Halina T. Kobryn

The remote Kimberley region in Western Australia presents a unique nature based tourism destination. One of the world’s last wildernesses, the Kimberley is one of the least-impacted marine environments in the world. Tourism in the region is growing rapidly, driven by stunning natural landscapes, unparalleled nature-based experiences and a vibrant Indigenous culture. Despite this, there has been virtually no research into how stakeholders value the Kimberley and spatially explicit investigations are lacking. State marine protected area planning, currently in a formative stage in the region, requires such spatially explicit social data to complement existing biophysical information. This paper reports on findings from a Public Participation GIS survey with 206 stakeholders undertaken in 2015 as part of a broader research project into socio-cultural values and management preferences for the Kimberley coast. Stakeholders’ spatially linked values were collected via an internet-based mapping survey for the purpose of supporting future planning and management in the region. Stakeholders mapped over 4,100 value locations, with values relating to scenery/aesthetics, recreational fishing, Aboriginal culture and nature-based tourism being most prominent. Analysis identified a clear spatial clustering of values across the region with a number of value ‘hotspots’ evident. Tourism planners and managers can analyse these hotspots to identify areas of potential congruence and conflict, thus assisting in retaining the qualities of the region that support ongoing tourism. By generating spatially explicit information on stakeholder values and areas of importance, this research makes an important contribution to tourism planning and management in the Kimberley.

The proliferation of informal access tracks enables unmanaged recreational activity in remote coastal areas and such tracks can directly and indirectly impact the coastal environment. With the aim of enhancing the capacity of conservation managers to address this problem, coastal access tracks in the western Kimberley region of northern Australia were mapped using recent, high resolution ALOS panchromatic satellite imagery. We mapped tracks within the 10 km buffer of the Mean High Water Mark and track density was evaluated in relation to proximity to settlements and main roads. Tracks accessing the shoreline were analysed per shoreline type. We mapped a total of 1,600 km of coastal tracks and nearly 1000 coastal access points. Significant differences were found between areas east and west of King Sound; only of tracks and 14 coastal access points were east of King Sound. There was also a large, significant difference in average track disturbance density between the study area to the east (9 m2/ha) and west (89 m2/ha) of King Sound. Track densities were examined for potential association with variables such as tenure, type of coast, distance from settlements and main roads. We found that land tenure classes that restrict human access, the relative attractiveness of geomorphology, and a travel impedance effect related to the proximity of formal roads and isolated human structures, are factors that significantly influence the spatial distribution and density of coastal access tracks. On the basis of these findings, we make several recommendations with respect to the management of coastal access tracks in the western Kimberley.

Monitoring and management of popular coastal destinations requires accurate benchmark data on access nodes, travel networks as well as detailed information on landscapes and seascapes. We investigated the 300 km long coastal strip along Ningaloo Reef using hyperspectral remote sensing techniques combined with extensive fieldwork. We mapped bathymetry and marine habitats at high resolution to a depth Of 20 In covering 762 km2 of the reef. We mapped land cover including vegetation along the coast for an area of 988 krn2. We also compiled a database of the track and road network up to 2 km inland from the coast and characterised the dominant sediment and vegetation cover along track buffers. Many of the areas with the highest density of tracks were adjacent to sanctuary areas in the marine pork with easy access to the reef from the beach. Land tenure is important in managing the coastal area and the highest track densities have been found in areas managed as pastoral stations while the lowest are in areas managed as national park. Track buffers contained a lot of vegetation and with track expansion this may be destroyed. With the proposed changes to the pastoral leases expected to result in changes in tenure, and it is vital that comprehensive and cost-effective monitoring is developed and implemented to protect the coastal area and adjacent reef. Remote sensing offers a range of quantitative, repetitive and operational methods suitable for creating benchmark data sets and follow up studies for monitoring. It is also effective for large areas where access and logistics for management are very challenging.

