Moreton Island Essay, Research Paper
Set of Criteria
The Criteria is used for the principle standard that Human Impact is having on
Moreton Island. The criteria will allow the sites and activities on the island to be
assessed for maximal Environmental, Economic and Social benefits
Environmental
The Site or Activity:
a)Causes minimal degradation of natural environment
b)Allows native animals to continue living naturally
c)Has minimal effect on the water cycle
Economic
The Site or Activity:
d)Attracts overseas and interstate visitors
e)Provides employment for residents
f)Profits are financially benefiting and upholding the natural
environment
Social
The Site or Activity:
g)Provides safe and environmentally friendly activities that people
enjoy
h)Has social activities that the whole majority of the community
accepts
Bulwer
a)Causes minimal degradation of natural environment- In present form
Bulwer maintains a minimal degradation of the area because all the built structures
are already there. The 4WD along the roads around Bulwer are well maintained and
because of the flat topography of the land combined with the large She Oaks and
trees alike wind erosion is kept to a minimal.
Rating 7
b)Allows native animals to continue living naturally- Bulwer has many
introduced species, along with the amount of clearing around the township it would
be hard for native species to live and act naturally in a very open and vulnerable area
for most of Morton?s ground dwelling species e.g.. Short nosed Bandicoot and Scrub
Turkey.
Rating 4
c)Has minimal effect on the water cycle- Under Bulwer is a large water table
from which Bulwer obtains its water. This does not have a major effect on the table if
the removal of the water is controlled. Bulwer has septic tanks as their sewage
system. This is a good system if maintenance is upheld, in which Bulwers systems
are.
Rating 8
d)Attracts overseas and interstate visitors- Because of Bulwer?s location and
it?s accessibility it is a frequently visited spot by tourists. The dwellings are of a poor
standard but have all the facilities that are required to sojourn.
Rating 6
e)Provides employment for residents- Bulwer has only a limited amount of
employment to offer and because of the nature of the employment (e.g. Janitors, and
Managers of the hostel) 95% of the jobs on offer would require residents to fill them.
Rating 8
f)Has profits that are financially benefiting and upholding the natural
environment- the money made from activities like camping goes back into
nation parks and wildlife, but Bulwer?s township is still poorly maintained with few
rubbish bins, car shells ect. This shows that the money is not all going into the area.
Rating 4
g)Provides safe and environmentally friendly activities that people enjoy-
Bulwer has a safe swimming beach and bush walking paths around the area these are
safe and environmentally friendly
Rating 10
h)Has social activities that the whole majority of the community accepts-
the activities at Bulwer are quite and don?t disturb others so therefor the majority of
the community have no problem with it
Rating 9
Cowen Cowen
a)Causes minimal degradation of natural environment- Lots of trees and
vegetation has been cut down for buildings ( from war times and present times) and
roads. There are allot of domestic gardens in place of natural plants.
Rating 6
b)Allows native animals to continue living naturally- Cowen Cowen has
many introduced species, along with the amount of clearing around the township and
domestic animals (dogs and cats that rome freely) it would be hard for native species
to live and act naturally in a very open and vulnerable area for most of Morton?s
ground dwelling species e.g. Sand Goanna and Scrub Turkey.
Rating 4
c)Has minimal effect on the water cycle- The sewage is treated in septic
tanks and not directly pumped into the water system, however if the tanks are not
properly maintained the water may leak into the under water system. Cowen Cowen
is a rich area so therefor there is not a worry about cost of maintain and the septic
tanks would be properly maintained.
Rating 9
d)Attracts overseas and interstate visitors- Because of the beach being
blocked of Cowen Cowen is mainly a private township and residents like it that way
and fight hard to keep it that way.
Rating 3
e)Provides employment for residents- Cowen Cowen has only a limited
amount of employment if any to offer because Tourists are not desirable the
community has only one shop. So therefor really there is only one or maybe two jobs
in the town.
Rating 2
f)Has profits that are financially benefiting and upholding the natural
environment- Though it is a reserved community Cowen Cowen is well
maintained and the environment is well looked after.
Rating 8
g)Provides safe and environmentally friendly activities that people enjoy-
Cowen Cowen has one of the safest swimming beaches on the island bush walking
track around the area these are safe and environmentally friendly.
Rating 10
h)Has social activities that the whole majority of the community accepts-
the activities at Cowen Cowen are quite and don?t disturb others so therefor the
majority if not the whole of the community have no problem with it.
Rating 10
Tangalooma Resort
a)Causes minimal degradation of natural environment- The resort has cut
down a large area of native coastal bush. The old part of the resort has also planted
allot of Introduced species around (e.g. Palm trees) but because they are controlled
they are not a threat to the rest of the Island. The new section of the resort has taken
this into account and has tried to be more environmentally friendly by not cutting
down as many trees and not planting and Introduced species of trees.
Rating 7
b)Allows native animals to continue living naturally- Tangalooma is the
most open of all the sites on the Island it also has many introduced species, which
would make it hard for native species to live and act naturally in the very open and
vulnerable area for most of Morton?s ground dwelling species.
Rating 2
c)Has minimal effect on the water cycle- Because of the amount of land the
resort has cleared and the fact that the resort uses fertilizers to keep the Introduced
grasses and plants, when it would rain all the fertilizers and nutrients in the soil
would be washed into the ocean. also all there storm water and run off is directed
onto the beach (Refer to photo 1).
