Tourism Planning all sides has been positive and the design has received widesbreed recog. nition and many awards-=from the federal highway ageney, the American Society of Landseape Architects, and a regional engineering organization, In this case, the major role of the designer was 4 catalyst to bring con- flicting groups together for a final design solution, WHITEMAN PARK Illustrated here is description of how a special Task Foree can guide the planning and development of a site for tourism. The location is a 5,000- acre area of native Australian bushland called Whiteman Park (Whiteman Park 1989), It was named after Lewis Whiteman, who purchased it in 1936 for cattle breeding. It contains typical bushland vegetation and wildlife, the only such site remaining in the region, and it is within 30 minutes of Perth, The State Planning Commission and the Western Australian Tourism Commission were of the opinion in 1989 that an outside evaluation of this interesting site for its tourism potential was required, Because the Pacific Area Tourist Association (PATA) had been involved in such projects it was asked to perform this task, lan L, Kennedy, vice president Pacific Divi- sion, accepted the assignment and began to build a Task Force. was typical of such projects, he sought a diversity of reputable spe- cialists especially suited to the challenge. The selected Task Force included a specialist in commercial tourism-park operations with back- ground in zoology and biology (Terence Beckett), an expert in heritage conservation and tourism (Robertson Collins), a landscape architect spe- cializing in tourism design and planning (Clare A, Gunn), an expert in land and water resources and geologist (Robert Priest), and a team leader (lan Kennedy), The format was to spend a week of intensive inspection of the site and interviews and conferences with a great many organizations and agencies involved in the park, On the final day both an oral and rough draft of a report provided findings and recommendations of the Task Forse soa of ne mie iin deo coming from different geographical asa ey ew Zealand, Singapore, the United States) and from several disciplines, consensus on these final conclusions was readily reached. Objectives The purposes of this study, as specified by the client were to: Prepare an action plan for future manage! ' Comment on the “Maunsell Report os mAeHt,Site Planning Cases 393 Identify the park’s tourism potential. Prepare a long-term “vision” for the park. Examine financial considerations. Process The methods used included: Inspection of site. Reconnaissance of area context. Extensive interviews with agencies, organizations. Review of documents. Interviews with park users. Study of cultural and natural resources. Results 1. Assessment of the Maunsell Report. The Task Force determined that this report addressed recreational issues but not plans for tourism adapta- tion. The technical description was helpful as a reference. The plan con- cepts did not apply to travel markets. 2. Present Operation. The Task Force concluded that existing opera- tional management had no stated policies to guide it. There appeared to be safety hazards, lack of an interpretive program, little or no formal tourism planning or marketing, inadequate sewage disposal, erratic land use pat- terns, and absence of natural and cultural resource management. At issue was the random acceptance of several land use claims and developments within the park—a hobby railroad organization, a hobby trolley car organ- ization, a firing range, an equestrian park, and a youth camp. For political reasons, Aboriginal heritage, important in the park, was omitted. 3. Natural Resource Protection. There appeared to be complete lack of protection of wildlife and plant materials. All development and manage- ment are contrary to principles set forth in Western Australia’s “Draft Environmental Guidelines for Tourism Development,” 1988. Recommendations 1. Goals, Recommended by the Task Force were the following goals for adapting the park to tourism development:Tourism Planning Protect the natural cultural resource base. Provide visitor satisfactions for domestic and international travel markets Promote economic development 1 » Swa /g ay 2 Q Integrate Whiteman Park into the Swan Valley tourism plan. consensus of the Task Force that the park did have potential for becoming a major tourist attraction, but only with significant change in policies, plans, organization, and management. The cultural/natural resource assets could provide the dominant theme to meet travel market interests, New policies should call a halt to more non- conforming and erosive use areas and support stronger resource protec- tion and interpretation. 7 3. Physical Plan. Using a new theme of “natural/cultural heritage park,” several physical plan recommendations were made. The railroad and trolley operations could continue if adapted to visitor use. An out- standing interpretive visitor center, located on the south of the property, would enrich the visitor experience without damage to the environment. It should contain indoor and outdoor exhibits, a museum of agriculture, crafts, auditorium, classrooms, a heritage and natural resource library, and a heritage food center. Demolition or re-adaptation of existing struc- tures should be considered. This new visitor interpretation complex should also serve as an educational and research center for study of the important natural and cultural history of the area, especially early Aboriginal impact on the site. ‘Several other basic recommendations were made. Safety hazards of the rail line must be eliminated. Well-designed on-site commercial facilities could include a restaurant, souvenir shop, photo shop, bike hire, theater, and an aviary and reptile house. The proposed golf course should be Seen a ae se ee ea use and poor feasibility because aonbontintd & a satavalealea oH ein ae gesthgiicaly are recommended on-site but rather i Hae ne accommodations Guildford. A new sewage treatm sae’ nearby, community of Sate ent plant must be established. New plans isitor access and transportation need to be created and implemented. Adaptation of the park to tourism should include i oa all Swan Valley Tourism plan as shown i Petonse one wn in figure 10-5, 4. Financial Considerations. Rec pea cooperative leadership and inves pee isastrong Baie S ction "s gov" 2. Tourism Potential. It was theSite Planning Cases 395 AccaS3 ERC Moantemin Markers Go swasivauey ae ] l] Figure 10-5. Swan Valley Tourism Plan. The study of Whiteman Park for its tourism potential revealed the need for new policy and management that would reduce obtrusive development and emulate the special natural and cultural assets. A major recommendation was to incorporate the park into a Swan Valley zone with tourist services in Guildford rather than in the park (Whiteman Park 1989, 19), vated for tourism. The Interim Board of Management should be abolished and a new organizational structure created—one dedicated to the goals of tourism and resource protection. The park should be developed only in context of the area and its tourism development. This project illustrated a form of planning that involves several experts, local input, and a brief but intensive investigation. Because the experts volunteered their time and the time-frame was only one week, the cost is relatively low. Yet the Task Force process allows a full grasp of the existing situation and major issues. Pertinent recommendations were published and widely distributed for greater understanding of the poten- tial and stimulation of action. Implementation of this plan has not been reported, Even so, this task force process is a viable method for identify- ing site planning needs for tourism.