Community Survey Results
Julie Carmody and Bruce Prideaux
School of Business, James Cook University
ISBN 9781921359187
Released December 2008
MTSRF Project 4.9.2
- Sustainable nature based tourism: planning and
management
Executive Summary
The need to develop a comprehensive understanding of the role
that protected areas play in the lives of communities is as
important as developing a greater understanding of the scientific
aspects of protected areas. The aim of the research reported here
was to monitor the attitudes, perceptions, knowledge and use of the
Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area (WTQWHA) by residents
of the Wet Tropics bioregion. The research builds on previous
community attitude surveys that have been undertaken for the Wet
Tropics Management Authority (WTMA).
The methodology used in this study parallels that used in the
2002 Community Survey enabling comparisons to be made with
the earlier study. More than four thousand surveys were
randomly distributed to residents using reply paid surveys
distributed through private post office boxes in rural and regional
areas or by delivering and collecting the survey from residents at
their homes. A total of 853 valid surveys were collected,
representing residents from Townsville to Cape Tribulation and west
to Ravenshoe. The survey focused on awareness and importance
of the WTQWHA; residents’ knowledge, support, visitation and
use of the Area; perceptions of management; and the role the WTQWHA
plays in the life of the community.
Socio-demographically, slightly more females than males
completed the 2007 Community Survey. The average age
of respondents was 49 years, with more than seventy percent of
respondents having lived in the Wet Tropics bioregion for at least
ten years. On average respondents had lived in the region for
24 years, and more than half had a technical, trade or university
education. The largest group of respondents indicated their
occupation as pensioners, retired or unemployed (22.8%), followed
by professionals and associate professionals (17.7%).
Almost all of the respondents (92%) were aware the Wet Tropics
rainforests of North Queensland were World Heritage listed.
The importance of the World Heritage listing for the community has
increased between 2002 and 2007. Having two World Heritage
Areas (the Wet Tropics and Great Barrier Reef) in North Queensland
was rated as 'very significant' by 67.5% of the respondents.
Respondents perceived their knowledge of the WTQWHA to be moderate,
and understood that the benefits of the World Heritage listing are
protection, conservation and preservation of the Area
(45.8%). Actual knowledge of the northern and southern
boundaries of the WTQWHA is low.
Interpretative signage provided at visitor sites is the most
used information source provided by Wet Tropics land managers.
Newspapers, word-of-mouth and television were the most popular
general sources of information used to increase knowledge of the
WTQWHA. While almost all respondents (89%) had visited
the WTQWHA at least once, half of the respondents indicated they
visit the WTQWHA up to four times a year on average. All of
the respondents had visited the WTQWHA within the past two years,
with the main reason for visiting being recreation. Mission
Beach and the Daintree were identified as the most preferred areas
to visit due to their natural beauty and ease of
access.
There is strong support for the World Heritage listing by more
than half of the respondents (62%) and almost all of the
respondents (92%) support the general level of protection afforded
by the listing. This support for both the World Heritage
listing and the level of protection has increased since 2002.
The inclusion of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage in a future World
Heritage listing is supported by 72% of the respondents and 66%
support some form of Aboriginal
co-management.
Just knowing that the World Heritage Area exists and that it is
contributing to the community’s quality of life is perceived
as the main personal benefits of living in the Wet Tropics
bioregion. In 2002, the same personal benefits were
indicated, now with an increased level of appreciation. From
a regional perspective, enhancing environmental awareness and
knowledge and the protection of rainforest plants and animals are
considered the most important community benefits. Rules,
regulations and restrictions, followed by feral plants and animals,
are considered to be the main disadvantages of most concern to the
community. Feral animals and plants are also considered to be
the most serious threats to the WTQWHA and the perceptions are that
this threat is not being adequately addressed.
The majority of respondents expect the management agency to
protect, conserve and preserve the WTQWHA. However, there is
some confusion as to who the management agency is and which logo
identifies the Area. Overall perceptions of the management
agency’s ability to manage the natural attributes of the
WTQWHA and the Aboriginal cultural sites have decreased slightly
since 2002.
Continued monitoring of the community’s attitudes,
knowledge, perceptions and use of the WTQWHA allows the management
agency to engage the community in decision making processes
regarding the future planning and management of the
Area. This report builds on baseline data collected by
the WTMA since 1992 and specifically allows measurement of changing
perceptions since 2002.
