This seems to be an increasing issue for National Parks as public space...
Taming the wild: is the rise in ‘eco-accommodation’ a threat to Australia’s national parks?
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...odation-a-threat-to-australias-national-parks
Eco-tourism researcher Sonya Underdahl says there are few successful examples worldwide of accommodation inside national parks that take a conservation-led approach.
She says while countries like Thailand and China are demolishing luxury resorts and hotels in forests and national parks, Australia is moving in the opposite direction.
“There is no research that supports development in parks. This is now globally being withdrawn,” Underdahl says
“All the other locations [proposing accommodation inside national parks] are generally in developing nations and they’re using it for poverty alleviation and poaching.”
...
Underdahl says leases granted inside Australia’s national parks are often commercial in confidence, meaning there is little transparency over the net benefits of the schemes.
Documents released by the proponents of one Tasmanian eco-tourism proposal in 2020 showed they would pay about $6,000 a year in rent to the state government while planning to charge $4,500 per person per trip.
“Taxpayers often pay for the infrastructure, clearing for the creation of trails [and] quite often, marketing and promotions,” Underdahl says. “So it’s costing taxpayers a lot.”
Victoria is building new cabins at Mount Buffalo. Such developments can have ‘substantial ecological impacts’, says Griffith University’s Ralf Buckley.
Taming the wild: is the rise in ‘eco-accommodation’ a threat to Australia’s national parks?
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...odation-a-threat-to-australias-national-parks
Eco-tourism researcher Sonya Underdahl says there are few successful examples worldwide of accommodation inside national parks that take a conservation-led approach.
She says while countries like Thailand and China are demolishing luxury resorts and hotels in forests and national parks, Australia is moving in the opposite direction.
“There is no research that supports development in parks. This is now globally being withdrawn,” Underdahl says
“All the other locations [proposing accommodation inside national parks] are generally in developing nations and they’re using it for poverty alleviation and poaching.”
...
Underdahl says leases granted inside Australia’s national parks are often commercial in confidence, meaning there is little transparency over the net benefits of the schemes.
Documents released by the proponents of one Tasmanian eco-tourism proposal in 2020 showed they would pay about $6,000 a year in rent to the state government while planning to charge $4,500 per person per trip.
“Taxpayers often pay for the infrastructure, clearing for the creation of trails [and] quite often, marketing and promotions,” Underdahl says. “So it’s costing taxpayers a lot.”
Victoria is building new cabins at Mount Buffalo. Such developments can have ‘substantial ecological impacts’, says Griffith University’s Ralf Buckley.