MILLSTREAM CHICHESTER NATIONAL PARK

NATUREBANK ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY

Fortescue River, Millstream-Chichester National Park

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Overview 4The Pilbara 5Millstream Chichester National Park 9Development Sites 11 Narrina Gorge 11 Ashburton 11 Access 13 Climate 13 Visitation 13Investor Interest 14

CONTENTS

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Naturebank Ecotourism Development Opportunity

An exciting opportunity exists to develop a

new ecotourism venture in the Pilbara region

of Western Australia. The Western Australian

Government is calling for Registrations of Interest

from investors interested in establishing an

ecotourism accommodation facility within the

Millstream Chichester National Park (MCNP),

approximately 120km south east of Karratha.

Naturebank is a Government initiative that

prepares and releases land within the State’s

conservation estates for the development

of ecotourism experiences that maintain the

area’s high environmental and cultural values.

Naturebank is a partnership between Tourism

Western Australia (Tourism WA) and the

Department of Parks and Wildlife. By undertaking

planning and pre-release clearances, the program

takes much of the risk out of investor decisions on

land uptake.

Western Australia offers extraordinary ecotourism

product opportunities with high value natural and

cultural experiences across its protected areas

(national parks, marine parks and other reserves)

including interaction with the unique wildlife and

the world’s oldest continuous culture.

The Traditional Owners of this area (the

Yindjibarndi and Ngarluma Aboriginal people)

maintain strong cultural connections to their land

and are highly supportive of sharing their culture

through tourism. They are also integrally involved

in the management and future tourism planning of

the MCNP.

The MCNP is a popular destination for campers

and adventure travellers and is ideally located,

connecting the coast and the world famous Karijini

National Park. It presents a range of environmental

features and assets unique to the Pilbara with both

Aboriginal and European settler heritage. Investors

are presented with a choice of two potential

development sites that offer iconic Australian

outback views and proximity to Python Pool, a

popular local attraction of high significance to the

Traditional Owners.

Naturebank opportunities are released by an open

competitive process. ‘Registrations of Interest’

are invited from private sector developers who

would be interested in being involved in this

exciting opportunity with a business model that

embraces responsible ecotourism practices and

demonstrates a commitment to the environment

and Aboriginal culture.

OVERVIEW

Fortescue River, Millstream-Chichester

National Park4

THE PILBARABackground

The Pilbara is an arid tropical landscape offering

red mountain ranges dotted with white-trunked

gums, sheer cliffs and deep gorges, vast spinifex

laden plains and stunning blue seas speckled

with islands.

It is an area where Aboriginal people have lived

for more than 30,000 years, providing a rich

cultural legacy. The region also makes a

significant contribution to Western Australia’s

economy by delivering the majority of the State’s

four largest exports - petroleum, natural gas, iron

ore and gold.

The presence of these large resource and energy

projects ensures the region is well serviced with

daily flights from Perth to/from Karratha, Port

Hedland and Paraburdoo, also offering good flight

connections to eastern Australian capital cities.

In addition Port Hedland also offers a weekly

flight to/from Denpasar (Indonesia) which, while

targeted to the local outbound market, offers an

international connection option.

The previous resource growth in the area has

been largely responsible for the decline in leisure-

based tours and accommodation, as these services

were absorbed by the requirements of the

resource industry. The mining landscape has now

changed as the development phase of iron ore

mines has moved into an operational period and

the price of the ore has dropped on world markets.

The State Government is committed to the

diversification of industry in the region to ensure

future sustainability of the economy.

As a result, it has led initiatives such as the

development of the Pilbara Tourism Plan (2014),

which identifies a number of tourism priorities to

support growth of the sector.

The plan also addresses the need to diversify

short-stay accommodation in the region and

identifies opportunities for the development of

quality, low impact nature-based accommodation

experiences.

The State Government acknowledges that the

implementation of the Pilbara Tourism Plan may

require public investment to attract private interest

in tourism infrastructure and services.

It is anticipated that these initiatives will help put

the Pilbara back on the tourist map and broaden

the economic base and employment options

for residents.

