THE ISLANDER WAY
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Why do we need people 'from away' to run this project?
People from outside the community bring a balanced view to the issues within that community. They don't have vested interests. Given that the cutting edge nature of the project, experts 'from away' can also provide experience and knowledge that may not be available on the Island. Research shows that the combination of local insights and external expertise enables the best outcomes, particularly when those advisors from elsewhere spend quality time within the community.
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Why spend money on this project when there are so many other priorities?
This project is a special project funded through the Tasmanian Department of State Growth and responds to a particularly difficult period of overtourism during the lead up to, and during, the Covid-19 pandemic. The project is not funded by Council and the State Government has provided funds only for the purpose of exploring the potential of regenerative tourism on Flinders Island.
After the Community Launch, what are the next major steps?
The Community Launch celebrating the beginning of the project was held on 8th October 2021. See the notional project timeline. Extensive community engagement is underway, and there are continuing opportunities to have your say:
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Through the postcards that have been distributed to community businesses
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Informal conversations – stop us in the street at any time
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Interviews – both individually and within a group
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An online survey coming soon on the Islander Way website
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Workshops.
Potential community initiatives and business ideas will be identified in mid-2022. To expand on these opportunities, a business accelerator program, including coaching and mentoring, will be delivered in mid-late 2022.
Throughout the course of the project, we will be undertaking and communicating research that will inform decision-making around those issues that are a priority on the Island.
Towards the end of the project, we will deliver a festival of community ideas, celebrating your success. It is also important to establish the long term legacy of the project as an authentic, sustainable and meaningful project, driven by Island values.
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How can I get involved?
We seek to involve the entire community in all its diversity. That means full-time and part-time residents, landholders, visitors, the business community, young and old, working, non-working... we want to hear your thoughts. There are lots of ways to get involved! See the community engagement page to find out.
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Fill in your postcards and talk about them with friends and family
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Send us an email – contact@islanderway.co
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Write a guest blog for the website – ask us how
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Participate in community gatherings or workshops – organise your own
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Provide feedback on the website content which will be updated regularly
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Start thinking about potential, local initiatives that might have a tourism angle – how could these initiatives enable a deeper connection between visitors and Island life.
Flinders Island is a beautiful and very special place, and through your involvement with this project, you will assist in protecting its future.
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How is the Islander Way going to change tourism on the Island?
In the past, tourism has been done to the community, not with the community. This project can be a lighthouse for tourism that is authentic, community-driven, environment-centred and place-based. It will reflect the core values of the community expressed in the Islander Way story – ‘don’t try and change this place, let this place change you’.
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Do we have to wait until the end of the project to get results?
This project will emerge organically using the Islander Way story as a starting point. We will share our collective reflections and insights on what we learn and hear via this website. These reflections will progressively inform a collective vision for tourism on the Island.
What will this project deliver?
The Islander Way project will deliver an extensive community engagement exercise examining the future of tourism on the Island. It will gather and report on community sentiment regarding tourism development. It will identify community-led initiatives and business opportunities where tourism can support and strengthen the social, environmental and economic resilience of the Island.
It will also advocate for the interests of the Island within the broader Tasmanian context. Most importantly, the project seeks to give Islanders a collective voice about their future. See the notional project timeline.
Who will benefit from this project?
This project aims to be of benefit to the whole community, assisting in addressing existing problems, providing opportunities for new initiatives, new businesses and innovation within existing businesses. The future of the Island depends on a strong cohesive vision.