00:00Sue Leighton has been celebrating this region's natural beauty for decades.
00:09With Ravensdorp and Hopeton already famous for wildflowers, she thinks the new marine
00:14park will boost the region's environmental credentials.
00:23But others say upgrades to infrastructure are needed before the new park opens.
00:28This is our main boat launching facility for our area. It's a little bit dated and not safe
00:33in all weather conditions. If we don't get the coastal access right then we just won't
00:41see the full potential of it realised. After a local mine closure left hundreds
00:46out of a job, tourism is more important than ever.
00:49Tourism is the real opportunity here I believe. The state government says the Mingaloo Marine
00:55Park in WA's north supports almost a thousand full-time jobs and brings $100 million a year
01:01to the economy. It says the South Coast Marine Park could have a similar impact.
01:06But with accommodation shortages here in Esperance there's concern there just won't
01:10be anywhere for tourists to stay. And there are differing opinions about
01:14where the fishing restrictions in the marine park will deter visitors.
01:18We're really keen to see a 200 metre setback which would push that marine park boundary back
01:23200 metres off the coast and allow people to continue to wet a line on these popular
01:27and favourite beaches. Others are confident those challenges can
01:30be overcome. There's currently no evidence to show that
01:34a marine park would prevent people from wanting to come but it does show that it would actually
01:40attract that higher value visitor moving forward. The state government is expected to release its
01:45final marine park plans later this year after public submissions close on Sunday.
01:53you
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