EAST COAST OVERLOAD
CALL FOR CAP ON FREYCINET TOURISTS
EAST COAST residents have rejected a master plan for Freycinet National Park and called for a cap on tourist numbers to help preserve the iconic attraction.
More than 250 people packed a meeting at Coles Bay Community Hall yesterday and called for an independent assessment to consider a cap on visitors to the park and to investigate charging a fee per visit.
Among 10 other motions passed at the meeting was a call for a ban on helicopter tourism as well as a new independent assessment of the carrying capacity of the park.
The meeting also rejected a plan to build a new jetty in front of the Hazards mountains, which would spoil views from Coles Bay.
Freycinet Action Network spokeswoman Sophie Underwood said the plan failed to address the key issues of an overloaded sewerage system and too many cars in the park.
“The master plan tries to improve safety and traffic issues, but there’s little in it that is aimed at managing numbers to protect the visitor experience and park values,” she said.
Ms Underwood said a cap on visitors to sensitive heritage areas was a common management strategy around the world.
Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor Debbie Wisby said the community was concerned about the plan and the impacts it could have on Coles Bay and the national park.
She said the motions would be put forward and debated at the next council meeting.
The master plan is open for public comment until Friday.
COLES Bay residents have rejected the Freycinet master plan and urged a cap on tourist numbers to Tasmania’s East Coast
It was standing room only at a packed public meeting at Coles Bay Community Hall yesterday where more than 250 people voiced their concerns over the revised master plan. The plan highlights two key concerns in the tourism mecca: an overloaded sewerage system and a growing number of cars and tourists.
Freycinet Action Network spokeswoman Sophie Underwood said the master plan failed to address either issue adequately.
“The master plan tries to improve safety and traffic issues but there’s little in it that is aimed at managing numbers to protect the visitor experience and park values,” she said.
“The main source of overcrowding is visitor numbers, and discussing ways to address that have been blocked from the outset.”
Visitor numbers have risen from 207,000 in 2007-2008 to 310,000 in 2017-2018.
Ms Underwood said a cap on visitors to sensitive heritage areas was globally a common management strategy.
Under the plan, some of the traffic congestion will be addressed by a new visitor gateway located outside Freycinet National Park to reduce parking pressures inside the park.
The gateway, at Coles Bay, will include a car park so people can leave their cars and travel to the park by shuttle bus, boat or on shared-use bike paths.
The plan envisages a commercially operated boat system taking visitors into the national park from the gateway, subject to take-up by the private sector.
Ms Underwood said 10 motions were moved at the meeting including: REJECTING the Freycinet master plan until an independent assessment of the park’s carrying capacity is carried out; CARRYING out an independent assessment looking at a cap on visitor numbers and charges for visitors; WASTEWATER systems audit on Freycinet Peninsula properties; FREYCINET Peninsula should be free of helicopter tourism; SUPPORTING the visitor centre remaining at Ranger Creek with additional parking nearby; NO new jetty built in front of the Hazards to maintain the view from Coles Bay.
Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor Debbie Wisby said the community was concerned about the plan and the impact it could have on Coles Bay and the national park.
The council will debate the motions put forward at its next meeting. The plan is open for public consultation until 9am this Friday.