Sustainability Issues In South Bank And Recommendations For Mitigation

Sustainability Management Issue 1

Question:

1. Discuss the nature of leisure and tourism

2. Explain the Tourism and Leisure product and who provides and delivers tourism services

3. Discuss how tourism destinations are managed and marketed for a sustainable future

4. Appreciate the broad social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts of tourism

5. Demonstrate critical and ethical appreciation of environmental impacts important to sustainable leisure and tourism development

Introduction

Tourism is considered as the internationally competitive industries and in most of the countries around the globe is trying to attract the tourism from both home and from the abroad. Australia is the beautiful country, having many tourist attractive places (Newman & Kenworthy, 1999). Therefore, it’s important for Australia to offer the desirable experiences and products. It’s important that responsible tourism should try to incorporate the holistic approach by building the social and cultural sustainability approach along with balance between the environmental and economic impacts (Newman & Kenworthy, 1999). Both the cultural and social impacts that results through the tourism might cover up changes in the value system, host community social structure, traditional lifestyles, quality of life as well as behavior (Newman & Kenworthy, 1999). Just like the environmental and economic issues, it’s important to conduct the analysis of both the positive as well as negative social cultural effects for exploring the extent to which South Bank tries to fulfill the responsible criteria for generating tourism (Newman & Kenworthy, 1999).

Businesses in all over the world are facing increase in complex risk environment through the changes in climate, increase in regulation, and increase in operational cost (Business South Bank, 2013). There exist many reasons why the sustainability should be kept as high agenda in the business, due to the value it adds to the bottom line of the business (Newman & Kenworthy, 1999). Responding towards the challenges of sustainability and then building the team capacity towards the plan and managing the future risks is considered as the key of success in tourism business (Business South Bank, 2013). Therefore, it’s important to take the proactive approach towards the sustainability, as it can lead competitive advantage for the organization, only if the company is able to overcome the barriers in the cultural changes at work place by exploring the time and upfront cost (Business South Bank, 2013). This field trip report will discuss about the sustainability issues occurring at South Bank precinct, and certain recommendations are also provided for mitigating these issues (Business South Bank, 2013). This report also includes the Field Trip Notebook about the field trip at South Bank, and includes the experience gain from it (Business South Bank, 2013).

Sustainability Management Issue 1

Sustainability cities are under the new agenda of the countries urban planning. In the case of South Bank, Australia the main aim is to minimize the footprint of the city, mainly the carbon footprint by enhancing the livability (Berners-Lee, Howard, Moss, Kaivanto & Scott, 2011). It’s noted that the carbon minimization needs to be achieved by conducting the better integration of both the green technologies and the green infrastructure (Berners-Lee, Howard, Moss, Kaivanto & Scott, 2011). The South Bank, Australia is facing issues from the greenhouse gas emissions, which has increase the consumption of water and electricity, and simultaneously increase the waste in the city (Berners-Lee, Howard, Moss, Kaivanto & Scott, 2011). In order to maintain the sustainability, it’s important to search for the alternative ways of supplying the both water and power and treating the wastage of water as well as solid waste in the city, so that it could support in achieving the outcome of sustainability and reduction in gas emissions (Business South Bank, 2013).

Sustainability Management Issue 2

The South Bank in Australia is based over the precincts along with various new developments in the Greenfield and Brownfield areas, which are usually planned at this level (Business South Bank, 2013). Presently, the greenhouse gas emissions at the national level are the topic of discussion in South Bank (Newman & Kenworthy, 1999). However, the city has given less attention to the development of low-carbon at the scale of precinct (Business South Bank, 2013). In result of this, the city needs to use various tools that could support in delivering the outcomes of low carbon, as the single precincts are not available easily (Business South Bank, 2013). Due to the issues of greenhouse gas emissions, South Bank is facing the issues of climate change, which has hugely impacted the urban life of the city (Berners-Lee, Howard, Moss, Kaivanto & Scott, 2011). Increase in global temperature is created through the increase in level of sea, enhancement in weather events like, storms, floods and droughts, along with increase in tropical diseases (Berners-Lee, Howard, Moss, Kaivanto & Scott, 2011). All these factors have impacted the basic services of the cities, along with health, livelihoods, and infrastructure and housing facilities (Business South Bank, 2013).