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Access road to Ashburton Site

The Pilbara region attracted an average of

for years ending 2011/12/13

4.2mVISITOR NIGHTS

$386mVISITOR SPEND

$

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The Pilbara has traditionally been a self-drive

destination for short holidays or extended trips,

mostly for families/couples/elderly (aged 45 plus)

interested in nature and the outdoors, and often

travelling on a limited budget. This is unlikely to

change in the medium term.

In the late 1990s and into the early 2000s the

Pilbara offered a relatively buoyant tourism

industry on the back of a strong self-drive visitor

market and was actively packaged as part of

longer bus/4WD tours (i.e. Perth to Broome or

Darwin itineraries).

According to Tourism WA, for years ending

December 2011/12/13, the Pilbara region

attracted an average of 386,000 domestic and

44,600 international overnight visitors annually,

accounting for approximately 4.2 million visitor

nights and $386 million in visitor spend.

The average length of stay for visitors is

approximately 11 days, which reveals a strong

potential latent demand for accommodation.

However these figures have been inflated by

business/mining travel rather than leisure over

this period.

The growth of a residential population in Karratha,

Port Hedland, Dampier, Newman and Tom Price,

and the current lack of holiday activities, presents

an untapped opportunity to attract overnight

visitors to MCNP.

However incentives or customised packages

(e.g. room configurations, activity programs or

loyalty rewards) may be required to entice them

particularly outside of peak periods and/or to build

repeat visitation.

The State Government encourages linking

experiential products to support seamless exciting

and interesting holiday itineraries for visitors. For

the Pilbara and its surrounding regions, the Warlu

Way is a self-drive route extending to Broome

which explores culture, landscape, heritage and

nature on major roads. The route links MCNP to

popular destinations including Karijini and Cape

Range national parks.

Ecotourism accommodation has been developed

along this drive route in Cape Range and

Karijini national parks, which receive on average

more than 242,000 visits per year and 207,000

visits per year respectively. Connecting these

operations with others based in the Kimberley will

help to provide visiting adventure seekers with

accommodation options and exciting activities

that are sympathetic to the natural surroundings.

An expansion of this network may include MCNP,

and could deliver an increased length of stay and

opportunities to package iconic Australian outback

self-drive expeditions.

Millstream Chichester NPEco Beach

Karijini Eco RetreatSal Salis

Kooljaman

Expanding the self drive network to include Millstream Chichester National Park could increase the ecotourism stays within the region.

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Tourist on a walk close to the river pool8

The MCNP is a comfortable (less than two-hours)

drive from Karratha and offers some of the best

nature-based camping opportunities in the region.

Covering an area of approximately 200,000

hectares around the Fortescue River – the

heartland of the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal people -

this lush oasis of deep gorges and palm-fringed

rock pools provides a stark contrast to the

surrounding landscape of rocky escarpments and

rolling spinifex-covered hills.

MCNP has highly diverse flora and fauna, due to

the presence of permanent water and associated

wetlands. More than 120 species of birds, 30

species of mammals, 150 species of reptiles and

500 species of plants can be found in the park.

The current accommodation offering at MCNP

comprises camping at Millstream Homestead and

Python Pool precincts. Additional accommodation

options are required in MCNP to attract other

markets, including those who travel through the

Pilbara with minimal stops due to the lack of

alternative short-stay accommodation options.

The existing environment, camp grounds

and associated facilities in MCNP have been

under growing pressure from visitation and the

recreational demands of the increasing resident

population of the surrounding Pilbara towns.

Day visits to the park are expected to increase

from almost 40,000 visits per year as Karratha’s

population grows, and the sealing of the Karratha

to Tom Price Road via Millstream will greatly

improve access.

The benefits of this growing demand on any

ecotourism accommodation facility in MCNP will

be determined by pricing and the experiences

offered, along with how it operates in association

with other similar product providers in

neighbouring destinations.

The MCNP Management Plan highlights the

importance of the park for the Yindjibarndi and

Ngarluma people. The Millstream-Chichester Park

Council has a strong focus on the involvement of

local Aboriginal people in park management.

