This project sought to help the township of Collie (south west of Western Australia) transition from a coal fire power station to a more diverse economy. After consulting with a range of tourism stakeholders and visiting a range of existing and potential local tourism / recreation experiences, we identified two catalytic tourism projects.
Minninup Pool is a bushland setting on the edge of the Collie River, on the outskirts of Collie township. It is a significant Aboriginal site with recent visitor use including swimming, fishing and canoeing. We identified significant opportunity for nature based, soft adventure and Aboriginal tourism at the site.
We assessed alternative mixes of accommodation, ranging from sites for visitors to bring their own camping equipment unpowered / powered sites), to ‘Pitch and pack’ pre-erected camping, to various styled and scaled cabins. The pre-feasibility then compared:
- development costs;
- potential visitation;
- potential financial performance and potential return; and
- potential social and economic impact.
We then worked closely with the client to talk through the strengths and limitations of each option alternatives for the level of development.
We also examined alternative governance models, ranging from local government to private sector to the local golf club and a coop arrangement.
Council is proceeding to develop the site.