Tourism Planning in the Northern Territory

This assignment requires a critical analysis of the Tourism NT's Five Year Tourism Strategic Plan (2008-2012) for the Northern Territory. The analysis should consider the plan's policy goals, its contribution to sustainable tourism development, and the potential economic impacts on the region. Students must also evaluate the alignment between the plan's objectives and broader trends in urban planning and tourism management.

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ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PROJECT

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Contents
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PROJECT...........................................................................4
INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................4
DARWIN PLACE...............................................................................................................4
Physical Features.........................................................................................................................4
Urban Design Strategies for Development..................................................................................6
Experimental Qualities................................................................................................................6
NEO-LIBERALISM............................................................................................................7
NEO-LIBERISM INFLUENCE ON DARWIN WATERFRONT.......................................7
Progress History...........................................................................................................................8
Darwin Waterfront Development................................................................................................9
The Waterfront Precinct............................................................................................................11
Development of Built Environment...........................................................................11
Strategies....................................................................................................................................12
The Central Business District....................................................................................................13
CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..................................................................................................................14

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ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PROJECT
INTRODUCTION
Neo-liberalism is an old concept developed lately and became prominent
with consideration of the economic stability in various places and countries in all
over the world (Sager & Tore, 2011). Darwin, which is historically, geographically,
strategically located and considered in regard to tourism and related with the
influence of neo-liberalism, in the respective tourism industry, the place has been
critically analyzed against the share of public and private. A thesis is proposed to
develop the Darwin Waterfront Precinct, mixed with the local areas, by
imbibing the concept of neoliberalism, towards with the aimed priority of
increasing the local and tourist economy.
DARWIN PLACE
Darwin Waterfront Precinct is geographically located in Darwin, in Northern
Territory in Australia. Darwin is considered as a cosmopolitan city, though is small,
with population of 110,000 and stands as NT’s tropical capital city.
Physical Features
Today, Darwin Waterfront has become an apt weekend destination for the
following features.
1. WWII oil storage tunnels
2. Travelers’ walk
3. The pump house

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4. Stokes hill wharf
5. Larrakia secrete site, present in strokes hill
6. Hughes avenue
7. Bombing of Darwin
The other tourist attractions, from Darwin pace are Goyder Park, Darwin wave
pool, waterfront lagoon, Deckchair cinema, Darwin convention center, apartments,
shops, etc.
Unique cosmopolitan makeup of Darwin is recognized by the Australian
National Trust, as ‘multicultural icon of national significance’.
The distinctive Darwin waterfront characteristics are man-made beach, wave
pool, restaurants, bars and two natural wharfs. Other important natural attractions
are George Brown Darwin botanic gardens, Bicentennial Park, Lake Alexander,
Charles Darwin National Park and Casuarina Coastal Reserve.
Urban Design Strategies for Development
Waterfront Precinct in Darwin is an urban design strategy for the
development, as it is built over the reclaimed land, in between Fort Hill and
Strokes Hill, from Kitchener Bay. As the part of the design, the Fort Hill was
removed to create new space.
As another part of design strategy, Darwin oil storage tunnels had been built,
towards the navy’s oil protection, from the attacks by the Japanese, during the
World War II. Two Darwin oil storage tunnels are made open for access to the
public (Oakley, 2009).
The transport strategies involve heading Darwin, through Chartair, regional
link and Darwin international airport. The city is reachable by sea, by train and by
road.

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Experimental Qualities
The temporal capital city, Darwin is both dry and humid, in a year.
Darwin is a place with an identified infrastructure and natural tourism
elements exist. The place is chosen, as it is one of the most prominent tourist
places, where multi-culture is found, since people from 50 cities have landed and
made their living.
Local influence is not much, as eco-tourism is not taken place in Darwin,
through is present in other parts of Australia.
Technically, Darwin place is public. However, the place was occupied more
by the private realtors, who have built various restaurants, resorts and many
commercial business structures. And some of these areas are restricted from the
public access (Blanco et al, 2009).
NEO-LIBERALISM
Neo-liberalism is an idea born in nineteenth century and resurged in 20th
century and the idea has association with laissez-faire economic liberalism. The
idea focuses on free trade, austerity, privatization, deregulation and government
spending reduction, for increasing the private sector role in the society and
economy. So, neo-liberalism can be conceived as economic liberalization. The idea
had paradigm shifted away the consensus of post-war Keynesian, lasting in 1980.
NEO-LIBERISM INFLUENCE ON DARWIN WATERFRONT
Neo-liberalism is not considered to be a direct blueprint of
governmental reform coherent strategy, but is considered to be government

