In 2012, Synergies Economic Consulting was engaged by QORF to investigate the contribution of the Outdoor Recreation sector to the Queensland economy.

Executive Summary

The main findings of our report in terms of the economic contribution and benefits delivered by the Outdoor Recreation sector are:

• an indicative estimate of its annual contribution to Gross State Product of at least $2 billion;
• outdoor recreation is already a potentially large contributor to avoided health costs in the Queensland community and could play an increasingly important role in this regard in light of
• a large and increasing body of international qualitative research indicates there are a wide range of benefits attributable to outdoor recreation in the areas of individual and community health, the environment and education.

In terms of priorities for the Outdoor Recreation sector, we find that:

• the significance of the private sector as a provider of outdoor recreation services is not well known and would benefit from an industry mapping exercise to assess the importance of the private enterprises in the sector;
• in the longer term, a set of satellite accounts for the Outdoor Recreation sector is the preferred approach to reporting the contribution of the sector as a whole to the Queensland (this will an expensive option to implement, with doubt about who will fund it, however reliance on targeted research into the value (measured in terms of benefits and avoided costs) of outdoor recreation is essential);
• it will be important for outdoor recreation service providers to understand how their services and particular outdoor recreation activities provide beneficial health outcomes as well as the cost-efficiencies of these services as a form of preventive health. Psychological and social cohesion benefits are also important; and
• access to sufficient areas of land and water with attributes suitable for outdoor recreation purposes, and which are managed for user satisfaction, safety, sustainability and compliance with relevant laws, is a challenge for the sector into the future although this challenge is not a new one.

The present contribution of the Outdoor Recreation sector to the community from an economic, social and environmental perspective is not widely understood because of gaps in public information. Consequently, the hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders who regularly engage in outdoor activity understand the benefits they derive but not how the community, economy and environment are benefited.

This report shows that the Outdoor Recreation sector is an important contributor to our community and that our community will clearly benefit from greater outdoor activity. However, the estimates formed in this report are approximate. Our main aim in this report is to present the available evidence and methods for quantifying the sector’s contribution to the community. Further research is needed to narrow the range of estimates provided in this report.

Prepared by:
Synergies Economic Consulting Pty Ltd
www.synergies.com.au