Author(s)

P. Amaranti, R. Mau, J. Tedesco

Abstract

Rottnest Island is a nature reserve which lies in the Indian Ocean, approximately 18 kilometres west of the city of Perth, Western Australia. The special attributes of a holiday settlement with no private land ownership or private vehicles, based around heritage buildings in a significant conservation reserve, make Rottnest Island unique in the region. The Island which is managed on behalf of the Western Australian government by the Rottnest Island Authority is mostly selffunded and operates primarily on the revenue received from visitors from fees and charges for holiday accommodation and recreational services. Funding is also received from business leases, a State Government annual contribution and through grants and sponsorship. Financial business modelling has demonstrated that the RIA’s commercial operations are financially profitable and sustainable. However significant costs are associated with conserving Rottnest Island’s natural and cultural heritage assets, maintaining essential infrastructure and meeting government administrative requirements. Rottnest Island’s utilities and infrastructure requires significant capital injections. The associated costs cannot be met in the short-term. The RIA needs to balance the need to maintain visitor affordability with generating sufficient revenue and funding to protect and maintain the Island’s environment and heritage values and assets at an acceptable level. The Authority is committed to finding a solution to achieve environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Keywords

Rottnest Island, sustainability, financial, environment, social, heritage, commercial operations, conservation, carrying capacity, climate change