Facilitator
Indigenous Tourism Development Theme Stream 09:00-12:30

Biography
Huon Bush Retreats is an eco tourism business where environment comes first. Many “eco” businesses make profit by sustainably exploiting a natural area. We have built our business the other way around, purchasing the oldgrowth forest, then building the business to finance that protection. Minimal impact is not good enough. Our activities must bring a net environmental benefit. With this strong protective ethic, we designed the accommodation village and walking track network in a way that protects the natural areas. Paul Dimmick is an experienced environmental activist, park ranger and now owner/operator of award winning eco tourism business, Huon Bush Retreats.


Eco-Beneficial Tourism Design
The presentation will discuss how we have designed and built an eco tourism village of cabins, tipees and campground in an environmentally beneficial way. Discussion will highlight how following standardised eco-design checklists, might lead to some eco-savings but might also lead to missing many opportunities. A bit of smart thinking outside the box can lead to outstanding eco-design. Even though many of the standard checklist type eco-items, are not included, our eco-tourism village outperforms best practice in all measured criteria. Learn how our operation is CO2 positive by 3388 tonnes pa. A few examples: Instead of clearing 30 metre fire breaks, we achieve near zero vegetation clearing by using fire resistant materials and a strenuous fire emergency procedure. Facilities incorporate solar electricity, compost toilets, carbon neutral heating etc. Our closed water cycle is near zero balance using composting toilets and onsite grey water treatment. Walking track interpretations encourage guests are to learn and think about impacts of modern lifestyles. Protected forest locks up carbon, plantation absorbs and recycles carbon. See www.huonbushretreats.com for more information.

Biography
Dr Ross Dowling is Director of Resolve Global, an international Tourism Consulting Company based in Perth, Australia. He is also Foundation Professor of Tourism, School of Marketing, Tourism & Leisure, Faculty of Business & Law, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia. Internationally he is a UNESCO Advisor on Geotourism as well as an Executive Board Member of the Indian Ocean Tourism Organization. In Australia he is Co-founder and a current Director of Ecotourism Australia as well as an Advisor to Cruise Down Under. In Western Australia he is Chair of the Forum Advocating Cultural and Eco Tourism as well as a Council Member of the Royal Automobile Club and the National Trust. He co-edited the book Geotourism (2006), convened the Inaugural Global Geotourism Conference (2008) and is Advisor to the Second Global Geotourism Conference being held in Mulu, Sarawak, Malaysia in April 2010.

The Role of Geotourism in Protected Areas
Geotourism in on the rise and is helping protected area managers provide a more holistic form of interpretation and understanding of the earth. Geotourism is sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing the earth’s geological features in such a way that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation. The key element of geotourism which separates it from ecotourism, is that ecotourism covers the whole of the environment whereas the focus of geotourism lies specifically within the ‘geo’ part. This pertains to geology and geomorphology and the natural resources of landscape, landforms, fossil beds, rocks and minerals with an emphasis on appreciating the processes that are creating and created such features. The key benefit of geotourism development is that it completes our understanding of the Abiotic (landforms and landscapes), Biotic (fauna and flora) and Cultural (human and built) elements of the environment. With the previous focus on the latter two, geotourism now forms the third part of this ‘earth triangle’ of understanding.

Facilitator
Tourism in Protected Areas Theme Stream
09:00-17:00

Biography
By way of background, I ran hotels / motels for the Travelodge group in my early career before moving into Management consulting and Academia. My formal qualification are in Business - I Lecture in MBA programs, and my relevant professional expertise is that I sit on the Environment Minister’s Expert Panel on Outboard emissions. What cams out of that, is I am the creator of the Outboard Industry Emissions labelling scheme. No Peace prize I’m afraid for inventing “star” labels to put in outboards but the real achievement was for industry to do it voluntarily – a worlds first. I have since advised EcoTourism, GBRMPA and the Qld Government on making the environmentally responsible choice when it some to small engines. I have also developed an interest in biofuels - especially ethanol and have had a few articles published.

Off road engine choices for Eco Responsible Operators
Advances in Small engine technology, legislative responses and the challenge of biofuels for small engine applications. While legislators across the world have focussed on large targets like industry and especially car emissions , small engines have fallen between the cracks. Thus we have the preposterous position that Australia’s favourite lawn mower had forty (40) times the emission per hour of a small car. An outboard engine will pump similar levels of toxins directly into the water before it bubbles into the air. What is the nature of the problem, legislative progress, and remedies available right now for eco operators? A case study will show how one tourist operator on the Great Barrier reef reduced his emissions by 20 tonnes per annum while significantly reducing business costs. Ethanol approaches mandatory use by 2011, especially in NSW. Avoiding the debate of the environmental benefits, Gary explores the commercial and technical issues for E10 and an Eco-Tourist operation.