The Tasmanian government will spend $8.9 million on upgrades inside Freycinet National Park, redirecting money originally committed to a contentious visitor gateway planned for Coles Bay Road in favour of a scaled back plan.
Parks Minister Nick Duigan said the park revitalisation had been updated following consultation with the community and the state’s tourism industry.
Planned works include carpark upgrades, traffic management measures, new signage, improved visitor information and service areas, upgraded amenities and interpretation. Shared use tracks, pathways and wayfinding will also be improved.
“We have undertaken significant consultation with the community on the Visitor Gateway project, with the clear focus on prioritising improvements to visitor experiences, safety, traffic and parking control and facilities inside the Freycinet National Park,” Duigan said.
The $8.9 million comes from a $14 million state commitment to the gateway project and will address visitation management and impacts on park values in the short to medium term, according to the government.
A further $5 million will go to tourism projects on the east coast and in the south, including priorities in the Bay of Fires Master Plan, the Burns Bay boat ramp at Stieglitz and the Hastings Pools complex at Hastings Caves.
The project was a key initiative of the Freycinet Peninsula Master Plan 2019 and was to deliver a visitor centre, expanded parking, electric vehicle charging and a shuttle bus service on Coles Bay Road outside the park boundary. The $19.7 million cost included $5.7 million from the federal government under its National Tourism Icons Program.
Glamorgan Spring Bay Council Mayor Cheryl Arnol welcomed the consultation that had taken place.
“Consulting with the Coles Bay community and responding to their concerns has been important to those who reside in this magnificent part of the east coast,” Arnol said.
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania Chief Executive Amy Hills said work to manage peak visitation needed to progress now, particularly with the new Spirit of Tasmania vessels arriving.
Greens national parks and public lands spokesperson Tabatha Badger said the change followed years of advocacy from the Coles Bay and east coast community, the Freycinet Action Network and volunteer ecologists and planners.
The Greens say the proposal drew community meetings attended by hundreds of people over more than eight years.
“[The] devil will be in the details as to whether genuine change will continue down the right track or if these grassroots ideas will be lost in the wilderness of budget saving measures,” Badger said.
