Sustainable Tourism
Our vision:
Magnetic Island is a World Heritage island with specific natural, social and cultural assets that require its own focussed, place-based plans and solutions, that are created and driven by its community.
Our aim is to ensure that Magnetic Island is a world leading tourist destination that is sustainable, through land and reef stewardship, carbon neutral, and that the quality of life of our community and the cultural identity of our Island home is strengthened.
MICDA members work with Tourism Magnetic Island and other tourism stakeholders.
TOURISM MAGNETIC ISLAND Inc (TMI)
Deb Barber
Current TMI President 2023
deborahmcgill@bigpond.com
MICDA TOURISM CONTACTS
Les Sampson
MICDA President and nominated representative on the Magnetic Island Tourism Alliance (MITA)
Aniko Papp
MICDA representative and associate member of TMI, and Coordinator of the Whole of Island Sustainable Development Plan.
misp.coord@gmail.com
What have we covered so far?
Magnetic Island (Yunbenun) 2023 Tourism Master Plan.
The development of the Magnetic Island (Yunbenun) 2023 Tourism Master Plan was funded by the Queensland Government and managed by Townsville Enterprise Limited (TEL) with input and guidance by a Steering Committee.
The Steering Committee included representatives from:
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Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport
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Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS)
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Wulgurukaba Aboriginal Corporation
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Townsville City Council (TCC)
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Magnetic Island Community Development Association (MICDA)
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Magnetic Island Residents and Ratepayers Association (MIRRA)
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Magnetic Island Nature Care Association (MINCA)
Consultation with residents, Traditional Owners, industry, community organisations, government stakeholders and investors occurred between March 2022 and February 2023.
Magnetic Island Tourism Alliance (MITA)
The Magnetic Island Tourism Alliance (MITA) brings together relevant government agencies, stakeholders and industry representatives to drive sustainable tourism development and an enhanced visitor experience on Magnetic Island.
The core role of the Magnetic Island Tourism Alliance is to provide strategic advice and contribute to implementation of the Magnetic Island 2030 Tourism Masterplan.
MITA members provide advice to TCC, TEL and other stakeholders on tourism-related issues, including those that relate to tourism impacts on the Island’s resident community and acts as the primary conduit for representation of the tourism industry interests on Magnetic Island to all levels of Government.
MICDA and TMI are designated members of MITA. MICDA supports the implementation of the Magnetic Island (Yunbenun) 2030 Tourism Masterplan, which can be added to from time to time in the future.
MICDA will use its role in MITA in order to work with the existing Working Groups and community groups on Magnetic Island, and ensure that the Magnetic Island (Yunbenun) 2030 Tourism Masterplan is adopted as a framework to help guide all the Island Working Groups, as far as visitors and tourism are concerned, in order to progress and implement the "Whole of Island" Plan.
Sustainable tourism
Tourism can become a self-destructive industry, a phenomenon where tourism starts to cannibalize itself by destroying that which makes a destination attractive in the first place, hence the call for sustainable tourism.
TMI and Townsville Enterprise Limited (TEL), are the main tourism groups for Magnetic Island. MICDA works with both, as well as other key stakeholders via its Working Groups.
MICDA is committed to working with Tourism Magnetic Island Inc. (TMI). TMI aims to develop and implement products, services, and promotion of tourism for Magnetic Island with the assistance of key stakeholders, as laid out in the Magnetic Island (Yunbenun) 2023 Tourism Master Plan.
MICDA is working with TMI, as part of the interdependency and synergistic relationship between the various MICDA Working Groups, with the aim of all working towards an integrated "Whole of Island" Sustainable Development Plan.
For example, the local community-led Working Groups such as Energy, Water, Transport and Marine (and key stakeholders) work on behalf of the community, on issues and projects such as Waste, Transport and Energy carbon reduction initiatives, affordable housing for residents, storm water and sewage, sustainable planning, protection of the Great Barrier Reef, etc.
MICDA and its Working Groups are engaged with stakeholders such as:
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Townsville City Council (TCC)
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Ergon Energy
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Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DES)
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Queensland Parks and Wildlife Serices (QPWS)
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Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF)
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Queensland Department of Health through THHS and NQPH
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NQ Dry Tropics Partnerships for Healthy Waters
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Port of Townsville Limited (PoTL
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and private sector companies
2023 Snapshot Draft Report Magnetic Island (Yunbenun)
