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Introducing Oil and Gas to a Remote, Iconic Tourism Destination: Impacts on Broome and the West Kimberley

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Resource Curse or Cure ?

Part of the book series: CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance ((CSEG))

Abstract

This chapter reviews the conflict relating to the proposed industrialisation of a remote and relatively pristine tourism region. The West Kimberley region is located in the remote North West of Western Australia with Broome as the regional center. Vibrant culture together with expansive remote wilderness, including rugged landscapes and pristine coastal and marine areas, provide the central components of an iconic nature-based and cultural tourism destination. While a proposal to develop a large-scale onshore oil and gas processing complex on the coast north of Broome has been withdrawn, questions remain about the environmental, social and cultural consequences of such development on a pre-existing tourism industry. The evidence indicates that the development would have significantly impacted on the region, potentially changing its image as a place to live and visit. Benefits to the region from the development would likely be relatively limited. The evidence relating to the relative merits of each sector are presented and discussed.

Tourism has great potential to provide the sorts of job and business opportunities that can deliver economic independence for regional Indigenous communities, particularly here in the Kimberley which has the highest concentration of Indigenous tourism experiences on offer anywhere in Australia. Grasping those opportunities is the key to closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson, Broome, 13 April 2010

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Marketing, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia

    Michael Hughes

Authors
  1. Michael Hughes
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Correspondence to Michael Hughes .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Social Sustainability, Murdoch University, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Martin Brueckner

  2. Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Angela Durey

  3. John Curtin Inst. of Public Policy, Curtin University, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Robyn Mayes

  4. Curtin Business School, Curtin University, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Christof Pforr

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Hughes, M. (2014). Introducing Oil and Gas to a Remote, Iconic Tourism Destination: Impacts on Broome and the West Kimberley. In: Brueckner, M., Durey, A., Mayes, R., Pforr, C. (eds) Resource Curse or Cure ?. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-53873-5_9

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