Cooloola Coastcare
The Cooloola Coast is recognised as a natural environment of international significance. It listed on the World Heritage Tentative list; is a Ramsar Wetland of International Significance; is part of the UNESCO Great Sandy Biosphere. The waters are a Marine Park and the land is predominantly National Park. It is home to the endangered humpback dolphins, dugongs, migratory shorebirds, and threatened marine turtles and is an important breeding site for the critically endangered east coast population of Grey Nurse Sharks.
The Cooloola Coast is popular with tourists from SE Queensland and international visitors. There are 3 small communities with total population around 5000: Tin Can Bay, Cooloola Cove and Rainbow Beach. Caring for an important coastal environment falls to a merry band of enthusiastic local volunteers and a growing number of “voluntourists” who participate in Citizen Science and on-the-ground projects to magnify the impact of local efforts.
The Cooloola ConSERVS: Cooloola Conservation, Science Education and Research Voluntourism Strategy 2020– 2030 will provide a strategic framework for the development of these two tourism markets in the Cooloola Coast region:
This will grow tourism numbers in the area during off-peak times capitalising on under-used infrastructure, creating employment and providing much needed assistance to Coastcare and the community to collect data, complete much needed projects and conduct research.
Cooloola Coastcare will develop a strategic plan for 2020-2030 covering:
Cooloola Coastcare will develop a strategic plan for 2020-2030 with input from the community by conducting the following activities in 2019 and 2020:
Dr Lindy Orwin is the part time Coordinator of Cooloola Coastcare and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Southern Queensland's Institute for Resilient Regions. Lindy is an award winning educator, researcher, consultant and project manager. She is contracted by government departments, educational institutions, corporations, non-profit organizations and individuals on short and long term projects. She is a qualitative researcher with experience in Action Research and Design Based Research.
She also volunteers as the Convenor of the Gympie Regional STEM Hub and is a member of the team hosting the annual STEAMzone Science Festival.
This project received grant funding from the Australian Government.
Building Better Regions Fund - Community Investments Stream Round Three