Town Planning Consultant joins Brighthouse Consultant Team

Brian Robinson, Planning Consultant, has joined Brighthouse as an Associate Consultant.

Brian is an experienced and highly qualified Town Planner, having worked in both local government and private sector planning roles. Brian's "can-do" approach and knowledge of planning and local laws ensures that in most instances, applications for planning consent are passed, without the need for costly appeals.

Brian's planning and development experience will be a good fit within the Brighthouse consultant team, adding to our design and project feasibility and project management strengths. Some of our clients are already reaping the benefits of Brian coming on board as he picks up on the status of some of the current client project planning approvals.

 Welcome Brian!

Queensland Natural Disasters back Brighthouse Total Online Technology Decision

The recent floods and cyclones in Queensland highlight the benefits of online software and online data storage of important business and client files. Where catastrophic events have the potential to seriously impact on businesses who maintain local data storage, Brighthouse and its clients are secure in the knowledge that their data is stored in secure “cloud” online centres backed up to various locations. Using the Basecamp, Highrise and Backpack online project management software suite, Brighthouse’s consultants can operate the business anywhere, using laptop computers, iPads and iPhones.

Brighthouse wishes speedy recovery to everyone impacted by the extreme climatic events in Queensland and other parts of Australia.

Queensland Caravan Park Overflow Policy makes sense

The Caravan Parks Association of Queensland Inc worked with local government to produce a draft policy for the use of showgrounds and community facilities as overflow caravan and camping sites during peak tourist seasons.

The policy is a win-win-win arrangement for tourists, local government and private caravan park operators and is designed to enable travellers to get sites at high demand locations during peak demand periods and overcome commercial caravan parks' concerns over unfair competition.

It's a commonsense approach to a complicated issue so we have linked the document so it can be downloaded by clicking here: CARAVAN PARK OVERFLOW POLICY

Kimberley Caravan & Camping Study

WALGA Kimberley Zone instigated a study of caravan and camping opportunities in the Kimberley Region. The study, currently being conducted by Brighthouse, will provide an audit of existing facilities, investigate tourism trends and forecast caravan and camping site requirements needed to meet the burgeoning demand from local and international tourists.

Monkey Mia Jetty Business Case Study

The Shire of Shark Bay engaged Brighthouse to prepare  a Business Case Study on the Monkey Mia Jetty. The study will review the various options that have previously been proposed for the Jetty and consider issues of potential conflict of use from the growing number of visitors seeking dolphin interaction and the commercial vessel operators.

The Shire will assess the options put forward in the Business Case Study to develop a strategy for the redevelopment of the existing jetty to accommodate all uses.

Nature Based Tourism Review

Western Australia's rich biodiversity attracts visitors from all over the world and is an integral component of the State's tourism product.   

After extensive consultation with key industry and other stakeholders a report on the nature based tourism industry was prepared and presented to both Ministers.  Caravan Industry (WA) requested that Brighthouse provide comments on the review to include in the Caravan Industry submission.

Prior to considering the recommendations, the Ministers required a public comment phase be undertaken. This was duly completed and the Ministers then considered the report and its range of recommendations prior to seeking Cabinet endorsement.

The report, titled, Review of Nature Based Tourism, contains wide ranging recommendations with regard to the management of nature based tourism in Western Australia. The review also outlines how the tourism industry can contribute to the conservation of the resource that it uses as its "place of business".  

In July 2009 Cabinet endorsed 43 of the recommendations outlined in the report.  The implementation phase is now underway.  

A list of the 43 recomendations can be downloaded here:

 Nature Based Tourism Recommendations (72KB)   

The full Review document can be downloaded here:

 The Review of Nature Based Tourism (1.92MB)

$20 million boost for Nature-based Tourism

In a joint Ministerial statement  this week; 

Brendon Grylls, Minister for Regional Development; Lands; Minister Assisting the Minister for State Development; Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport and;

Donna Faragher, Minister for Environment; Youth announced a new funding initiative boosting conservation and nature-based tourism.

Mr Grylls said the projects would provide a boost to the nature-based tourism industry, employment and other business opportunities in regional WA. 

“Parks are the basis for WA’s tourism profile around the world and are popular destinations for local holidays and recreational activities,” he said.

 “This investment from Royalties from Regions is also targeted at providing more affordable caravan and camping opportunities, which addresses many of the recommendations of the Parliamentary inquiry into caravan and camping in WA that the Liberal-National Government has supported.” The projects that will share the $20million Royalties for Regions investment over the next four years are:

 Improved camping and visitor facilities

•  Lane Poole Reserve
• Cape Range National Park
• Wellington National Park
• Yalgorup National Park (Tim’s Thickett)
• Serpentine National Park (Gooralong)
• Torndirrup National Park

Speaking in Kalbarri National Park, Environment Minister Donna Faragher said the projects would create local jobs in construction and tourism through the development of new and improved tourism infrastructure such as roads, visitor facilities, campsites and eco-friendly accommodation.

“Kalbarri is one of WA’s top tourism destinations which is why we are investing $5.8million to improve an 11km stretch of road that brings more than 30,000 vehicles each year to spectacular locations along the Murchison River, such as the Z Bend and Nature’s Window,” Mrs Faragher said.

“In addition, we will be spending a further $700,000 on visitor infrastructure, primarily focusing on upgrading walk trails and installing bike racks in the park.”

Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls welcomed the funding package and said it would help people enjoy WA’s spectacular parks. 

“National parks are places for people to visit as well as the cornerstone of nature conservation and we want to promote both,” Mr Grylls said.

Mrs Faragher said the funding would also help expand the Naturebank initiative to give tourists and local holiday-makers the option to explore some of the State’s finest landscapes within easy reach of world-class, ecotourism accommodation.

Rising from the Ashes

Having avoided the worst of the devastating Toodyay fire in December 2009, Lesley and Kevin Hug, owners of the Moondyne Holiday Park and Chalets are determined to move forward with their grand design for the tourist accommodation park.

Lesley and Kevin engaged Brighthouse to assist the the planning and design for the redevelopment of the superb bush property, located opposite the Toodyay Racecourse. The preliminary design incorporates tourist caravan and camp sites, self-contained tourist accommodation, special amenities and a residential park home section to cater for active retirees.

Brighthouse Principal Strategist, David Holland is excited about the potential for the caravan park and expects it to be a popular weekend getaway for Perth residents. David is currently working with Brighthouse's architects and engineering consultants to prepare plans for Shire planning approval.

Watch this space as the grand plan unfolds!