The park’s management plan aims to “develop

more opportunities for Aboriginal people to be

involved in providing visitor services, facilities and

contribute towards enhancing visitor experiences,

therefore increasing employment opportunities for

Aboriginal people.”

As a result, interested developers will be required

to consult with representative Aboriginal groups

and demonstrate how their proposal will provide

opportunities for their involvement.

MILLSTREAM CHICHESTER NATIONAL PARK

Number of species of flora and fauna found in Millstream Chichester National Park...

120birds

30mammals reptiles

150plants

500

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Access to Narrina Site - Top

Ashburton Site - Bottom

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Investors have an option of two sites that could

be suitable for a Naturebank development -

Narrina Gorge and Ashburton. However as they

are very different and offer their own benefits and

challenges, it is recommended that both sites are

viewed to assess their suitability for your proposal.

Narrina Gorge

The development site envelope at Narrina Gorge

sits on an elevated terrace approximately 8m

above Narrina Creek, providing views over the

creek. It has a 450m creek frontage offering a

great outlook, which offers privacy. Behind this is a

typical spinifex plain, relatively flat with compacted

sandy soils. The size of the envelope including

buffer areas is 12.8ha, which is an area largely free

of seasonal creek systems.

Any development should allow visitors to feel as

one with the area, while still being able to relax

in a comfort that enhances the location without

impacting on the natural or cultural experience.

This site is ideally located for exploration of the

river and surrounds.

Memorable experiences at this site could focus on

guided or personal walks and talks, exploring with a

focus on nature study, bird watching, night sky viewing

and cultural interpretation within and near the site.

Ashburton

The Ashburton development site envelope is

situated on the south-eastern face of a section

of the Chichester Range. The site is about 500m

by 700m. The total area of Ashburton is 35ha,

bounded by a creek bed at the western and

eastern margins and sloping upwards at the

north-western edge. The vegetation consists of

very open grassland and sparse trees, with some

shrubs over a dominant understorey of spinifex.

The site has high scenic quality with an expansive

panoramic plain surrounded by distant plateaus

and peaks. Slopes to the western edge (rear) of

the site rise gradually to the plateaued tops of

surrounding hills.

Memorable experiences at Ashburton could focus

on guided or personal walks, exploring with a

focus on nature study, bird watching, night sky

viewing or cultural activities.

Roebourne Wittenoom Rd

Narrina

Ashburton

Sites within the National Park

Millstream

DEVELOPMENT SITES

Easy 4WD Seasonal Track

Narrina Gorge

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Millstream Chichester NP

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Python Pool, Millstream Chichester National Park12

Access

Both sites have slightly different access challenges.

The Narrina envelope is relatively easy to enter from

the Karratha to Tom Price Road via Millstream or

Roebourne/Wittenoom roads. The Ashburton site

requires the crossing of the Narrina Creek and 4km

on a four-wheel-drive track, however the site offers

views of the Pilbara landscape from its slightly

elevated location.

A gravel airstrip south of MCNP provides authorised

access for light aircraft and/or helicopter. The

airstrip is approximately 50km drive from the

proposed sites on an unsealed road, but a more

localised helicopter landing area may be located.

Climate

The Pilbara is classified as the arid tropics.

Between October and April, temperatures rise

above 40º Celsius and cyclones and local

thunderstorms can flood roads and watercourses.

The cool season, between May and August,

experiences little rain, with daytime temperatures

around 26º Celsius.

Visitation

Visitation within Pilbara’s national parks peaks dur-

ing June to August with shoulder periods April to

May and September to October. Low season is the

warmer months of November to March. During May

to October, MCNP averages 3,740 visits per month

and 872 visits per month during the low periods.

Visitation to Millstream Chichester National Park years 2007-2013

JAN JUN DEC09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13 13-14

2012-1320,000

0

40,000

0

3,000

6,000

9,00060,000

PYTHON POOL VISIT NUMBERS 2012-2014

MILLSTREAM CHICHESTER NATIONAL PARK VISIT NUMBERS 2009-2014

2013-14

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Example of accommodation in Namibia

Organisations or individuals are invited to register

their interest in pursuing discussions with Tourism

WA and the Department of Parks and Wildlife for the

MCNP Naturebank opportunity.