Sustainability Management Issue 2

South Bank is also facing the issues of overcrowding that has become the major complaint in the city that too mainly in the weekends in the areas like Street Beach (Appadurai, 2001). It’s noted that there is not enough barbeques as well as picnic tables for the large number of people for using the restaurants as well as parklands and they are often at capacity; therefore, it forces the people to leave the Southbank (Appadurai, 2001). Due to the overcrowding issues, the city is experiencing increase in the congestion level that schedules the major events (Berners-Lee, Howard, Moss, Kaivanto & Scott, 2011). These factors often try to lead towards overcrowding on the surrounding areas as well as on public transport, and due to these factors, locals are often impacted, who don’t visit the Southbank (Appadurai, 2001).

Its noted that overcrowding issues leads to lack in dwelling conditions along with inadequate core facilities for the people like the facilities of sewerage system, facilities for washing clothes, lack of safe drinking water, which could directly impact over the mental and physical health (Appadurai, 2001). The indirect impact cover up the neighborhood or area in which the housing are constructed is located, proximity towards the facilities and services, along with huge functioning of the community (Appadurai, 2001). The Health issues related to the inadequate infrastructure and the housing in the remote places of South Bank cover up the infectious disease like the infestations, infection of skin, infection in respiration, ear, and eye infections, rheumatic fever along with diarrheal problems (Appadurai, 2001). All these health diseases hugely impact the children and the adults and directly links with the lack of water supply and sanitation and the issues of overcrowding ((Berners-Lee, Howard, Moss, Kaivanto & Scott, 2011).

Conclusion/recommendations about tourism stakeholder responses necessary for sustainability

Conclusion/recommendations about tourism stakeholder responses necessary for sustainability

Tourism stakeholders at Southbank have initiated certain steps for reducing the impacts of increasing sustainability issues in the city. In the case of greenhouse gas emission issues, Southbank precinct has tried to manage the minimization of yearly gas emissions through the equivalent of the 1485 cars on the road (Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure. 2007). The Minimization in the yearly usage of the electricity has tried to power 1690 homes at Southbank, which means there is a 4.2% reduction in the electricity (Berners-Lee, Howard, Moss, Kaivanto & Scott, 2011). The city has also tried to reduce the yearly usage of water, which is equal to the 54 swimming pools in Olympics (Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure. 2007). The city has also tried to the usage of public transport by 2.5 times, and the rate of recycling is equal to saving the 38 garbage trucks full of waste material for land filling every week (Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure. 2007).

The city is also stressing over the use of cycles instead of cars that has increase the cycling community arte by 6.5 times (Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure. 2007). The department of sustainability reduction is also trying to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gas by installing the system of photovoltaic systems in around 80 schools under the part of program of solar schools (Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure. 2007). The city has tried to schedule around seven schools for the two KW system of solar power. All these systems are actually affordable in result of the grants through the origin Energy, City Council, Australian government and the Agency of environment protection (Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure. 2007). The city has also proposed to install the Ergon energy in order to offer the two KW system of solar power in their two more school sites. The stakeholders in the tourism and leisure industry are also trying to install the smart meters and conducting the analysis of the consumption in order to assist the strategies for developing the saving of energy (Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure. 2007).

