A $225,000 decline in revenues at the South Burnett’s two dams has played a part in the SBRC’s decision to consider alternative approaches to tourism promotion

July 19, 2017

Will South Burnett tourism operators form their own Local Tourism Organisation to promote the region?

Or will they apply to join the new Darling Downs Tourism LTO, formed by Toowoomba businessman and Wellcamp Airport owner John Wagner in May this year?

These are some of the questions that may be discussed – and perhaps answered – at a workshop to be held in Kingaroy this Thursday (July 20) to discuss the future directions of South Burnett tourism promotion.

It is no secret there has been discontent among some South Burnett tourism operators since the formation of SQCT in 2012 from the merger of “Toowoomba Golden West and South Burnett Tourism” and “Southern Downs and Granite Belt Regional Tourism”, two bodies that were themselves the products of earlier mergers.

The local South Burnett Tourism Association wound up in 2015 after staggering along for several years following the collapse in local tourism caused by the 2011 and 2013 floods and a massive drop in membership.

However, on Wednesday SQCT CEO Mary-Clare Power painted a rosier picture of the South Burnett’s tourism industry.

She said visitors to the South Burnett have increased 30 per cent over the past five years.

She said analysis of Tourism Research Australia (TRA) statistics showed visitors injected nearly $90 million into the region.

TRA figures for the March quarter show the number of tourists to South Burnett rose from 448,000 in 2012 to more than 581,000 this year.

Ms Power said the South Burnett had one of the highest visitation increases over the past five years in the SQCT area, which also includes Toowoomba and Darling Downs, Southern Downs and Granite Belt, and the western areas of Goondiwindi, Balonne and Western Downs.

“Low water levels may have impacted Council-operated tourist parks near the dams but it is clear that Lake Barambah and Boondooma Dam remain jewels in South Burnett’s tourism crown,” Ms Power said.

“TRA figures reveal that the dams continue to be a major drawcard for the South Burnett region with 30 per cent more tourists taking part in fishing and water sports in the year to March compared with 2012.

“With a warm start to winter, a busy school holiday period and some pleasing rainfall, our members in the South Burnett are rightfully upbeat about the prospects for 2017-18.”

Taste South Burnett owner and former SQCT Board member Shannon Scott declared his support for the promotional work of the tourism group.

He said he had seen an increase in visitors and expenditure at his Kingaroy business over the past five years.

“We have a passion for the food and wine this exquisite region produces and since the formation of SQCT we have seen a solid, incremental increase in tourists coming in search of what the South Burnett has to offer,” Mr Scott said.

“Importantly a greater proportion of these visitors are staying longer than in the past. SQCT has been very effective in delivering not just more but higher spending visitors to our region.

“Despite an increasingly challenging and competitive tourism market, SQCT’s work has helped drive solid sales growth for our cellar door business.”

Ms Power said she hoped the newly released TRA statistics would assist South Burnett Regional Council in its tourism workshop, which will be held at Kingaroy Town Hall’s supper room from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

“I think it will be very productive for Council to host the session and I look forward to speaking to Mayor Keith Campbell about the outcomes,” Ms Power said.

“It is our hope informed discussion can take place off the back of this new national data, which provides statistical insight as to what is working for the region and where to best direct additional efforts to promote growth.”

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4 Responses to "SQCT Defends Tourism Record"

  1. So you are telling me that there is an average of 1600 tourists coming to the South Burnett every day, or 11,200 a week. I don’t see that volume of traffic coming through Kingaroy, and I work just across from the main intersection that is a entrance to the town.

    I frequently travel in and around the South Burnett and I don’t see lines of cars or much in the way of heavy traffic. No queues to get fuel, no motels constantly booked out. No footpaths packed with people.

    So where are these phantom travellers? I’d like to have a slice of the action. I’ve been in business a long time and know “creative accounting” when I see it.

    Reply

  2. I agree wholeheartedly with Mr Langford. The data presented doesn’t stack up with the reality. Take a ride around the district. Ask the people that are trying their damnedest to run businesses that are dependent on tourism and see what that have to say.

    Are they prospering, do they they have plans to expand and employ more staff? Are more beds being filled? Are they selling more produce?

    The answers will speak for themselves.

    Our councillors need to talk to those who can present them with the facts. The actual facts that our community face on a daily basis not massaged statistics.

    It was Benjamin Disraeli who said: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

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  3. As a further thought on this issue, I would like to hear back from the Council portfolio holder as to the gains and improvements achieved by our membership of the SQCT. An informed and accurate public response would be welcomed by all concerned rate payers

    As a rate payer myself, I’d be very interested to heard just how we have materially profited from our six-year membership of this quango.

    I understand that we have annually forked out $60,000 a year to this entity and we have been doing so for some six years now and $360,000 later, have any councilors ever asked the SQCT to account for the money paid to them so as to see a cost analysis of the of the net benefits?

    Councillors are there to do a job on behalf of their electorate. They are also there because the electorate trusted them to safeguard their best interest and to ensure that their hard-earned money is being spent efficiently and to the benefit of the wider community. They really need to ask questions, and then question the answers.
    In short keep the bastards honest!

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  4. I agree with both Rob and Ray. Everyone I know in the local tourism industry has found things pretty flat over the past six years.

    We now have about half the number of tourism operators this region had in the early 2000s when the South Burnett elected to “go it alone” and pulled out of the Tourism Queensland network completely for two or three years. But ever since they rejoined, our tourism industry has steadily withered on the vine, culminating in the demise of the South Burnett Tourism Association a few years ago.

    So I sincerely question Tourism Queensland’s claims of 30 per cent growth. And so should our Council.

    Reply

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