This process will be undertaken in 2 stages.

Stage 1 – Registration of Interest

This will allow applicants to demonstrate their

background, experience and capacity to progress

an ecotourism development, and will lead to more

detailed discussions with qualified applicants,

with the aim of developing a more detailed

concept proposal.

If you wish to apply please provide your contact

details and a brief outline of your business

background; describing the skills, qualifications

and experience of key personnel in nature based

tourism delivery.

Those who are suitably qualified will be selected to

move to Stage 2, which will be fully explained during

discussions with agencies.

Assessments for Stage 1, will be made equally

against the following criteria:

1. Suitable qualifications and experience to deliver a

quality ecotourism product; and

2. A business structure and philosophy that will meet

triple bottom line sustainability.

Closing date for Stage 1: 30 September 2015.

Stage 2 – Concept Development Proposal

Successful applicants to Stage 1 will then be invited

to discuss their concept with the aim of developing a

concept development plan for consideration by the

Naturebank program.

More detailed site information will be provided to

Stage 2 applicants and site visits can be arranged.

This allows the applicant/s to be fully informed of

the site prior to developing their concept

development proposal.

Once the applicants are informed they will be

asked to provide a concept development proposal

for assessment.

Closing date for Stage 2: 31 December 2015.

Please forward your registration of interest for Stage 1 to:

Attn: Monica Chetty, Investment Manager,

Tourism Western Australia

E-mail: monica.chetty@westernaustralia.com

Level 9, 2 Mill Street, PERTH WA 6000

For any additional enquiries please contact Monica on: (61) 08 92621700.

INVESTOR INTEREST

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At their discretion, Tourism WA and Department of

Parks and Wildlife may enter into direct negotiation

with ROI Stage 1 proponents should they consider

this appropriate and not require these proponents to

complete the second stage.

The MCNP development envelopes have already had

considerable assessment work undertaken to help

inform potential investors, this includes:

1. Aboriginal Heritage: Aboriginal archaeological

Site Avoidance survey undertaken across

nominated areas within the Millstream Chichester

National Park.

2. Ethnographic survey: the Ashburton site

lies within the Ngarluma/Yindjibarndi shared

country, this survey is undertaken to a more

detailed level, to ensure the avoidance of any

Aboriginal heritage sites within the proposed

development envelop footprint.

3. Landscape Report: The report includes a

site analysis, a visual landscape assessment,

a summary of a sense of place, statement of

significant issues, opportunities and constraints,

and a set of design principles.

4. Fire Management Plan: Aims to identify bushfire

risk and suggest initial strategies for strategic

bushfire protection of proposed Naturebank sites

within Millstream Chichester National Park.

5. Vertebrate Fauna Survey: The survey was

conducted to identify any at risk or endangered

fauna that may be impacted by a development.

This work identified a total of 110 species,

including two frogs, 35 reptiles, 54 birds and nine

mammals, within the survey area within the two

identified development envelopes.

6. Hydrology Study: Flood modelling and mapping

has been carried out using state of the art

computer models that predict the extent, velocity

and depth of flood events across the development

envelopes. The study also predicts the availability

of water at the sites.

7. Targeted Flora Survey: A flora survey was

undertaken in the Naturebank envelope near

Python Pool in Millstream Chichester National Park.

In order to identify vascular plant species in the

project area and to highlight any of conservation

significance.

8. Prefeasibility Study: This report provides an

assessment of tourism demand and conditions

affecting the financial sustainability of a nature-

based accommodation facility within Millstream

Chichester National Park.

9. Access Study: A full assessment report has been

done to inform the potential for constructing an

access route to the site and facilities.

Example of accommodation in Namibia

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Level 9, 2 Mill Street,

PERTH WA 6000

GPO Box X2261,

PERTH WA 6847

Tel: +61 8 9262 1700

Fax: +61 8 9262 1702

Web: tourism.wa.gov.au

Visit westernaustralia.com