{"id":182369,"date":"2017-06-26T23:02:18","date_gmt":"2017-06-26T13:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=182369"},"modified":"2020-09-11T11:30:58","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T01:30:58","slug":"south-burnett-may-leave-sqc-regional-tourism-board","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2017\/06\/26\/south-burnett-may-leave-sqc-regional-tourism-board\/","title":{"rendered":"South Burnett May Leave
SQC Regional Tourism Board"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Declining tourist revenues at the South Burnett’s two dams have played a part in the SBRC’s decision to consider severing ties with the Southern Queensland Country regional tourism board<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell (Photo: SBRC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 26, 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

The South Burnett Regional Council may break away from the Southern Queensland Country regional tourism board and redirect resources to a new local tourism group instead.<\/p>\n

South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell made the bombshell announcement when he delivered his 2017-18 Budget speech on Monday.<\/p>\n

“It would be fair to say that tourism is at a crossroads,” the Mayor said.<\/p>\n

“The has been widespread criticism of how the promotion of tourism is currently structured and funded through our regional tourism organisation, South Queensland Country Tourism.<\/p>\n

“This has galvanised local operators to create or be part of two new local tourism organisations, Visit South Burnett and Darling Downs Tourism.”<\/p>\n

The Mayor said he felt tourism had been very disjointed in the region, but was pleased to see local operators banding together to sell the South Burnett as a tourism destination.<\/p>\n

“Like economic development, tourism needs to be promoted by the operators themselves, and our role is to assist and support their efforts,” the Mayor said.<\/p>\n

“Over the next month or so we will be undertaking a review of this role, including a decision on our membership of Southern Queensland Country Tourism and future funding models for local tourism organisations.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

In another part of his speech, Mayor Campbell said part of the “budget black hole” that will lead the Council to reduce its staff in the coming year was a $225,000 shortfall in tourist revenues at Lake Boondooma and the Yallakool Tourist Park.<\/p>\n

It is believed SQC has received the blame for this, a position made worse by that organisation’s recent claims that tourism spending hit a record high over the past year.<\/p>\n

In January, Toowoomba businessman John Wagner took to the media to make a scathing attack on SQC, claiming it was an “absolute joke” and a “disgrace”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In May, Mr Wagner announced he was forming the new breakaway local tourism organisation – Tourism Darling Downs – with a mandate to promote everything within a two-hour drive of Toowoomba.<\/p>\n

This would include the area from Wondai to Blackbutt, but exclude Murgon and the two dams.<\/p>\n

Tourism Darling Downs was launched at a gala function at Wellcamp Airport earlier this month, and has already begun a recruitment drive to sign up South Burnett tourism operators.<\/p>\n

An alternative local group – Visit South Burnett – has also recently been formed, and has already held preliminary discussions with the South Burnett Regional Council.<\/p>\n

It is believed the South Burnett will wait for Toowoomba Regional Council to bring down its own Budget before coming to a final decision.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio said earlier this year he was open to looking at different approaches to funding tourism.<\/p>\n

Tourism and Events portfolio leader Cr Geoff McDonald said Toowoomba Council was looking at a number of models to support the tourism sector.<\/p>\n

These would be considered ahead of this year’s Budget deliberations, Cr McDonald said.<\/p>\n

Toowoomba Regional Council is currently the largest single contributor to Southern Queensland Country.<\/p>\n

Others are the Southern Downs, Western Downs, Goondiwindi and South Burnett Regional Councils, along with Balonne Shire Council.<\/p>\n

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