The Ngaro Track case study

The Ngaro Track, Whitsunday Islands National Park

Tier classification	Low Tier
Project Category	State led EOI
EPBC referral	Not required for ecotourism product (guided tours component)

Classification reason

As per the requirements of a low-tier operation, guided tours on the Ngaro Track utilise existing access, infrastructure, and amenities and did not include clearing of vegetation, or the introduction of additional infrastructure to be built by the tourism operator.

The development of the Ngaro Track, including design and construction of the trail infrastructure and campground amenities was led by the Queensland Government. The Queensland Government undertook the referral process to the Federal Government for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (deemed not a controlled action) and was assessed as being consistent with the NCA requirements.

About the Ngaro Track

The Ngaro Track is a premium hiking experience in the Whitsunday Islands National Park. Spanning 32 kilometres, the track offers a variety of hiking options over three days and two nights, featuring stunning Whitsunday views, remarkable trackside biodiversity, and a rewarding balance of challenge and achievement.

Designed and constructed by the Queensland Government, the track will allow visitors to access previously inaccessible areas of the national park. Each camp site is designed to provide an exceptional, yet simple and comfortable ecotourism experience, with shelters that blend harmoniously into the natural surroundings. Facilities include spaces for gathering, cooking, and group activities, eight camping platforms, an additional earth node with hammock posts, a toilet facility, and water collection points.

With the track and related facilities built by the Queensland Government, an EOI was released for an appropriately experienced tourism operator to offer best-practice guided tours. World Expeditions Services Pty Ltd (World Expeditions) was the successful proponent.

World Expeditions hold the licence to operate guided tours on the track, utilising QPWS-built camp site infrastructure. With 50 years of expertise in small-group, multi-day walking adventures, World Expeditions shares the vision of preserving and showcasing the unique natural and cultural values of the Whitsunday Islands National Park.

World Expeditions collaborates closely with the Ngaro People and the Whitsunday tourism community to highlight the region’s rich natural and cultural values. The range of experiences on offer includes fully-guided walk in comfort tours, full-pack guided hikes and options for self-sufficient independent hikers.

The following information outlines examples of how the Ngaro Track case study meets a selection of the Nature Conservation Act 1992 criteria:

NCA Criteria (i): The use will be in the public interest

The ecotourism operation engages, involves and benefits Traditional Owners and local communities

World Expeditions has a commitment to engaging Traditional Owners and creating opportunities for the Ngaro People as demonstrated by their Reconciliation Action Plan that adheres to four key focus areas: Relationships, Respect, Opportunities, and Governance.

As part of the EOI application process, the application needed to demonstrate compliance with the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) and the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003, ensuring effective recognition, protection and conservation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage. Other relevant legislation included:

• Cultural Heritage Acts (Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Act 2003)
• Cultural Heritage Duty of Care Guidelines
• Human Rights Act 2019

The Queensland Government has been consulting with the Ngaro people, the Traditional Owners of Whitsunday Islands National Park, regarding the design and development of the Ngaro Track since 2018. Since being selected as the successful tour operator, World Expeditions has worked closely with the Ngaro peoples to ensure that their interests are reflected in the Ngaro Track hiking experience. A commitment to continued engagement with the Traditional Owners will see collaboration across a wide range of Ngaro Track related challenges and decisions, and aims to support career opportunities for the Ngaro people.

In addition to creating opportunities for local First Nations groups, World Expeditions has reflected a commitment to contributing to the local economy through their operating model. The operating model facilitates full-pack guided hikes to be offered by other local tour operators, as well as access for self-sufficient independent hikers.

NCA Criteria (ii): The use is ecologically sustainable

The ecotourism operation minimises its footprint on the site

The operator has developed a robust management plan that identifies the key environmental and cultural risks presented by the operation of guided hikes, along with avoidance and mitigation strategies to manage the risks.

Included in their management plan is:

• managing the impact on vegetation and soils by restricting visitors to designated tracks and pathways and ensuring that all facilities and temporary structures (e.g. tents) use non-invasive equipment and are set up on designated platforms
• managing impacts to wildlife through visitor education
• managing waste to avoid potential environmental and ecosystem harm through the use of biodegradable detergents and hygiene products, avoiding the use of hazardous chemicals in the operation, and removing all general waste from the island at the end of every trip
• minimising the spread of pest animals, weeds, pathogens and contaminants through staff training and biosecurity preventative measures including cleaning protocols.

NCA Criteria (iii): The use will provide, to the greatest possible extent, for the preservation of the land’s natural condition and the protection of the land’s cultural resources and values

The ecotourism operation is compatible with the natural and cultural values of the national park

The Ngaro Track was designed to be a sustainable, minimal impact experience for visitors wanting to immerse themselves in the stunning Whitsunday Islands. To ensure the preservation of the land’s natural condition and protection of cultural values, sewage systems at each of the hiker camps are fully contained, with waste being removed by helicopter every three to five years; water extraction is being avoided with the implementation of rainwater tanks; and fires are strictly prohibited to reduce the risk of bushfire.

World Expeditions will facilitate guided tours along the Ngaro Track utilising existing infrastructure and following the requirements established by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to ensure the ongoing protection of cultural and natural values.