Exploring New Pathways for Exploring New Pathways for Geopark Development in AustraliaGeopark Development in Australia

3434thth International Geological Congress International Geological CongressGeoparks Symposium – 10Geoparks Symposium – 10thth August, 2012 August, 2012

Angus M RobinsonAngus M Robinson

Today’s AgendaToday’s Agenda

What is Geopark?

Land Management Systems in AustraliaLand Management Systems in Australia

Challenges for Geopark Development

Opportunities for ‘Geoparks’/Geotourism

A solution and potential scenarios

Take Aways

What is a Geopark?What is a Geopark?

A Global Geopark is a unified area with geological heritagegeological heritage of international significance and where that heritage is being used to heritage is being used to promote the sustainable development of the promote the sustainable development of the local communitieslocal communities who live there.

The Global Geopark brand is a voluntary, quality label and while it is not a legislative designation, the key heritage sites within a geopark should key heritage sites within a geopark should be protected under local, regional or national be protected under local, regional or national legislation as appropriate.legislation as appropriate.

These Earth heritage sites are part of an integrated concept of protection, education, protection, education, and sustainable developmentand sustainable development.

Core Elements of a GeoparkCore Elements of a Geopark

A GEOPARKGEOPARK achieves its goals of fostering local fostering local developmentdevelopment through a three-pronged approach:

GEOCONSERVATIONGEOCONSERVATION: A GEOPARK seeks to conserve significant geological features, and explore and demonstrate methods for excellence in conservation. EDUCATIONEDUCATION: A GEOPARK organises activities and provides logistic support to communicate geoscientific knowledge and environmental concepts to the public. GEOTOURISMGEOTOURISM: A GEOPARK stimulates economic activity and sustainable development through geotourism.

Land Composition of a GeoparkLand Composition of a Geopark

A GEOPARKGEOPARK may comprise either solely or a solely or a mixmix of of

protected public lands including WHAs, national parks and any other like areas areas designated by national governmentsdesignated by national governments, private lands,

and located wholly within or across within or across national/state boundaries’national/state boundaries’

Land Management System in AustraliaLand Management System in Australia

Public ‘Crown’ LandsPublic ‘Crown’ Lands Protected areas – WHAs, national parks, nature reserves, state

conservation/recreation areas, wildlife refuges etc. Other public lands – state forests, crown lands, catchment areas, stock

routes, council owned lands, public roads, railway easements etc. Australia is a diverse federation of state and territory managed ‘crown’

lands and land management is the art of managing fiercely competing priorities, and this situation is becoming increasingly complex.

Private LandsPrivate Lands Freehold with/without conservation covenants Leasehold, including pastoral Roads and easements Native title lands

Mining, Petroleum and Exploration TitlesMining, Petroleum and Exploration Titles Exploration/prospecting licenses Mining/mining purpose leases

Australia’sNationalLandscapes

National Landscapes and GeoparksNational Landscapes and Geoparks

Have similar goalssimilar goals relating to local development, education and experiential tourism (‘geotourism’).

However, National Landscapes do not National Landscapes do not focus on fostering geoconservationfocus on fostering geoconservation, but have a broader ‘natural heritage’ remit.

Nonetheless, the GSA has recently developed with Parks Australia a protocol providing for geoscience inputprotocol providing for geoscience input.

Intensifying Land Management and Intensifying Land Management and Access Issues - AustraliaAccess Issues - Australia

Pollution control Soil erosion and management Water quality/resources/catchment Natural and built heritage and indigenous

culture including geoheritagegeoheritage Noxious weeds and vermin Agricultural and pasture protection Flora and fauna protection Utilities and transportation access Mineral/gas resources and industrial minerals

KANAWINKA GEOPARKKANAWINKA GEOPARK

Australia's First Australia's First GeoparkGeopark

Melbourne

Adelaide

KanawinkaGeopark

Sydney

KANAWINKA GEOPARK

Kanawinka and the EPHCKanawinka and the EPHC

In November 2009, Australian Government Ministers for the Environment and Heritage decided that whilst Australian governments support geological heritage, they have significant concerns with the application of the UNESCO Geoparks concept in Australia, especially without government endorsement.Furthermore they determined that existing existing mechanisms are considered sufficient to protect mechanisms are considered sufficient to protect geoheritage. geoheritage.

Land Status and Kanawinka GeoparkLand Status and Kanawinka Geopark

The designated Kanawinka Geopark area embraces mostly lands which area embraces mostly lands which are not protectedare not protected under national parks or other similar conservation schemes.

Kanawinka Geopark partly embraces lands within the designated Great Ocean Road designated Great Ocean Road National LandscapeNational Landscape.

Building Awareness and Support Building Awareness and Support in the Geological Professionsin the Geological Professions

1. The Australian geological profession has shown Australian geological profession has shown very little interest in or support for very little interest in or support for geotourism.geotourism.

2. The mining and exploration industriesmining and exploration industries as well as museums, universities, and government agencies are generally perceived by geologists as providing the only employment providing the only employment opportunitiesopportunities.

3.3. Geoparks and geotourismGeoparks and geotourism are perceived by many geologists employed in industry as creating threats to employmentcreating threats to employment through the alienation of land from exploration and mining.

Building Awareness and Support Building Awareness and Support in the Geological Professionsin the Geological Professions

4. Geologists employed in the mining industry have not yet realised the potential for potential for protecting the geoheritage related to protecting the geoheritage related to economic geologyeconomic geology..

5. By and large, geotourism is now being geotourism is now being championed mainly by geomorphologists, championed mainly by geomorphologists, geographers and speleologistsgeographers and speleologists rather than by mainstream geologists.

