The Shire of Coorow commissioned tourism signage consultancy Wayfound to develop a whole of destination integrated tourism wayfinding and signage strategy. The purpose of the Strategy is to ensure that current and future signage facilitates safe and positive journeys and enhances the dispersal of visitors and their connection with the people and the places of the Shire of Coorow.

The Shire of Coorow contrasts significantly from east to west. In the east is the red loam of farmlands first settled in the 1860s. In the west are the twin coastal hamlets of Green Head and Leeman. The Shire of Coorow offers contrasting holiday experiences that range from great beaches, pioneer settlements and a world renowned wild flower experience. The Shire is part of the Wildflower Way and is situated on the Midlands Route. The spring wildflower season (especially after good winter rains) brings in a large influx of visitors to the Heathland regions of the shire.

The existing tourism related signage in the Shire of Coorow did not enhance the visitor experience or adequately direct visitors to the area’s many attractions. Business and tourism organisations along with business operators have requested that Council develop a strategy to address this, with some of their concerns being:

• Lack of wayfinding and tourism signage to let visitors know the attractions, services and facilities available within the Shire of Coorow and it’s towns and villages.
• Lack of unique and distinctive signage and imagery that showcases Shire of Coorow’s tourism experiences and entices visitors to stop, explore and stay longer.

The Strategy provides the framework for Council to make decisions on the location and style of all future tourism signage and wayfinding in the Shire of Coorow. The Strategy contains clear guidelines for developing a suite of distinctive, innovative and consistent tourism signage and supports achievement of Council’s strategic tourism goals. It gives direction for choosing the right signage for the particular circumstance, for locating signs and for further development of signage policies and processes. Priorities for action and an implementation plan were also included.