A quantitative and systematic approach to marine protected area (MPA) design is now common practice world-wide, yet many pre-existing MPAs have been developed without explicit goals and are likely to require incremental refinement as new knowledge is gained. In particular, there is a growing need to consider the effects of climate change. However, there has been limited research addressing the incremental incorporation of climate change resilience features into MPA design. This study used MARXAN conservation planning software with fine-scale, remotely-sensed, shallow water (<20m) bathymetry and habitat maps, empirical benthic community data from deeper water, and comprehensive socio-economic information from Ningaloo Marine park. It, assessed the representation of benthic habitats within the current marine park zones, identified priority areas of high resilience for inclusion within sanctuary zones and examined if any iterative refinements to the current sanctuary zones are necessary. Of the 65 habitat classes, 16 were less than ideally represented within the current sanctuary zones; most of these habitat classes were in deeper offshore waters. These deeper areas also demonstrated the highest resilience values and, as such, MARXAN outputs suggested minor increases to the current Sanctuary zones in the deeper offshore areas. Incorporation of the recent data and a systematic approach for the new Ningaloo Marine Park management plan for the next decade can refine representative marine park zones. In addition, the study also demonstrated that inclusion of climate change resilience factors within the design process for MPAs is feasible and can be applied to future marine conservation planning practice; on a global scale.

The remote West Kimberley region in Western Australia presents a unique nature based tourism destination. Portrayed as one of the world’s last wildernesses, the region offers stunning natural landscapes, unparalleled nature-based experiences and a vibrant historic as well as contemporary Indigenous culture. Despite this there has been virtually no research into how the West Kimberley is valued by tourists, and spatially explicit investigations are lacking. State marine protected area planning, currently in a formative stage in the region, requires such spatially explicit social data to complement existing biophysical information. This paper reports on research with 42 tourists undertaken as part of a broader research project into socio-cultural values of the Kimberley coast. Analysis identified 16 key values associated with the West Kimberley coast, including aesthetics, recreation, therapeutic, physical landscape, Aboriginal cultural values, social values, learning and research, economic, subsistence , experiential, historical, spiritual, biodiversity, future bequest and existence. By highlighting values of importance to tourists and thus those requiring management attention, this research makes an important contribution to marine spatial planning in the West Kimberley.

The remote West Kimberley region in Western Australia presents a unique nature based tourism destination. Portrayed as one of the world’s last wildernesses, the region offers stunning natural landscapes, unparalleled nature-based experiences and a vibrant historic as well as contemporary Indigenous culture. Despite this there has been virtually no research into how the West Kimberley is valued by tourists, and spatially explicit investigations are lacking. State marine protected area planning, currently in a formative stage in the region, requires such spatially explicit social data to complement existing biophysical information. This paper reports on research with 42 tourists undertaken as part of a broader research project into socio-cultural values of the Kimberley coast. Analysis identified 16 key values associated with the West Kimberley coast, including aesthetics, recreation, therapeutic, physical landscape, Aboriginal cultural values, social values, learning and research, economic, subsistence , experiential, historical, spiritual, biodiversity, future bequest and existence. By highlighting values of importance to tourists and thus those requiring management attention, this research makes an important contribution to marine spatial planning in the West Kimberley.

The remote West Kimberley region in Western Australia presents a unique nature based tourism destination. Portrayed as one of the world’s last wildernesses, the region offers stunning natural landscapes, unparalleled nature-based experiences and a vibrant historic as well as contemporary Indigenous culture. Despite this there has been virtually no research into how the West Kimberley is valued by tourists, and spatially explicit investigations are lacking. State marine protected area planning, currently in a formative stage in the region, requires such spatially explicit social data to complement existing biophysical information. This paper reports on research with 42 tourists undertaken as part of a broader research project into socio-cultural values of the Kimberley coast. Analysis identified 16 key values associated with the West Kimberley coast, including aesthetics, recreation, therapeutic, physical landscape, Aboriginal cultural values, social values, learning and research, economic, subsistence , experiential, historical, spiritual, biodiversity, future bequest and existence. By highlighting values of importance to tourists and thus those requiring management attention, this research makes an important contribution to marine spatial planning in the West Kimberley.