Living with world heritage rainforests: measuring community perceptions

Abstract

There is general agreement in the literature that the most effective management of resources such as parks occurs when there is a high level of engagement with the community. The Wet Tropics rainforests located in the north of Queensland, Australia were listed as a World Heritage Area in 1988 and since then the management agency, the Wet Tropics Management Authority, has built an extensive network of committees to engage with the community. The listing of the Wet Tropics has also created a new range of opportunities for community-based enterprises to engage in the rainforest tourism sector. This paper reports on the perceived advantages and disadvantages of living within the Wet Tropics bioregion as reported by community members and compares these results with the findings of a 2002 survey of community values. Over the five year period community perceptions have remained very positive about the rainforest's contribution to residents' quality of life. This paper also highlights how effective management of the Wet Tropics has provided ideal conditions for the development of community-based entrepreneurship within the tourism sector.