Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Geotourism: A Sustainable Development Alternative for Remote Locations in Western Australia?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Resource Curse or Cure ?

Part of the book series: CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance ((CSEG))

Abstract

Currently, Western Australia (WA) is experiencing its biggest ever mining boom in history with predictions about the resource sector underpinning the state’s economic development well into the future. Built on WA’s rich natural resources, the mining sector has traditionally been a pillar of any government’s economic policy, and indeed much of WA’s socio-economic history is associated with its mineral wealth, discoveries and exploitation. From a purely economic viewpoint WA’s landscapes are at times portrayed as not much more than a ‘big quarry’ to exploit, and undeniably, past and present mining and exploration activities have left visible and often irreversible scars scattered across Western Australia.

The broader impacts of mining in the state will provide the requisite background in this chapter, which explores the potential of tourism as a sustainable development alternative in some locations with particular focus on the role of geotourism.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Australian Heritage Council (AHC) (2011) West Kimberley, Western Australia. http://www.environment.gov.au. Accessed 22 Feb 2013

  • Beard J, Chapman A, Gioia P (2000) Species richness and endemism in the Western Australian flora. J Biogeogr 27(6):1257–1268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brueckner M, Pforr C (2011) The rise and fall of sustainability in Western Australian politics: a review of sustainable development under the Western Australian labor government between 2001 and 2008. Sustain Sci Pract Policy 7(20):3–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Brueckner M, Durey A, Mayes R, Pforr C (2013) The mining boom and Western Australia’s changing landscape: towards sustainability or business as usual? Rural Soc J 22(2):111–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) (2004) Towards a biodiversity conservation strategy for Western Australia: Discussion Paper. CALM, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) (2007) Banded ironstone formation ranges of the midwest and goldfields. Interim status report: biodiversity values and conservation requirement. DEC, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • Dowling RK (2009) Geotourism’s contribution to local and regional development. In: de Carvalho C, Rodrigues J (eds) Geotourism and local development. Camar Municipal de Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal, pp 15–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Dowling RK (2010) Geotourism’s emerging global footprint. Interaction 38(2):19–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Dowling RK (2011) Geotourism’s global growth. Geoheritage 3:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dowling RK, Newsome D (eds) (2006) Geotourism. Elsevier, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Environmental Protection Authority (2006) EPA Bulletin 1242—Mt Gibson iron ore mine and infrastructure project. EPA, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • Environmental Protection Authority (2007) EPA Bulletin 1256—advice on areas of the highest conservation value in the proposed extensions to mount manning nature reserve. EPA, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • European Association for the Conservation of the Geological Heritage (2009) ProGEO News, 1. http://www.progeo.se. Accessed 5 Sept 2013

  • Field G (2012) Castle rock: walking in the clouds. Landscope 27(4):18–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Garrod B, Wilson JC (eds) (2003) Marine ecotourism. Issues and experiences. Channel View Publications, Clevedon

    Google Scholar 

  • Geological Society of Australia (GSA) (2013) Geotourism charter. Geological Society of Australia. http://gsa.org.au. Accessed 18 Feb 2013

  • Gibson N, Meissner R, Markey AS, Thompson WA (2012) Patterns of plant diversity in ironstone ranges in arid South Western Australia. J Arid Environ 77:25–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Government of Western Australia (2003) Hope for the future: the Western Australian state sustainability strategy. Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of Western Australia (2011) Kimberley science and conservation strategy. Government of Western Australia, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • Grey M (2004) Geodiversity: valuing and conserving abiotic nature. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Hose TA (1995) Selling the story of Britain’s stone. Environ Interpret 10(2):16–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Majer K (2009) Are you a geotourist? Horizons 9:28–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Murdoch University (2005) Shire of Kondinin destination development strategy. Murdoch University. http://tourism.murdoch.edu.au. Accessed 10 Aug 2013

  • Newsome D (2000) Origin of sandplains in Western Australia: a review of the debate and some recent findings. Aust J Earth Sci 47(4):695–706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newsome D, Dowling RK (eds) (2010) Geotourism: the tourism of geology and landscape. Goodfellow Publishers, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Newsome D, Dowling RK, Leung Y-F (2012) The nature and management of geotourism: a case study of two established iconic geotourism destinations. Tourism Manage Perspect 2–3:19–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicol T (2006) WA’s mining boom: where does it leave the environment? ECOS 133:12–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Norman J (2011) Kimberley and the dinosaur. Habitat (May), 39(3): 25

    Google Scholar 

  • Paik IS, Kim HJ, Kim SJ, Newsome D (2010) The cretaceous fossil sites of South Korea: identifying geosites, science and geotourism. In: Newsome D, Dowling R (eds) Geotourism: the tourism of geology and landscape. Goodfellow Publishers, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Pforr C (2007) Regional tourism planning and policy. In: Dredge D, Jenkins J (eds) Tourism planning and policy. Wiley, Milton, pp 265–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Shepherd D, Beeston G, Hopkins A (2002) Native vegetation in Western Australia: Extent, type and status. Resource Management Technical Report 249. Government of Western Australia, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • Siversson M (2010) Preliminary report upon the palaeontology (including dinosaur footprints) of the Broome Sandstone in the James Price Point area, Western Australia. Document 60103995-0000-GE-REP-0009, Browse LNG SEA, prepared for the Department of State Development by AECOM Australia Pty Ltd

    Google Scholar 

  • Thulborn T (2012) Impact of sauropod dinosaurs on lagoonal substrates in the Broome Sandstone (Lower Cretaceous), Western Australia. PLoS One 7(5): e36208. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0036208. Accessed 22 February 2013

  • Tyler I (1996) Geology and landforms of the Kimberley. Bush Books, Department of Conservation and Land Management, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Kranendonk MJ, Johnston JF (2009) Discovery trails to early earth: a traveller’s guide to the east Pilbara of Western Australia. Geological Survey of Western Australia, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • Weaver D (2008) Ecotourism, 2nd edn. Wiley, Brisbane

    Google Scholar 

  • World Heritage Commission (WHC) (2013) World heritage list. http://whc.unesco.org. Accessed 18 Feb

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Curtin Business School, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    Christof Pforr

  2. School of Business and Centre for Innovative Practice, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia

    Ross Dowling

  3. Environmental and Conservation Sciences, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia

    David Newsome

Authors
  1. Christof Pforr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ross Dowling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David Newsome
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christof Pforr .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Social Sustainability, Murdoch University, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Martin Brueckner

  2. Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Angela Durey

  3. John Curtin Inst. of Public Policy, Curtin University, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Robyn Mayes

  4. Curtin Business School, Curtin University, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Christof Pforr

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Pforr, C., Dowling, R., Newsome, D. (2014). Geotourism: A Sustainable Development Alternative for Remote Locations in Western Australia?. In: Brueckner, M., Durey, A., Mayes, R., Pforr, C. (eds) Resource Curse or Cure ?. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-53873-5_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation