Exploring UNESCO World Heritage Site listingfor the Mount Lofty Ranges agrarian landscape

University of Adelaide, Adelaide Hills Council, The Barossa Council,District Council of Mount Barker and the City of Onkaparinga

Dorrit Black painting courtesy of SA Art Gallery

Alto Douro, Portugal

UNESCO World Heritage listing of working, evolving agricultural landscapes is rare

Can we get it?Outstanding Universal Value

“South Australia was the first place in the world to apply the principles of systematic colonisation, and rural and township settlement in the Mount Lofty Ranges is its most enduring expression.” - Susan Marsden

John Stuart Mill:

• “…the planning of colonies should be conducted, not with an exclusive view to the private interests of the first founders, but with a deliberate regard to the permanent welfare of the nation afterwards……no plan is comparable in advantage to that advocated by MrWakefield….”

From top: E.G. Wakefield, J. Bentham and J.S. Mill 

Study area

Why a WHS for the Mount Lofty Ranges?

World Heritage listing has evolved from a technical measure aimed exclusively at preservation into an acclaimed and globally respected brand.

Motivations matterSource: Rebanks 2010 analysis of 878 sites

(i) ‘Celebration’ designations see WHS as a celebration of heritage value;

(ii) ‘SOS’ designations see WHS as an ‘SOS’ to save heritage;

(iii) ‘Quality Logo/Brand’ sites see the designation for marketing or branding purposes while

(iv) ‘Place Making’ designations see the listing as a tool to develop powerful new identities for places.

Motivation mattersSource: Rebanks 2009

Size MattersUsing WHS as an engine of economic development requires WHSs of scale. The sites that the Rebanks study (2010) identified as best practice were those places that were living breathing communities, with population and businesses located in them, by definition meaning WHSs that are of significant size.

WHS as economic driver and placemaking tool

Why is our place unique, special and globally important?’ • Focus economic

development on uniqueness, authenticity, a distinct sense of place, identity and culture.

• WHS as a catalyst to engage with the rest of the world from a position of confidence, selling distinct products and services at added value based upon their provenance.

Portovenere & Cinque Terre (inscribed 1997).

Preservation of a socio- economic way of life through investment in the structures, facilities, products and branding to return greater added value to private sector producers who maintain the agricultural landscape.

In 2009 cooperatives were buying organic lemons from growers for €2.50 per kilogram, compared with a commodity price of €1.70‐€1.80 for the same product outside the WHS/national park ‐ a 68% premium Source: Rebanks, 2010

The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh (Inscribed 1995)

• Using WHS status to improve the quality of life of residents through developing and enhancing heritage assets, and raising the quality of development to attract new people to live, work and invest there.

Bamberg – the market gardener’s city (Inscribed 1993)

Key destination in the debate about attracting higher value visitors to an existing tourism destination by using WHS status as a cultural tourism brand (particularly to attract WHS literate visitors).

Unintended consequencesIwami Silver Mine, Omori, Japan

(400 inhabitants and little infrastructure)

Inundated with 100s of thousands of tourists following listing.

One 90 year old man woke up to find three tourists relaxing on a sofa inside his house…

Source: New York Times

Do we want it?Economic Impacts

Source: EconSearch, 2012

• The cost benefit analysis shows strong returns for three investment scenarios based on achieving WHS listing

• Recognise that these results are based on high levels of uncertainty surrounding the economic outcomes that may be generated by WHS inscription.

• Nevertheless, the proposed Mount Lofty Ranges site falls into the category of an under-recognised region with strong heritage attributes, a region that is motivated by socio-economic development and is therefore likely to benefit significantly from WHS inscription.

Do we want it?

Do we want it?Social, environmental and intangible benefits

Source: Rebanks, 2010

Will the Character Preservation legislation alone ensure a sustainable agritourism future?

Continuing loss of productive agricultural land in the region meanthat securing the place of agriculture in the regional landscape and economy cannot be left to a ‘business as usual’ policy stance.Evidence from throughout the world tells us that a decisive shift in public policy and in private behaviour is needed, as are multiple vehicles to carry that decision through.

Environment Protection and BiodiveristyConservation (EPBC) Act implications

A thorough investigation by Council planners in the Mount Lofty Ranges Working Group and reviewed by DSEWPaC has demonstrated that the Act does not affect assessment processes for the vast majority of development applications. Local rules and planning processes continue to apply. It is expected however, that local planning processes will evolve over time to support the agritourism values of the WHS.

Governance model: a work in progress

Project Steering GroupMade up of Councils, State Government agencies, RDAs,

industry, and community champions meets a few times a year to set the agenda.

Project Management GroupManagement team made up of funding partner reps meets regularly to manage the agenda.

Advisory Group AHelps with nomination

documents & defining the agricultural landscape.

Advisory Group BEconomic cluster of food,

wine, and tourism and RDA sectors sets economic development agenda.

Project ManagerWorks with the

management team and liaises between all

groups to carry out the agenda.

Advisory Group CCommunity and

Indigenous engagement sets social, environmental

and cultural goals.

No regretsThe process is one of the goals:

Even if bids are unsuccessful, the journey itself can be expected to provide benefits, primarily in terms of partnership, heritage protection, economic development, promotion of cooperative planning and through attracting funding to supporting research and to supporting projects. – Price Waterhouse Coopers UK Analysis, 2007

Camino de Santiago Pilgrim Trail

Key Reference: Rebanks 2010