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rationality that is highly path dependent. It demands the actors, technologies
and institutions, enacting and disseminating across the geographical spaces,
successfully.
Finally, the concept of neolibaralism allowed the governmental effort to
reshape and redevelop the Waterfront of Darwin to shift to international
renowned Darwin, from a perception of a least known big country town.
Finally, renewal and redeveloped Darwin waterfront is driven by paradigm of
neo-liberal competitive city. More commonly, geo-economic and geo-political
discources have been employed, towards and characterizing and identifying,
as the problems that demand resolutions, and also strategies for rationalities
that can be deployed to drive change to urban. The city eventually, has
become one of the capitals for the tourists and lifestyle. Darwin waterfront has
now been focused mixed use economy.
Neo-liberalism has influenced the Darwin waterfront place and its
development. The North Territory Government has taken the Darwin Tourism as a
‘pet project’, since at that point of time, private investment was lacked. Eventually,
leading role was taken by the government of NT, for marketing and promotion of
the Darwin place. And the newer development projects are also taken place by the
government, towards developing the place with new tourism projects.
Here, the government’s role is critical in the Darwin tourism development
and is the indication of institutional environment creation, for operation of the
tourism industry. Eventually, the government gets more control, planning
regulation, stimulation, entrepreneurial activity, coordination and promotion (Hall,
2000). It shows exceptional position of domination by the NT government, for
tourism. Since most of the Darwin place is involved in tourism, it shows
domination of government in Darwin place, as a whole (Berzins, 2007). The

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strategy followed by the government was interventionist approach. As far as the
local government, the authorities are very limited (Pforr, 2001), since the
government of NT became the leading tourism decision-maker.
Progress History
The prospects of tourism in Darwin was curtailed, devastated most of the
infrastructure and city, by Cyclone Tracy, in 1974. However, Darwin
reconstruction with consequent growth of strong population, a considerable
momentum gained during 1980s. The growth has been continued, and the tourists
increased to 720,000 visitors for a year, contributing more than 50% of visitors to
NT and eventually, Darwin has become the most visited destination, in the NT. The
average stay of visitors in Darwin is about 7 nights, which is the longer than the
other part of the Territory Tourism NT, 2009). Going forward, Darwin has gained
substantial market for the tourism business, reaching approximately, 23% of total
market of visitors. The market is also grown to an extent that the market of strong
visiting friends and relatives moved to 15% of total visitor market (Tourism
Research Australia, 2009).today, Darwin tourism has got its share of 7% of Darwin
labour force, who got employment in the food & beverage and accommodation
sectors and tourism in Darwin stands, as one of the largest set of employers in
private sector (Australia Bureau of Statistics, 2008).
Darwin Waterfront Development
In recent years, Darwin has received enormous investment in the
redevelopment of the infrastructure of the tourism, far more than the investment
made in the other parts of the NT tourism. One of the important infrastructure
projects was huge and $1.1 billion for the Darwin waterfront redevelopment, in
which the new convention centre construction was taken place, as part of it

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(Forster, 2006). Other significant reconstruction are artificial swimming lagoon,
having hotels, wave pool, residential apartments, holiday apartments, cruise ship
terminal, retail space, restaurants, along with walkway bridge covered, to link the
precinct of waterfront with the centre of the city.
After the project of waterfront, the investment and construction have
boomed in the city center of Darwin with new apartment complexes, hotels and
several entertainment venues, upgraded and newly built.
Here, the government of NT, encourages investment and partnership of the
private investment, strongly and even offered subsidizing, from the other
investment parties. It shows influence of neo-liberalism, allowing free market with
inviting and encouraging the investors in the redevelopment of Darwin waterfront
and city (Girald, et al, 2014).
Here, though such increase of private and free market investment are seemed
to be positive for the development of the city, in the view of short-term economic
growth, however, the long-term impact from these developments are understood to
be still extensive involvement of the government. It still indicates that the
government to be extensive and sole decision-maker, in the design and
development of Darwin, and the equity of the private stakeholders is still
substantially reduced, which shows lower influence of neo-liberalism (Simpson,
2001).
When the government support is continuous resilience for investment in
Darwin infrastructure, development, distribution and marketing, it could create a
sort of dependency culture among the players of private industry and it would stifle
the private investment and home-grown initiatives, which eventually could lock the
industry to become the path of permanent dependency development (Kneafsey,
2000).