6. Even then, very few of these professionals understand the ‘drivers’ of tourism.understand the ‘drivers’ of tourism.

Mining Industry Land Access IssuesMining Industry Land Access Issues

While Global Geopark status does not imply restrictions While Global Geopark status does not imply restrictions on any economic activity inside a geoparkon any economic activity inside a geopark where that activity complies with local, regional or national legislation, mining interests are wary of:

Restricted accessRestricted access to land for exploration and mining.Geoparks or any land designated a ‘park’ alienating alienating landland beyond the boundaries of national parks.Geoheritage measures restricting access to outcropsrestricting access to outcrops.

In TasmaniaTasmania, for example, mining interests want access to existing protected lands and would vigorously vigorously oppose any more alienation.oppose any more alienation.

Institutional Resistance to GeoparksInstitutional Resistance to Geoparks

State Geological Surveys are not supportive of the Geological Surveys are not supportive of the conceptconcept – exasperates land alienation.

Staff in many national parks are more interested and more interested and trained in other areas of natural heritagetrained in other areas of natural heritage.

Limited geoscience constituencyLimited geoscience constituency in government land management agencies.

Geoparks would mean a new and competing funding new and competing funding needneed – diverted from national parks.

Designated geoparks adds to the complexity of complexity of government administration.government administration.

Viewpoint that the National Landscape Program should Viewpoint that the National Landscape Program should be developed further be developed further as a preferred strategy.as a preferred strategy.

Summary -Summary -Challenges for Geopark Challenges for Geopark Development in AustraliaDevelopment in Australia

Other competing land classification systemsOther competing land classification systems underpinned by environmental, heritage and underpinned by environmental, heritage and tourism values e.g. national landscapes, world tourism values e.g. national landscapes, world heritage areas.heritage areas.

The politics of AustralianThe politics of Australian federalism. federalism. Relatively low profile of geoscience in the Relatively low profile of geoscience in the

Australian community – Australian community – overshadowed by the overshadowed by the strong influence of the Australian mining strong influence of the Australian mining industry lobby.industry lobby.

Apathy amongst the Australian geological Apathy amongst the Australian geological community.community.

Geology/Geomorphology focus in Geology/Geomorphology focus in National Parks & National LandscapesNational Parks & National Landscapes

There is an opportunity to foster and promote opportunity to foster and promote geotourism initiatives within Australia’s geotourism initiatives within Australia’s National LandscapesNational Landscapes with geological and geomorphological significance, as a model to as a model to advancing geotourism and geoheritage advancing geotourism and geoheritage considerations in other regions,considerations in other regions, having particular regard to the recently stated views of the EPHC relating to the future of Geopark proposals in Australia.

AESC 2010 Workshop

Geotourism – Establishing ‘Common Geotourism – Establishing ‘Common Ground’ with the Parks MovementGround’ with the Parks Movement

There is an opportunity for geotourism geotourism advocates to engage with state/territory park advocates to engage with state/territory park managersmanagers to determine commonality on issues relating to:

Connecting landscapesConnecting landscapes Forming partnerships with other land usersartnerships with other land users Attracting visitors, particularly from overseasAttracting visitors, particularly from overseas Development of regional communitiesegional communities Indigenous Indigenous eengagement Identification & conservation of geosites/geotrailseosites/geotrails

Suggested Solution for AustraliaSuggested Solution for Australia

Advance the proposition that pilot pilot geoparks in Australia be developed geoparks in Australia be developed linked to linked to existing protected areas.existing protected areas.

WHY?WHY?

The vast majority of concerns majority of concerns about geopark development would would automatically fall awayautomatically fall away.

Scenario 1:Scenario 1:

Willandra LakesWillandra LakesWorld Heritage World Heritage Area and MungoArea and MungoNational ParkNational Park

Pleistocene Dune System & ancient lake highlighting 50,000 years of continuous human habitation close to a new minerals sands mining area

2,400 square kilometresSize of Luxembourg

Scenario 2:Scenario 2:

Blue MountainsBlue MountainsWorld Heritage Area – World Heritage Area – already a designatedalready a designatedNational LandscapeNational Landscape

Iconic Triassic sedimentary landforms of the Sydney Basin – eight protected areas

10,000 square km areaSize of Lebanon

Scenario 3:Scenario 3:

WarrambunglesWarrambunglesNational ParkNational Park

Outstanding Miocene Shield Volcano remnant landforms close to a major coal development area

236 square km area

Three Global Geopark ScenariosThree Global Geopark Scenarios

Whilst arguably the Blue Mountains WHA offers the most compelling nomination as a global geopark given its significance as an exemplar of the Sydney Basin geology, from a regional development perspectiveregional development perspective, global geopark nomination would deliver significant benefitsbenefits for the Country NSW regionCountry NSW region (Warrumbungles NP) and the NSW Outback NSW Outback regionregion (Willandra Lakes WHA).

Take-AwaysTake-Aways Need to propose a geopark model which

meets Australia’s complex land management meets Australia’s complex land management systemssystems and is supported by governments and other land users.

Need to build a constituencybuild a constituency amongst Australia’s geoscience community.

Need to advance geopark benefitsadvance geopark benefits in context of regional development, global branding, regional development, global branding, and increased visitationincreased visitation to natural areas.

Advancing a ‘linked protected areas’‘linked protected areas’ strategy for pilot geopark development maximises the maximises the chance of government supportchance of government support..

Contact DetailsContact DetailsAngus M RobinsonAngus M Robinson

Chair, GSA Geotourism Sub CommitteeChair, GSA Geotourism Sub Committee

angus@leisuresolutions.com.auangus@leisuresolutions.com.au

geoheritage@gsa.org.augeoheritage@gsa.org.au

+61 418 488 340+61 418 488 340