WORLD HERITAGE BRIDGE?

The NEWS carried the story that a suspension bridge was planned for Springbrook’s Purlingbrook Falls – see article below.

The justification for this new structure in this World Heritage-listed area is the reported cost of maintenance on the existing track. Apparently $400,000 has been spent since 2008. Given that so much has apparently been invested in this original track in less than six years – approximately $66,000 every twelve months or about $5,500 every month – one has to wonder why the track has been closed for more than one year. Has the Government wasted nearly half a million dollars? It seems unusual that the estimate for the construction of the proposed suspension bridge is exactly the same amount - $400,000. One has to be skeptical with such parallels that seem to seek some justification in figures. The latent story looks to be that the $400,000 will be ‘saved,’ that the bridge will be ‘free.’ The Minister made it clear: “We could not afford to keep rebuilding the track.” Gosh, why did it take nearly half a million dollars to discover this? What advice did the government get? What work has been done to allow such a poor outcome? What research was undertaken prior to wasting so much money?

Given that “Nature-based tourism is worth more than $25 billion to the state economy,” it seems that there is something else happening here. The report notes that the old track will be closed, to be replaced with what the Minister has described as an “instant world heritage tourism icon” to marvel at. So the bridge itself is seen as the attraction! What on earth has the bridge to do with ‘world heritage’ other than being constructed in this unique place? It is not the Mostar Bridge that is listed, or any other engineering masterpiece. The Minister appears to forget that Springbrook National Park is part of the Gondowana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area that has been listed by UNESCO because of its unique biodiversity. The picturesque properties of this special place that are highlighted by the dramatic waterfalls viewed from clever suspension bridges or wherever, have nothing to do with World Heritage matters – nothing other than being there in a World Heritage-listed place.

The obligation in World Heritage areas is for governments to protect the place and to ensure that visitors are informed about its special qualities. Given this, one has to question this suspension bridge that has more to do with displaying itself and the falls than anything else. One has to assume that the maintenance story - “Continuing to fix the existing path was not sustainable” - has little to do with the ‘need’ for this bridge. The vision of dollars and increased tourist numbers appears to be the attraction.

The report makes this clear: “The plan, (the Gold Coast tourism management plan released in May2014), which provides a tourism road map for the city up to 2020, listed an elevated walkway as a “key tourism infrastructure product” that would deliver “accessible and diverse tourism experiences” in Springbrook and the Hinterland.” The bridge is seen as the attraction, ‘the experience,’ not the World Heritage area. The local member said that the bridge would be a “turning point” for tourism in Springbrook. What is this turning point? What is it turning from; to where? She continued to explain: “This bridge will unlock this community and ensure its business can once again prosper,” she said.

What on earth is she talking about? Has the community been ‘locked up’? How has it been ‘locked up’? By whom? One struggles to see any business that has had any different or unusual restrictions placed on it that might inhibit any commercial outcome or opportunity. There seem to be plenty of visitors travelling to Springbrook, so a lack of customers does not appear to be the problem. The National Parks quotes visitation figures that any place would be proud of; and the Gold Coast City Council has confirmed that thousands of visitors travel to Springbrook every week. What is this gobbledygook? The position seems clear and is summarised in the local member’s statement: “Continuing to fix the existing path was not sustainable but having a bridge over the creek showcasing the falls will create a new piece of tourism infrastructure for the Hinterland.”

The bridge is simply seen as ‘tourism infrastructure,’ a part of the ‘accessible and diverse tourism experiences’ available on the Gold Coast, an attraction in its own right: a viewing point to highlight the picturesque, postcard qualities of Purlingbrook Falls. It has nothing to do with World Heritage - nothing. It has everything to do with dollars. As for the idea of promoting World Heritage values, this bridge is doing everything other than this. Indeed, what is its impact on this area? Has any analysis been undertaken? Given how poor the research must have been to allow $400,000 to be wasted on repairing a track that has been closed for a year, one has to worry about the enthusiasm for this different tourist experience. Sadly, the bridge will only encourage more of these diversionary games, entertainments like those available at the theme parks: see - http://springbrooklocale.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/who-or-what-is-tourist.html 

There is a strong argument for a tourist centre to be constructed at Nerang, away from the sensitive World Heritage areas. This centre would provide a far more complete variety of experiences to entertain the visitors than any bridge at Springbrook. It would be dry, leech-free and tick-free; clean, with no mud or mess to worry about. Such a centre could play an important role in educating people about World Heritage issues as well as offering enhanced digital experiences for those who are seeking only different indulgences: see - http://springbrooklocale.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/tourist-attractions.html  Those who have a real interest in World Heritage matters could travel to Springbrook to further explore their interests. Turning World Heritage areas into centres for tourism, tourist attractions, is a serious problem, especially when the region has been listed for its unique biodiversity, not its visual prettiness.

