Tourism is such a great opportunity in the Peel not only in terms of economic input and the creation of jobs, but in terms of being able to express who we are as a region and develop ways to share that by attracting local, national and international visitors to experience what we have to offer. We’re so blessed in Peel to have such a diverse and beautiful natural environment, which puts us in a terrific position to develop our nature-based tourism offerings.
The beautiful Peel-Harvey estuary and wetlands are a natural wonder unique to our region, so preservation and conservation are paramount not only in a local sense, but for the role this ecosystem plays in a world heritage context. Education and firsthand experience are two of the best ways to create a sense of pride and ownership about our local environment and what better way to achieve this than through eco-tourism.
The Weekend Wetland Festival hosted by the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council (PHCC) is a wonderful event that coincides with World Migratory Bird Day and highlights the significance of the Peel-Yalgorup Wetlands for migratory bird populations in their annual journey from Alaska to Australia.The festival features lots of fun and incredibly interesting activities over a weekend that both celebrates and educates on our wonderful wetlands.
Sarah Way from Ways to Nature is also contributing to the awareness and appreciation of our local environment with guided walking tours through the Creery Wetlands, Samphire Cove and Len Howard Conservation Park. She is a wealth of knowledge on the birdlife of these wetlands and has partnered with Mandurah Cruises to offer more ways to experience this wonderful part of our region.
The Waroona Agricultural Show is an iconic annual event and one that gets bigger and better with each year attracting agriculture and tourism visitors in droves. This year was no exception and I was particularly thrilled to meet the South West’s Rural Ambassador, Mackenzie Walmsley. She is a true inspiration in her passion for educating young people on the importance of agriculture and farming, particularly in relation to food production.
Trails development in the Peel is certainly exciting at the moment with some terrific projects and collaborations between Shires. Investment in tourism and trails infrastructure mean we can further build on the region’s unique natural assets and grow Peel’s reputation as a national and international trails destination.
Peel’s equine industry is also a vibrant contributor to our local communities and in attracting visitors to the region. World-class events like the Alcoa International Horse Trials really puts us on the map and helps to develop Peel as the premier equine region in Western Australia. The wide array of events throughout the calendar year represents the region’s many equine organisations, clubs and interest groups and contributes significantly to the prosperity of Peel.
I hope you enjoy the stories in this edition and that they inspire you to explore and rediscover some of the wonders that are available right here in our own backyard.
Paddi Creevey OAM
Chair, Peel Development Commission
This article was first published in the Peel Magazine, Spring/Summer – vol 5.2 – to read and download the full magazine, click here.