is an important driver of jobs and money for local communities, and as is the case with other iconic destinations such as the Cradle Mountain Huts, Wilpena Pound, Kingfisher Bay Lodge in Tasmania and Milford Sound Huts in New Zealand, they can co-exist with national parks and other natural areas.'
The same point has been made by Peter Ryan, the deputy premier and member for Gippsland South. Mr Ryan has stated that the new arrangements would mean that Victoria could compete with other states to gain a market share in the lucrative eco-tourism sector.
The Environment Minister, Ryan Smith, has said that facilities similar to the Cradle Mountain huts in Tasmania, resort-style accommodation in the Flinders Ranges National Park in South Australia and Karijini Eco Retreat in Western Australia would be the sorts of developments likely to be viewed as appropriate.
Mr Smith concluded, 'There is no reason why Victoria can't compete on the same playing field as those other states.'
Terry Robinson, the chief executive officer of tourism lobby group, Destination Gippsland, has stated, 'This [new policy] would then allow Victoria, and in our case Gippsland, to better compete with Tasmania and New Zealand for new investment funds and high yield visitors.'
4. Private developers can assist in managing Victoria's national parks
It has been claimed that allowing private investors to fund developments in national parks will reduce the pressure on state governments to fund the management of these parks. The private developers will be able to assist in the management of the parks.
It has been argued that private development that results in appropriate accommodation and infrastructure facilities such as paths and walkways removes from the state government the obligation to supply such facilities and so assists in the management of the state's national parks.
Terry Robinson, the chief executive officer of tourism lobby group, Destination Gippsland, has stated, 'It can be done, there are good examples in Tasmania and New Zealand, and it can enhance the environment as well as being good economically - but there is a need for checks and balances.'
In South Australia, Grant Hunt runs the Wilpena Pound Resort in the Flinders Ranges, paying more than $100,000 for the right to be in a national park. State authorities match his fees, and the money is co-invested back into the park for improvements and maintenance.
Mr Hunt argues tourism can add value to Crown land 'because when you're in there every day, it's in the interest of the operator to protect and conserve'.
Victoria Tourism Minister, Louise Asher, has indicated that in some cases, developers might be urged to invest in the environment - possibly by contributing to revegetation projects or local native animal funds - as a condition of approval for their commercial development; in others, they could contribute to infrastructure upgrades such as walking tracks or toilet facilities.
5. There are guidelines to ensure that any private development in Victoria's national parks is sensitive and appropriate
It has been argued that the new developments funded by private investors will not harm the national parks as investment will only be approved if it meets a strict set of guidelines.
Supporters of the new arrangements argue that the respect the environmental value of national parks. A key indicator of this is that the most sensitive wilderness areas will not be available for private development.
The Victorian treasurer, Kim Wells, has stated that the changes will encourage investment in accommodation for tourism areas like the Great Ocean Road, but will exclude areas deemed to be environmentally sensitive.
Mr Wells has explained, 'No investment will be considered in areas classified as wilderness parks, wilderness zones, reference areas and remote and natural areas under the National Parks Act of 1975.'
Supporters of the new arrangements have also noted that strict guidelines will be applied before any private development will be approved in those areas where it may take place.
Mr Wells has stated, 'Any investment will be subject to rigorous environmental controls and will need approval from the Environment Minister before it can proceed.'
Ryan Smith, Victoria's Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, has stated, 'The guidelines follow the release of an independent report by the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission which recommended "sensible and sensitive developments in national parks" as a measure to unlock Victorian tourism...
The guidelines...will provide strict environmental protections as part of a comprehensive approvals process.
Proposals for major new tourism projects will require a detailed environmental management plan supported by an independent environmental risk assessment and auditing of the plan.
There must also be proper community consultation and projects will be asked to generate a net public benefit for the community use of the park.'