The cheesemaker behind the much-anticipated Coolamon Cheese Factory has labelled the Coalition’s tourism funding pledge as “politicians playing politics” and has urged the state government to take the tourism potential of inland NSW more seriously.
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Barry Lillywhite will open the Riverina’s latest tourist attraction in November following a crowd-funding campaign to get it off the ground.
Mr Lillywhite said he applied for state and federal government grants three times and was knocked back on each occasion.
It’s why he treats a funding announcement to “grow regional tourism” with a degree of cynicism.
“Of course it disturbs me, but that’s just politicians playing politics,” Mr Lillywhite said. “You can argue it’s a disparity between country and city but within that, a lot of the grants will go to the coastal regions instead of inland regional. That’s my gripe.”
The NSW Coalition has vowed to bring total tourism funding to more than $640 million if reelected – including additional funding of $73 million for Sydney events and $40 million for regional tourism.
Member for Wagga Daryl Maguire said the funding announcement was a “shot in the arm” for regional tourism.
“At the moment it’s a very good start and I think local members will be very pleased – and so will the tourism operators that have long campaigned and asked for funding,” he said.
Former member for Riverina Kay Hull - who sat on the Tourism NSW Board from 1995 to 1998 – said funding announcements needed to be tied with better emphasis on lifting the profile of tourism.
Mrs Hull said there were a number of important events – including the Deniliquin Ute Muster – that were born from her time on the tourism board.
“They (the state government) were interested in what we did,” she said. “I don’t see that interest anymore; we can get it back again and we should get it back again.”
Mrs Hull pointed to the lack of a dedicated tourism minister in both the state and federal governments.
Deputy Premier Troy Grant has the responsibility for tourism and major events, but he also has responsibility for trade and investment, regional infrastructure, gaming and racing and the arts.
Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb holds the responsibility at a federal level. Tourism is not named at all on Mr Robb’s ministerial title.
“That’s the trouble,” Mrs Hull said. “We don’t have a Minister for Tourism anymore – the minister always shares the responsibility with others such as gaming and the like. The emphasis has been lost and it needs to be brought back.”
Mr Maguire disagreed with Mrs Hull’s views and said the government needed to reduce “white chauffeured cars and limosuines”.
“If you want a parliament full of ministers then the public need to pay,” he said.