In the case of issues of overcrowded destination, stakeholders are trying to take necessary steps, so that issues of overcrowding could be reduced. In the crowded places there are both museum and restaurants that are expected to managing the tourist at these destinations by informing the availability of vacant spaces at the museum and restaurants and simultaneously they should send the tourist (Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure. 2007). In this way, destination management organization will have more space. In the other case, the booking for the tourist attraction places should also be managed. It’s important that transparency should be build into the booking for the airline seats or for the booking at the hotel rooms (Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure. 2007). At Southbank, stakeholders can try to build transparency in booking by informing the guest about the availability of rooms or airline seats and inform them about the unavailability of space. In this way potential visitors will come to know that there are no tickets available for Southbank during the certain period (Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure. 2007).

Reflection on field trip learning experience

While preparing the field trip report I got the opportunity to learn about the South Bank, which is the beautiful city having many beautiful museums and beaches. I learn about the two sustainability issues ongoing in the city. This trip is helpful for me, as I learn about the initiatives taken by the city for reducing the issues and keeping on with the safety features, so that tourist could get the memorable experience. I also learn about the impacts of carbon emissions and overcrowding that impact the development in the city and harm it in different ways like creating disturbance in the reduction of the fresh water or increase in power consumption.

References

Business South Bank. (2013). Retrieved on 16^th January 2013, from https://www.businesssouthbank.com.au/media/19468/154_12_bsb_news_fa_web.pdf

Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure. (2007). Retrieved on 16^th January 2013, from https://deta.qld.gov.au/publications/resources/report-07-environmental.pdf

Berners-Lee, M. Howard, D.C., Moss, J., Kaivanto, K. & Scott, W.A. (2011). Greenhouse gas footprinting for small businesses—The use of input-output data. Science of Total Environment, 409, 883–891.

Newman, P. & Kenworthy, J. (1999). Sustainability and Cities. Washington: Island Press.

Appadurai, A. (2001). Globalization. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Alexei. 2015. Field trip: Partnerships on the South Bank. Retrieved on 16^th January 2013, from https://www.futureoflondon.org.uk/2014/06/27/field-trip-partnerships-on-the-south-bank/

Appendix 1: Field Trip Plan

Overview of the location

The field trip plan will be used for exploring the different places at South Bank, Australia, and along with this environment or sustainability issues are also identified. The field plan will also help in exploring the different social and economic impacts of the recreation, leisure and tourism activities on the South Bank and how they are impacting the place in the present time. South Bank presently is the vibrant as well as dynamic destination that provides huge range of different natural, urban, island as well as coastal experiences. South Bank is a modern and has different subtropical metropolis. The city also offers the experience of sporting, convention facilities and culture. South Bank is located within the top rapidly growing population centers of Australia. The visit of leisure tourist is highly dominated through the intrastate trips as well as short breaks.

Itinerary

Visited the Southbank through airplane

Went to the Base Map that explain the location of South Bank places

Went to the convention and exhibition center at South Bank

Meet the head of the museum for discussing about the old scriptures

Inspected the facilities available at the exhibition centers

Guided visit to the Southbank train station

External inspection of the city council of South Bank

Relevant residents and professionals being contacted

I meet the organizations council members and the tourist department in order to collect the data about the tourist visiting those places in a year. The tourism department helped in providing the statistical figures. I also collected the data about the climate change in the country, and the negative sustainability factors that is trying to disturb the socio-environment and culture of the city.

Health and safety risks at the location

The major threat in Southbank is of diseases like cystic fibrosis as well as muscular dystrophy that occur mainly through the water. Along with this, there are three broad genetic diseases that occur in Southbank such as, chromosomal abnormalities like syndrome of down, along with this, people also face single gene disorders and multi-factorial diseases like asthma. Most of the health risk occurs due to the changing climate of the city that occurs through the greenhouse gas emissions along with the increase in wastage in the city.

Ways to minimize the risks

In order to avoid the threat of health issues from the sun, it is advisable to wear the hat, use the sun cream, and wear the protective footwear like sand shoes and joggers, which is suitable for the tourist while moving from one place to the other. These protective wears can be worn at beaches, forest tracks, and at the Folrence bay.