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Some important cultural aspects of Darwin are Darwin festival, aboriginal
art awards, Heineken hottest sevens in the world, arafura games, Darwin cup
carnival, etc.
When the number of international visitors became down, the government has
shown its efforts only towards capturing the domestic market, by announcing
publicly as both the opposition parties and tourism industry made calls, for the
government to allocate additional fund for marketing. The examples are recent
marketing funds boost, after the 2008 global financial crisis and Arafura rescue
package, the extra promotion and compensation payment funds to Darwin. It was
done after the Arafura Games cancellation, in 2003, because of the SARS outbreak.
Tourism marketing was supported by the government, by the announcement of $15
million, towards support for marketing of the tourism, to ride out the then global
financial slowdown.
The primary strategy Darwin urban development is turning it to the best
tourism places, to create more jobs, though short-term and boost the local
economy, through focus and investment in the showy and large infrastructure.
Gradually, the investment is increased from the external investors shows increased
influence of neo-liberalism. It is a positive sign for the free economic market.
The Waterfront Precinct
The waterfront precinct of Darwin is one of the most important tourism
infrastructure investments. The government endorsed in 1990s, for a major Darwin
Wharf redevelopment, aiming to convert it to a vibrant harbor city and to be
recognized internationally. And the project was labeled as the ‘biggest investment
of tourism in the history of Territory’, officially.
The project development was initiated with the pubic-private partnership,
with government as main driving force, having its investment of $150 million. The

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neo-liberalism influence has resulted in waterfront pet project to be shaped to
today’s picture of Darwin waterfront.
Waterfront is shaped with inclusion of huge installation of public art,
apartments, water park and convention centre. The waterfront is strategized
to enrich with passenger terminal for visiting of the cruise ships.
Development of Built Environment
The built environment has been drastically changed after the commencement
of the waterfront project. It influenced with immediate spill-over effects, in the city
centre for the accommodation sector, with short-term rental and holiday
accommodation. The ‘bed crisis’ was eased by new accommodation developments
encouragement, by the Tourism and government in NT, on several occasions. The
development eventually has given spin-offs for the whole economy of Territory.
Strategies
One of the significant strategies developed and followed by the government
of NT was to encourage the tourism infrastructure and accommodation
construction and increase local employment, especially, when the number of
tourists was projected to decrease. Though it was mentioned in very few articles,
the fact remains that most of the investing companies are externally based, such as
SKyCity, Toga Hotels, Saville Hotel Group, etc. It may not completely justify the
influence of neo-liberalism, though.
A tourism restaurant is strategically placed and built that the customers
can overlook the harbor (Adlam, 2006). It is indicated as cultural
infrastructural growth. It appears to be creative to the ‘creative industry
customers’ touristic eye. CBD is one of the important tourist places along with

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Darwin waterfront and so a walkway is constructed, connecting these two
potential tourist places.
Urban form, Environment and Public Space
Urban form is considered to have huge buildings, entertainment hubs,
while all the facilities are available for living, improving the quality and
standards of life. So, Darwin Convention Center is proposed to build, as an
auditorium that has the capacity of 1500 seating, along with huge exhibition
space of 4000 sq. m., wave logon, seal wall construction, open public space,
with enough space for car parking, in multi-stories.
Big apartment hotel with 121 rooms, another hotel with capacity of 120
rooms, along with many residential apartments, reaching and more than 138
are proposed and built.
Apart from 138 residential and huge apartment hotel, both retail and
commercial apartments are built, with mixed usage of retail and commercial
component.
The creative potential of Darwin and Darwin waterfront lies in the
public spaces that are racially mixed.
Today, Darwin stands as one of the greatest topical cities in the world.
The Central Business District
CBD and pedestrian mall struggle with sales figures and visitor number
decline. Local business operators hope for increased effects of flow, from
convention visitors in the Central Business District. Here, the sole decision maker,
the government influence the local business. Since the connection between CBD

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and waterfront is poor, any new construction or waterfront development can hardly
benefit.
CONCLUSION
The research and critical analysis indicate that the tourism development of
Darwin, by the substantial NT Government involvement has been from early 2000s
and the share of the private partnership has been increased during 21st century and
eventually, the partnership of private and free market signs are considerably less, as
there is strong presence and involvement of government is seen, in terms of
planning, regulation, strategic development in developing and urbanizing the
Darwin place and so the city. Though neo-liberalism is seen in this place, from 21st
century, the share is still minor and role of government continues to dominate.
Industry dependence and lack of private investment on government show
continued domination of the marketing and development of tourism by the NT
Government (Tourism NT, 2008). Tourism, which is an economic industry, has not
been evolved as a process of organic growth, completely and appears to be an
industry that is artificial government driven, whose objective is supposed to be
local economy boost, simulating the employment and economic activity, in real
estate and construction industries. As the Darwin tourism is still reliant on the
investment and continuous support of the government and external investors, it
may take longer time to be breeding ground for the innovation and
entrepreneurship locally and become more independent economic system.
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