Era was engaged to help prepare a tourism master plan for the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA). This is one of the largest temperate natural areas in the Southern Hemisphere, occupying more than 1.58 million hectares, and meeting seven out of ten criteria for world heritage listing. Only one other place on Earth – China's Mount Taishan – meets that many criteria. It is also a significant landscape for Tasmanian Aboriginal people, who have had an ongoing cultural connection to the area for at least 40,000 years.

Era, with support from Noa Group and Cultural Heritage Management Australia, conducted extensive engagement with the broader Tasmanian community and key stakeholders, and also guided a program specifically designed for engagement with local Tasmanian Aboriginal groups. This was to ensure that visitors could experience the TWWHA’s rich values and appreciate their global significance, without impacting those values. This was essential for achieving strength in the visitor economy while also protecting this precious site.

The Tourism Master Plan has now been endorsed by both the Tasmanian Government and the Australian Government.

Project Highlights

• Developed an agreed policy framework to provide strategic guidance through decision-making principles on tourism, informed by the team’s regulatory experience.

• Executed in partnership with other Tasmanian consultants a comprehensive engagement program with Palawa and the broader Tasmanian community.

• Successfully managed a project through to completion in a complex, three-tier governance environment and a contentious public environment.