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Comment from the Rottnest Society...

An ongoing problem for Rottnest is the simplistic argument that the majority of Western Australians who stay on the island come from the western suburbs - the inference being that it is only rich people who use Rottnest as their playground.

This argument is limited in that it leaves out the fact that many people will do all they can to live near the beach regardless of their financial circumstances - whilst others want the hills or a more rural lifestyle.  It also leaves out the fact that many pensioners have lived in the Western suburbs for a very long time may not be able to buy in there if they were just starting out.  It also leaves out the possibility that some people prefer simple beach holidays, others wish to holiday in forest areas, and still others choose Club Med type destinations.

This argument also says, quite reasonably, that we, the taxpayers, should not be subsidising the holidays of these wealthy western suburbs people (several years ago then Minister for Tourism Norman Moore referred to wealthy people 'slumming' it at Rottnest).  However, this again is a very simplistic argument.  If indeed wealthy western suburbs people seek to holiday at Rottnest every year (often with extended family and friends), what is it about Rottnest that takes them back there year after year when presumably many of them could afford to go anywhere in the world?  In other words these people choose to go to Rottnest in spite of very basic accommodation when they could choose to go to exotic places with much better accommodation (perhaps many people do both).  There is obviously something of great value about the experience to be had at Rottnest.

And of course we find when we talk to people from all walks of life, and from all socio-economic backgrounds, and from all age groups, that the particular experience to be had at Rottnest IN SPITE OF the basic accommodation is what keeps generations of people going back year after year.  This should not be taken as an argument for doing nothing about the infrastructure and accommodation on the island - rather it should be the central idea to be held at the forefront of any planning for the future.

Is there an alternative funding method?