Rating 8
d)Attracts overseas and interstate visitors- Tangalooma is probably the most
ideal holiday destination for overseas visitor with no camping gear and who would
like to sojourn in comfort(due to it being the only resort on the Island). Because of
the style of the resort it looks attractive people will come to stay down there. The
location of the resort does not matter because there are beach buses that travel to the
resort for those without 4WD.
Rating 10
e)Provides employment for residents- Tangalooma has many of employment
opportunities even though they are specialized what it does do is make the employers
residents so therefor it is creating jobs for residents. The more people who live in the
resort the more money that they earn they will spend at the resort.
Rating 9
f)Has profits that are financially benefiting and upholding the natural
environment- The resort has shown that they are putting allot of money into
the environment with the way they are designing and creating the new section. They
are now planting natural plants and trying to revegitate sand hill that they had
removed. The resort has also put in place a car park that is more easily managed and
reduces erosion.
Rating 8
g)Provides safe and environmentally friendly activities that people enjoy-
Tangalooma has the safest swimming beaches on the island it also has water craft
recreational hire, diving (scuba and snorkeling), basketball, a pool, ect, bush walking
track around the area these are safe and environmentally friendly and it gives
information to the tourist on how to keep the environment natural and first class.
Rating 10
h)Has social activities that the whole majority of the community accepts-
the activities at Tangalooma are what most people go there for so the majority of the
community have no problem with them.
Rating 9
This is the way in which the resort disposes of its storm water to prevent the water picking up nutrients
from the surface and carrying the ocean
Southern End / Kooringal
a)Causes minimal degradation of natural environment- In present form
Kooringle maintains a minimal degradation of the area because all the built structures
are already there. The area of the southern end is constantly changing naturally. The
township of Kooringal is small and is not being developed at all.
Rating 7
b)Allows native animals to continue living naturally- Kooringle is a very
hidden township with only the necessary trees cut down. Native animals could live
comfortably alongside their human counterparts without either one being disturbed.
Rating 8
c)Has minimal effect on the water cycle- Kooringal has septic tanks as their
sewage system. This is a good system if maintenance is upheld, in which Kooringal?s
systems are.
Rating 8
d)Attracts overseas and interstate visitors- It is a very hidden out of the way
part of the Island The dwellings are of a better standard than Bulwer and it is a very
quite and peaceful place. Because of its discreet location though it is not a place on
the tourist map to go.
Rating 4
e)Provides employment for residents- Kooringal has only a limited amount of
employment to offer and because of the nature and location of the employment (e.g.
Janitors, and caretakers) 100% of the jobs on offer would require residents to fill
them.
Rating 9
f)Has profits that are financially benefiting and upholding the natural
environment- the money made from activities like camping goes back into
nation parks and wildlife, but Kooringles?s township would not be making much
money even though the town is still maintained well with rubbish bins around the
place.
Rating 6
g)Provides safe and environmentally friendly activities that people enjoy-
Kooringal?s only activities would be bush walking and fishing around the area these
are safe and environmentally friendly if paths are followed and rubbish taken with the
person.
Rating 7
h)Has social activities that the whole majority of the community accepts-
The activities at Kooringle are quite and don?t disturb others so therefor the majority
of the community have no problem with it.
Rating 9
Specific Site
Tangalooma Resort
Tangalooma Resort has in the past been seen as a money hungry organization that
will do anything with out thinking of the conciquenses, to the environment to make
an extra dollar. But in resent times and the pressure that has been applied by
environmental groups the resort has been made to clean up its act.
What is the new Resort?
The new resort has redeemed Tangalooma Resort. It has not planted any introduced
species of plants. The generator that is now used is in a sound proof shed that filters
the polutants that the generator produces (Refer to Photo 2). Having the new resort area
was going to generate alot more people in that section of the island and therefor more
cars. The new section of the resort has taken this into account and has tried to be
more environmentally friendly by not cutting down as many trees and placeing a car
park for the resedents and visitors to visit. The car park has been made to isolate the
cars into one area and in turn the degregation of the land will be more managable.
What is the Resort doing the environment?
The Resort has in place the Tertiary sewage system, this is the best sewage system
availible and reduces nutrients from being pummed into the ocean it also recycles the
sewage by watering the gardens with it. The resort is now educating the public about
how to be environmentally freindly because because it realises that if they educate
the community it will be cheaper for them to control the damage that is cause by
tourests doing the wrong thing e.g. not walking on paths of littering.
In concluding the resort is now benefiting the whole Moreton community and will
contiue to do more so as it grows. It is providing many jobs and making the island
known to people overseas. It now is spending alot of money on keeping the
environment as natuall as possible, because it now realises that by haveing a natuall
environment they will attract more visitors and in turn make more money. So maby
the resort is still money hungry vultures but as long as they keep the environment in
its natuall form and keep educating people on the environment because if they dont
make some money they wont be opperating and then morton Island would have no
resort and it?s economy will be severly hurt.
Table Of Contents
Pg
Set Of Criteria-2
Applying the Criteria
Bulwer3
Cowen Cowen4
Tangalooma Resort5
Southern End/Kooringal7
Specific Site
Tangalooma Resort9
Visuals
Water Run Of6
Generator Shed10
Moreton Island-Human Impact Study8