Sustainable Visitor Capacity Management studies
Over the next 10 years South East Queensland is expected to see a population increase of more than one million people.
Balancing this growth and the competing demands for access and use of coastal areas requires careful long-term planning to balance visitor safety and experiences with the conservation of nature, cultural and social values. The Queensland Government is committed to providing current and future generations of Queenslanders and visitors with unique, memorable and safe experiences, whilst also protecting the environment.
South East Queensland’s Bribie Island, Cooloola and K’gari (Fraser Island) Recreation Areas are three of the most popular and iconic destinations for day and overnight visitors managed by the Queensland Government.
To assist in the long-term planning for these areas, Sustainable Visitor Capacity Management (SVCM) studies were commissioned by the Queensland Government.
SVCM studies are an important evaluation and planning tool to inform the development of management plans and visitor strategies. The studies aim to balance the community’s contemporary uses and future needs and desires with conservation intent, socio-economic benefits and visitor satisfaction and wellbeing. Management plans provide the direction for on ground protected area management to ensure key values are conserved and activities are effectively managed.
The studies are based on community consultation and independent observations of visitor usage and recreational trends, and assessments of sustainability of visitor interactions with the natural environment and infrastructure.
As the three combined SVCM study areas attract up to 23,714 vehicles and 592,809 camper nights per annum, it was essential to stage the studies across annual cycles of low and peak visitor periods and successive seasons to ensure that visitation trends, challenges and opportunities were accurately captured.
The studies were undertaken by consultants Earthcheck Pty Ltd. The Cooloola study was completed first, followed by Bribie Island and K’gari (Fraser Island). The studies were undertaken sequentially to align with the timeframes for each area’s management planning process (progressing in collaboration with each area’s Traditional Owners) to ensure findings are considered in the development of the management plans.
Undertaking and analysing three planning processes on three high-value areas while post-covid travel was normalising has been a unique opportunity. It has provided valuable insights into the conservation and recreation ethos of hundreds of thousands of community members from the most highly populated area of the state.
Study reports
The SVCM processes have provided an excellent opportunity to gain insight into the challenges, opportunities and seasonal demands across the three study areas to inform planning and enhanced management.
The SVCM studies spanned annual and seasonal visitation periods and assessed current site demands and impacts. The studies surveyed user and stakeholder groups to identify values and views about current visitation and sentiment towards visitor management options and priorities for consideration in the management planning processes.
Read the study reports
Read the full reports and technical appendices:
- Bribie Island National Park and Recreation Area: Sustainable Visitor Capacity Management Study recommendations
- Cooloola Recreation Area: Sustainable Visitor Capacity Management study and recommendations
- K’gari (Fraser Island) Sustainable Visitor Capacity Management study and recommendations
Government response to recommendations
The findings and recommendations from these studies build on many of the current management strategies already in place and provide further direction to help improve the future long-term management of these areas.
This includes the development of strategies that balance the needs of multiple user groups and First Nations peoples without irreversible negative impacts on the natural, cultural, social environment and quality of visitor experience.
The staged delivery and consideration of the SVCM studies, individually and collectively, in conjunction with existing park management and planning processes has already resulted in additional resourcing and investment by the Queensland Government to advance priority actions to improve conservation and visitor management outcomes.
An SVCM Summary of recommendations and government response document has been developed for each area.
The recommendations and government responses are aligned to same key themes that will be used in the new management plans and visitor strategies:
- Management capability and partnerships
- Conservation
- Capacity and permitting
- Visitor safety
- Infrastructure
- Visitor experience.
Read the Summary of recommendations and Queensland Government response documents:
- Bribie Island National Park and Recreation Area: Summary of recommendations and Queensland Government response
- Cooloola Recreation Area: Summary of recommendations and Queensland Government response
- K’gari (Fraser Island) Recreation Area: Summary of recommendations and Queensland Government response .
Implementation and next steps
The SVCM study report findings and government response will inform the development of new management plans for each area.
Stakeholders and the community will have a further opportunity to provide feedback on these plans during the public consultation process:
- Cooloola Recreation Area Draft Management Plan consultation: expected to commence May 2024
- Bribie Island National Park and Recreation Area Draft Management Plan consultation: expected to commence second half of 2024
- K’gari (Fraser Island) Recreation Area Draft Management Plan consultation.