Wilderness Coast Good News for Shire

June 17, 2008: The official launch of the National Landscapes initiative in Perth at the weekend spells good news for South East Australia, according to Bega Valley Shire Council mayor, Cr Tony Allen.

Cr Allen said the selection of the area from Bermagui to Lakes Entrance as one of the seven initial "landscapes" was acknowledgement that the region had one of Australia’s most distinct and rich environments, making it a highly desirable visitor destination.

"Designated the Wilderness Coast, the area has been identified as having the various attributes that appeal to ‘experience seekers’," he said.

"These are the people who travel to experience difference and like to ‘get off the beaten track’ and immerse themselves in local culture.

"Importantly, the experience seeker also stays longer and travels more widely than other visitors – bringing greater benefit to the whole community."

Cr Allen said a landscape went beyond individual National Parks or iconic visitor attractions.

"It also is not about shire or State boundaries. Instead, it is united by its topography, environmental or cultural significance.

"The National Landscapes initiative aims to capture and promote the best of Australia to achieve conservation, social and economic outcomes for Australia and its regions."

"The Wilderness Coast contains the only large tract of undeveloped coast left in eastern Australia and this vast coast is, in the main, protected in a series of National Parks, nature reserves and Marine Parks.

"From Lakes Entrance in East Gippsland to Mimosa Rocks near Bermagui, this area is chiefly unspoiled.

"However, it is also an area that is extremely accessible to those highly sought-after international tourists," Cr Allen said.

Cr Fraser Buchanan and three members of the Bega Valley Business Forum, Geoff Morrissey, Graeme Wykes and Barry Harrison, attended the launch in Perth to promote the Wilderness Coast to tour operators.