At CoastXP we are committed to sustainability, community engagement and responsible tourism. We aim to provide unforgettable experiences to our customers while minimising our environmental impact and supporting the well-being of our community.
We are involved in the following initiatives:
CoastXP is proud to hold a quality and sustainable tourism accreditation through the Australian Tourism Industry Council. This accreditation recognises our dedication to implementing sustainable practices throughout our operations along with some of the best operators around the country.
As an Eco Pass Operator licensed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, we adhere to stringent environmental guidelines while conducting our activities inside NSW National Parks, and ensures that our tours have minimal impact on the ecosystems and wildlife within these regions. Our goal is to leave these environments pristine, both in NSW National Parks as well as the waterways in which we operate.
CoastXP, together with MySequester, operates a small-scale carbon offset program that turns carbon credits collected from our guests into tree-planting projects at local schools. Through this initiative, our local environment and community benefit. Trees are critical for our fight against climate change – they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, provide an important habitat for wildlife, stabilise the ground and beautify the schools which participate in the program. You can read more about our carbon offsetting with MySequester here.
We invite local schools or community groups interested in having trees planted on their land to contact us.
CoastXP participated in the Ecotourism Strive 4 Sustainability scorecard pathway program and scored an overall score of 88%!! This program assessed CoastXP’s current sustainability practices in comparison to what is required of a sustainable tour operator within the industry, and benchmarks us against the best in the industry in four key areas: environmental impacts, socio-economic impacts, cultural impacts and sustainable management.
CoastXP gained sustainability micro-credentials through EarthCheck covering a range of topics including sustainable tourism principles and practices, environmental impact assessment, waste management, energy efficiency, water conservation, social responsibility, and economic sustainability. Through this program, we are committed to our environmental and social performance. CoastXP also assisted EarthCheck in business testing the state and federal government’s Sustainable Tourism Toolkit published on business.gov.au which assists tourism businesses with the knowledge and resources to expand their sustainability practices.
CoastXP employs a Marinescapes air-lift berthing system, eliminating hull fouling without the use of toxic chemicals while also entirely preventing the spread of invasive benthic organisms. This system also extends the vessel lifespan, minimising the resources required for maintenance, repair and replacement of the hull and other structural components.
We value strong connections with the local community and partner with various collaborators to make a positive impact towards sustainability. We support local suppliers and businesses to boost the regional economy and reduce transportation-related emissions. We are proud to participate in, support and partner with the following organisations:
ORRCA is a 100% volunteer-run organisation that operates around the country providing essential research and rescue activities to cetaceans (whales, dolphins, seals and porpoises) in need. CoastXP regularly participates in the annual northern and southern ORRCA humpback whale census, as well as members of the CoastXP team are trained marine mammal researchers and rescuers.
Visit the ORRCA website.
CoastXP recognise the traditional owners of the lands and waterways we interact with every day. These are the Worimi, Awabakal and Darkinjung people. Through our tours we pay respect to their connection with the land, sea and sky and acknowledge their traditions, stories and culture. We have collaborated with the Mirromaa Aboriginal Language and Technology Centre on the cultural interpretation of the sites we visit on our tours.
Visit the Mirromaa website.
CoastXP is an active supporter of Camp Quality and a range of other local and national charities. Camp Quality is an Australian children’s cancer charity that improves the quality of life for kids facing cancer. We support local Camp Quality families by providing them with once-in-a-lifetime experiences on our tours.
Visit the Camp Quality website.
The Mirabel Foundation was established to help vulnerable children and young people reach their potential. Through the work of the foundation, Mirabel aims to restore a child’s sense of self-worth and belonging. As part of our support, together with the Mirabel team, we provide young people an opportunity to explore nature and connect with one another on our guided boat tours and bushwalks.
A Splash of Colour Swimming is a local charity that runs a holistic learn-to-swim program for culturally and linguistically diverse women in Newcastle, encouraging them to overcome barriers to swimming and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to enjoy water-based activities. As part of our support, we provide a boat tour to participants upon their completion of the program.
At CoastXP, we’re a Take 3 for the Sea tourism partner and an inaugural ground swell program participant. We aim to act responsibly when it comes to minimising and disposing of waste in all areas of our operation. Wherever possible, we remove plastic litter from the water and areas we visit. As a Take 3 for the Sea tourism partner, together with our guests we make a difference to the local environments in which we operate by simply picking up 3 pieces of rubbish when leaving the beach, waterway, or any location and together we can contribute to a cleaner, healthier environment.
Visit the Take 3 for the Sea website.
At CoastXP our tours are not just unforgettable experiences, they are also educational. Our goal is to foster environmental stewardship and sustainability, inspiring our guests to protect and preserve the ecosystems we explore. We support education organisations by assisting in data collection, contributing to the advancement of scientific knowledge through research, conservation and industry education.
CoastXP is an active supporter of ongoing education in the marine, tourism and business sectors. We regularly host work-integrated learning students, and present guest lectures in change management, tourism, tour experience design and management, risk management, sustainability and entrepreneurship. CoastXP is a founding Startups @ School educator as well as providing industry support for the Federal Government’s higher education “Startup Year” loan program.
CoastXP is an active supporter of TAFE NSW, particularly their tourism/visitor economy and maritime courses. These courses are essential to the future development of our industries and the related ongoing jobs in our local area. We have collaborated with the NSW Government and TAFE NSW on the rollout of the Visitor Economy Microskill course encouraging students into careers in the visitor economy, as well as working on school-based apprenticeships in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie through the Employment Pathways Program.
CoastXP has a number of engagements with local schools throughout the year. This includes MySequester tree planting projects, presenting talks about tourism, business or management, ongoing education through the Startups @ School program, guest judge of business or environmental challenges, as well as school-based apprenticeships.
Dominic (the founder of CoastXP) is the Chair of the Newcastle Tourism Industry Group. The committee consists of a range of individuals who are passionate about Newcastle and growing the visitor economy with the mission to provide a unified voice that promotes the visitor economy in Newcastle by maximising industry participation in tourism planning, development and marketing.
Visit the NTIG webiste.
Dominic is a technical advisory panel member for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s (AMSA) guidelines for marine adventure tourism operators. These guidelines have been developed as a standard of best practice for operators from around Australia.
Dominic is a Hunter Global Tourism Advisory Committee member in collaboration with the Hunter Joint Organisation and the 10 local government areas they represent. The purpose of this committee is to guide the direction of a combined internationally-ready tourism strategy for the Hunter region.
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