Appendix 2: Field Trip Notebook

The purpose of this field trip report is to make oneself familiarize with various features of the Southbank. This task was assign to me by my university to have the field trip of Southbank and understand the various sustainability issues going in the city. Along with the issues I was given the task to understand and visit various tourist places of Southbank, in learn about the potential threats of health and safety in the city.

Day One:

At day one I visited the western places of Southbank in order to learn about the plantation in those areas. This region has the enormous diversity, mainly in the tuberous and pygmy forms. From the western Southbank I visited the riverside and bike way in Southbank. This place has the extensive network that shares the pathways (Alexei, 2015). This pathway is located at the G20 Summit precinct in result of the Southbank city council program of urban renewal, which lead to the redevelopment of the riverfront of this place, where most of the tourist come and embrace the sub-tropical lifestyle of the city. On day one, I also visited the Citycat ferry service that is operating on the river. There are around terminals that were located during the G20 Summit precinct. This is a high speed mode of public transport, which tries to demonstrate about the priority that helps in improving the public access to the river quite easily as the part of the program of urban renewal (Alexei, 2015).

During my visit to these places, I learn about the urban regeneration by the city council of the city. As the tourism in the Southbank has precinct and is also regenerated from the near areas towards the hosting of the cities. I also learn about that there are many types of parkland, along with best facilities and infrastructure for the locals as well as for the tourist. I also got the opportunity to learn about the positive sustainability in the city. I found that the city has preserved the heritage buildings as well as cultural values, which is acknowledged by the tourist visiting the city (Alexei, 2015). The tourism department in the country tries to encourage the preservation of the all the historic buildings located in the city, so that heritage property could be preserved. I learn that Southbank organizes the programs in order to preserve the heritage buildings, in which World Expo 88, Art gallery and Museum of Queensland, and Nepal Peace Pagoda tries to encourage the preservation of heritage (Alexei, 2015). I learn that through the collected funding from these programs, the tourism is boosted in the city. These funding are given to the heritage building authority for their preservation, which permits to having the present and the future generations to easily visit these places and try to retain the sense of continuity in the past (Alexei, 2015).

Day two:

On day two I visited the performing arts complex of Southbank. This complex includes the Southbank art gallery, museum, and the state library of Southbank that share the similar style of architecture and has also form the cultural hub in the Southbank (Alexei, 2015). I also got the opportunity to visit the playhouse, which is also located in the performing art complex. Playhouse is the beautiful place and many theaters activities and workshop are organized at this place. This place tries to promote the theatric activities in the city (Alexei, 2015). I learn about various forms of art and culture at this place. From the art gallery of the city, I visited the parkland at Southbank. The parkland is spread in 17 hectares on the southern bank of the river. This place is considered as the major place for the leisure as well as recreational activities for both the visitors and for the residents (Alexei, 2015).

I also got the opportunity to visit the Southbank arbor that offers the shaded walkway of the villa by the sub tropical lifestyle of the city (Alexei, 2015). At the parkland I got the opportunity to learn about the recreational facilities that is available for all group of people including the playgrounds for the children. One of the most popular places of Southbank is their street beaches. These beaches are the only inner beaches of Australia that tries to embrace the sup tropical climate of the city (Alexei, 2015). From the street beaches I visited the Ship Inn, which is the famous shipping destination that cater to many shipping’s which make use of land along with the river. This is considered as the popular architectural style of the city. It’s also a popular bar and restaurant, which is also one in the many precinct of G20 summit (Alexei, 2015).

During my visit to these places, I got the opportunity to learn about the positive sustainability of generation of revenue and employment through the increased tourism in Southbank that gives added advantage to the local’s livelihood, and even try to foster the stability of the community (Alexei, 2015). The increase opportunity of employment in the precinct has tries to assist in maintaining the spirit of sense of community and even tries to ensure about the locals that they don’t feel displaced in the basic tourist based places (Alexei, 2015).