Dissertation
Impacts of 4WD vehicles on K’gari roads: towards a sustainable transport solution
University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Doctor of Philosophy, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25907/00788
Abstract
Increasing tourism in recent decades to the World Heritage listed K’gari (Fraser Island) has presented challenges for park management in terms of visitor impacts to popular visitor sites and erosion of the inland four-wheel-drive (4WD) tracks. This thesis focusses on sustainable transport strategies and solutions for K’gari (Fraser Island). Tourism values and patterns for the region are reviewed with recent vehicle-use permit numbers for K’gari included. This thesis also contains a brief history of the development of the transport network and a description of the current transport network on K’gari (Fraser Island). It further includes an explanation of the erosive processes involved on the 4WD tracks. The current impacts occurring on the inland transport network are investigated and the how, why, and where these impacts occur is explored, as is the historical and contemporary observation of 4WD vehicle erosional impacts on the inland tracks. In fieldwork on nearby Cooloola, changes in the road surface level, along with other environmental variables, are measured over time. Importantly, a series of strategies and solutions to reduce 4WD impacts on the island and enhance road monitoring, restoration and maintenance are presented. Solutions are presented ranging from adaptation strategies, strategic planning, monitoring, and funding solutions based on global best practices. Road surface profiles from fieldwork sites on Cooloola and K’gari (Fraser Island) are utilised in a WEPP prediction model to estimate annual runoff and sediment erosion from 2021 to 2030. An estimate for the sustainable capacity of visitor vehicles at any one time for K’gari (Fraser Island) and a moderated strategy that does not significantly affect most stakeholders is recommended. Management challenges, global applications and future research possibilities are examined, including a discussion on the barriers to effective implementation of the strategies and solutions presented for sustainable transport on K’gari (Fraser Island).
Details
- Title
- Impacts of 4WD vehicles on K’gari roads: towards a sustainable transport solution
- Authors
- Ross Waldron - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Contributors
- Adrian McCallum (Supervisor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre - Legacy
- Awarding institution
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Degree awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- DOI
- 10.25907/00788
- Organisation Unit
- Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Cancer Research Cluster; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99972798802621
- Output Type
- Dissertation
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