Hi everyone

After months of campaigning, we are into the last fortnight! And our last job is to convince the Hon Minister for Planning, John Carey, to reject tourism rezoning and development proposed for Lot 3 South Coast Highway, William Bay. 

Together we succeeded in encouraging Denmark Shire to enact its Sustainable Tourism Strategy and abandon the introduction of tourism precincts - thanks to you! With a little more help we can succeed with Minister Carey.

If Lot 3 goes ahead, it will directly add to the unsustainable pressures on already overwhelmed William Bay National Park with its world recognised biodiversity, native (and threatened) species habitat and fragile coastline. Just another tourism development that ignores key environmental and social issues, including our obligations to future generations.

If you have a few minutes, please will you cut, paste and if you like amend the following email, then send it to Minister Carey. Good news should be shared!

From:

To: Minister.Carey@dpc.wa.gov.au

Subject: New Direction for Tourism Planning and Development, Denmark Shire 

Dear Minister

Denmark Shire Council unanimously approved a new modified Local Planning Strategy (LPS) at its 28 May meeting. It's good work. Four years after adopting the Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2021-25 (STS), Denmark Shire Council has now incorporated the STS in the LPS. It's what the community asked for. 

If all Councillors had been familiar with their Sustainable Tourism Strategy when they voted 4 to 3 in favour of Amendment 147 to TPS3, not one would have voted to approve that amendment. 

There's no way it's in line with the STS findings or the modified LPS' change in direction for tourism planning and development. The LPS requires “sensitively designed ecotourism experiences” that go “beyond the traditional paradigm of sustainable development and embrace a regenerative approach that not only sustains existing resources, but also increases the health, function and capacity of our biodiversity, natural systems and local community”. This is a strong foundation for future development.

Minister, please follow Denmark Shire's lead. Please reject Amendment 147 and the tourism development proposed for Lot 3 South Coast Highway, William Bay. It's in an inappropriate, high-risk location, the site's unsuitable for the development proposed and it has no social licence.

Kind regards 

And kind regards and sincere thanks to each of you.