West Coast Walks Strategy
The West Coast Walks Strategy is an initiative of the West Coast Council to guide the future development of walking trails that will draw visitors to the region and increase recreation in one of the world’s iconic landscapes.
Tasmania’s West Coast features a range of stunning natural environments that include a large part of the Tasmanian World Heritage Wilderness Area, spectacular coastlines, pristine rainforests, monumental mountain peaks and forests divided by often-raging rivers.
It is this breath taking and unique scenery that draws over 142,000 visitors to the region each year, many participating in the bushwalking experience offered.
The West Coast Council (WCC), local communities and partners aspire to establish the West Coast as a world class outdoor recreation destination, with walking playing a lead role towards achieving this.
The WCC acknowledges that some of the trails mentioned in this strategy are aspirational and will require ongoing discussion, planning, funding and advocacy.
Funding and resourcing the long-term management and maintenance of the entire existing and proposed trail system is critical to the success of the strategy and must be a key proponent of any grant funding or capital investment bid.
WCC also acknowledges that the long term success of this strategy depends on all stakeholders being comfortable with the strategic directions contained ithin it. Every attempt has been made to ensure that is the case.
The trail recommendations are based on extensive community and stakeholder engagement and independent tourism expertise. Some recommendations d not align with current Parks and Wildlife Service trail management and capital investment policies due to resource constraints and other existing policies. The recommendations remain in the strategy, as they are deemed strategically important to achieve over time.
Walking experiences and re-connecting with nature are in high demand by visitors and loved by locals who stand to gain a wealth of benefits.
The West Coast Walks Strategy has been built on:
- Investigating strategic opportunities
- Exploring the current experiences on offer
- Interpreting current and future demand for West Coast walking
experiences - Understanding the aspirations for walking on the West Coast, and the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats from a local perspective,
and - Auditing the walks and assessing against best-practice criteria.