OPINION PIECE
In a week of budget announcements, it’s disappointing for me personally that the only level of government focused on tourism in this part of Queensland is Mackay Regional Council.
Council has invested significantly into tourism for the last eight years and this week approved a further $4.9 million as part of the 2023-2024 budget to complete stage one of the Pioneer Valley Mountain Bike Trails. This will be the anchor project for the expansion of a more diversified tourism economy.
Tourism is on every list of economic things to focus on but is always at the bottom of those lists, because it doesn’t pay out what the big industry players pay out. Tourism is the opportunity for the smaller, further out communities to participate and grow their own self-sufficient local economies.
It’s what they need to attract better infrastructure and services from local government, state government and the private sector. It’s how they build liveability, a sense of place and pride of place and gain social outcomes.
The wallabies on the beach experience at Cape Hillsborough now attracts more than 100 people per day, double that on school holidays, with 27% of those visitors being international. Wallabies is the first big attraction to put the region back on the map; Pioneer Valley Mountain Bike Trails will be the second, so we need to be ready for third, fourth and fifth.
Big industry and agriculture’s contribution is so massively important, but you could argue that the benefits are largely centralised. Council has been investing in agriculture and mining services for decades and these industries have made us the regional productivity capital of Queensland. But not everyone benefits, and, to some extent, some may be left behind.
Council’s continued investment in tourism, visitor information centres and fishing, recreational vehicle (RV) and mountain biking visitation, spreads the investment across all communities, so everyone can have access to a tourism opportunity.
Tourism in the Mackay region is about to mature. I personally believe that we should be looking at investment options that will keep up with the expansion and not allow ourselves to get overwhelmed or have to play catch up.
Tourism is not on the bottom of my list – it’s closer to the top, and I believe we should be looking at how the task gets completed with a big green tick next to it.
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