Just how one might get politicians to understand this is difficult; but if one suggests that such a remote centre, that could cost $400,000, would generate much more income than any suspension bridge - consider the restaurants and shops that would form a part of such a complex! - then they might sit up and listen: if only! Currently the politicians seem to be listening to some locals who note that: “The community up here on Springbrook Mountain has been through tough times ... this area has a lot to offer and this new bridge will hopefully boost the economy by bringing in more tourists.”

It seems that there is no great desire for businesses to offer quality services on a local scale that might become sought out by visitors: see - http://springbrooklocale.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/world-heritage-concerns.html

The cry is for someone else - government, a developer - to move in and create an attraction that will hopefully bring in more people who can then spend more money in the local area. It must be understood that a bridge is not likely to make much difference to any commercial circumstance at Springbrook that is not seen as attractive by the existing visitors to the plateau. When businesses seem to struggle even with the thousands of visitors who are now arriving every week, why should a $400,000 bridge make any difference to commerce? The sad thing is that it will make a difference to the World Heritage experience, by turning it into a ‘fair ground’ ride.

We need to take our World Heritage much more seriously. It is more than a tourist attraction. Indeed, more numbers, if they arrive, will merely put more pressure on the unique biodiversity, the flora and fauna that is still offering amazing discoveries even to this day. Surprisingly, in a world in which we believe we know so much, we are still discovering new species at Springbrook. This is why it is World Heritage-listed. We must not forget this. We must care for our World Heritage places, not just turn them into entertaining cash generators.

THE ARTICLE

NEWS

Suspension bridge planned for Springbrook’s Purling Brook Falls

ANDREW POTTS

GOLD COAST BULLETIN

JULY 08, 2014 6:38AM

A SUSPENSION bridge will be built below Springbrook’s Purling Brook Falls this year in a bid to bring some of the city’s $4 billion tourist spend to the Hinterland.

The State Government will today announce plans to build the $400,000 structure across Little Nerang Creek beneath the famous 109m waterfall.

The bridge will replace a walking track which has been closed for more than year after landslips.

The track, which took bushwalkers behind the falls, will be decommissioned, after costing more than $400,000 to repair since 2008.

It is hoped construction of the bridge will begin later this year.

National Parks and Recreation Minister Steve Dickson said the new bridge would be an “instant world heritage tourism icon”.

“Purling Brook circuit is one of our most popular national park tracks but we could not afford to keep rebuilding the track,” he said.

Nature-based tourism is worth more than $25 billion to the state economy and was a major focus of the Gold Coast tourism management plan released in May.

The plan, which provides a tourism road map for the city up to 2020, listed an elevated walkway as a “key tourism infrastructure product” that would deliver “accessible and diverse tourism experiences” in Springbrook and the Hinterland.

Mudgeeraba MP Ros Bates lobbied the Government to fund the project and said the bridge would be a “turning point” for tourism in Springbrook.

“This bridge will unlock this community and ensure its business can once again prosper,” she said.

“Continuing to fix the existing path was not sustainable but having a bridge over the creek showcasing the falls will create a new piece of tourism infrastructure for the Hinterland.”

Ray Cavanough from the Springbrook Mountain Community Association said he was optimistic about the future.

“The community up here on Springbrook Mountain has been through tough times ... this area has a lot to offer and this new bridge will hopefully boost the economy by bringing in more tourists.”

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/suspension-bridge-planned-for-springbrooks-purling-brook-falls/story-fnj94idh-1226981140331

P.S.

On engineering solutions in and near Springbrook National Park, one has to comment on the recent work that has been completed on Springbrook Road to manage rock falls. If this engineering design work sets an example for how World Heritage place might be handled, then, just on this basis alone, one has to be extremely concerned with the proposal to construct a bridge across the falls. Then there is the new bridge work at Springbrook, (e.g. the Kuralboo Creek road and pedestrian bridge), that seems more interested in using standard basic road/bridge design manuals rather than starting with heritage character and characteristics and adapting the design outcome to creatively respond to place and its unique environment - to care for it; to enrich it. Springbrook requires much better than what we see in these current engineering outcomes.