Angus M Robinson

GEOREGIONS ON THE MOVE!

In accordance with the National Geotourism Strategy, the Australian Geoscience Council has recommended (and the State/Territory Geological Surveys has recently confirmed) that groups wishing to establish a potential geopark, using the mechanism of ‘GeoRegions’, should explore various alternative options for geotourism development. The concept of GeoRegions underpinning an initial exploratory step is also now accepted by the Australian government geoscience agencies to establish the merits of potential geopark development, to gain a high level of community awareness, and to gain support from government agencies.

An approved GeoRegion is defined as an area that is recognised as an area of special natural and cultural heritage highlighting outstanding geoheritage features within which proposed geotrail and potential geopark projects can be developed in support of geotourism.  https://youtu.be/FqnsbEcp62E

As a first step, a full audit of natural and cultural heritage attributes in the proposed GeoRegion as well as early discussions with state/territory based Geological Surveys, Planning and Environment agencies, and any other state/territory government agencies responsible for land and resource management is strongly recommended.

The GeoRegion mechanism therefore provides a framework to undertake comprehensive consultation with a full range of interested or impacted community groups (including Aboriginal communities) and to resolve any identified land tenure conflict issues that may arise.

The commencement of the GeoRegion assessment process is defined by a proponent (which might include for example Local Government (LGA), or a Regional Development Authority (RDA) having completed preferably an approved tourism Destination Management Plan, or alternatively a community or special interest group interested in geotourism development.

In developing global geopark proposals, UNESCO appreciates that each Nation State can implement its own procedures for assessment. In the case of Australia, the concept of establishing a GeoRegion as a strategy is an important first step for geopark proponents to use, and is of local relevance only and would fall away if a GeoRegion project supported by the relevant State/Territory Government is morphed into a Geopark nomination. UNESCO is comfortable with what is being developed in Australia in this respect as it is clearly understood that this concept is only a ‘domestic construct.’

Early consultation with relevant state/territory agencies that have land and resource management responsibilities and/or planning and environment responsibilities within the proposed GeoRegion, and this should include the relevant Geological Survey as well as those LGAs with jurisdictional responsibilities.

To date, Australia has three approved GeoRegions – Murchison (WA) and Ku-ring-gai and Glen Innes (NSW).

AUSTRALIA’S BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES
FLINDERS RANGES WORLD HERITAGE AREA NOMINATION

Over the past decade, geotourism enthusiasts associated with the National Geotourism Strategy (NGS) have been actively involved in, and have championed, Australia’s National Landscapes (ANL) Programme because of the opportunity to promote geotourism concepts. The Programme was the first time the tourism sector, nature conservation managers and tourism advocacy organisations had worked closely together to present Australia’s top nature tourism (dare we say geotourism) experiences. The Programme facilitated coordinated tourism planning and management and provided a focus for international marketing, but has subsequently been discontinued.

Australia’s 16 nominated National Landscapes Programme included the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. Most of these landscapes comprised a variety of high quality, scenic experiences (related to their natural heritage values) and offered the opportunity to be promoted for their scenic values (i.e., their ‘beauty’). Inspired by the screening of a recent international documentary series titled 'The World’s Beautiful Landscapes’, it is timely to take a close look at what Australia offers in this regard.

The Flinders Ranges comprises a variety of outstanding landscapes including Wilpena Pound. They contain a number of areas set aside for protection and management of the region’s natural, cultural (particulalry Aboriginal) and historic values, on public, private, and leasehold land. Pastoralism has also had a strong historic influence in the region. The region’s rich values and breathtaking landscapes make the Flinders Ranges an iconic geotourism destination with unparalleled visitor experiences.

Beauty aside, from a geological perspective in meeting the key WHA nomination natural criteria (viii) , the Flinders Ranges is significantly an outstanding example representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life; that is the evolution of complex, multicellular animal life. This contributes to defining the nomination’s ‘Outstanding Universal Value’. In short, the Flinders Ranges is the only place known on Earth where two great experiments in the evolution of complex multicellular animal life i.e, the Ediacaran radiation event and the Cambrian explosion of life, outcrop in a near-continuous geological succession spanning 350 million years.

In a 'Public Talk' hosted by Geoscience Australia in Canberra on Wednesday 22nd March 2023, the concept of geotourism was explained by reviewing the natural and cultural heritage characteristics of the beautiful Flinders Ranges landscapes in the context of its WHA nomination. The presentation also explains the implementation of the NGS which is providing a major opportunity for regional development, focusing on both natural and cultural heritage, both mining and Aboriginal. The presenttion can be viewed at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSZYTvBq05o