Fair Go for Our Regions: $20m tourism trail plan a ‘game changer’ between Port Pirie and Broken Hill

A $20 million tourist trail overhaul between Port Pirie and Broken Hill would create 245 jobs and provide a much-needed boost to some of the state’s most disadvantaged towns.

Peterborough Council mayor Ruth Whittle says her district would benefit from a $20 million tourism plan for a tourist trail between Port Pirie and Broken Hill. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

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A $20 million tourist trail overhaul between Port Pirie and Broken Hill would create 245 jobs and provide a much-needed boost to some of the state’s most disadvantaged towns.

The project, being pushed by 14 towns, indigenous nations and the National Trust, would involve a range of projects along the Silver 2 Sea trail, which follows an heritage railway line.

READ BELOW: Migrants would help fill rural workforce

They include an augmented reality app celebrating the regions’ history, a new indigenous cultural centre in Port Pirie, upgrades to major landmarks and new sculptures and artwork.

Port Pirie corporate and community director James Holyman said project partners had applied for $19.7 million in Federal Government funding, and were hopeful of winning money in the lead up to the election.

“It’s about improving community wellness by creating jobs and trying to keep young people in these towns,” Mr Holyman said.

Map of the the proposed tourist trail.

“It’s also about slowing people down and bringing them to the Australian Outback.

“The Silver 2 Sea Way regional economic revitalisation project will be a game changer to a region of South Australia and western New South Wales that has been largely forgotten. Both are on their economic knees.”

A key component of the project was the augmented reality project, which would allow people to use their phones or tablets at a range of places to see vision depicting areas’ history.

“For example, Port Pirie used to have a train line in its main street. You could hold your phone up and have a train coming at you down the street.

“It gives you an experience of what it was like at the time.”

The project partners wanted to secure an “iconic” Australian to create a CD that could be played along the journey, sharing the history and culture of various areas.

Mr Holyman said the work would also involve celebrating the Aboriginal rock paintings and carvings along the journey, along with new artwork at each of the towns.

It proposed silo paintings, artwork on cast iron water tanks and upgrades to historic buildings such as Peterborough’s heritage-listed ‘roundhouse’, where trains were maintained.

The regions hoped the project would provide a significant economic boost to towns in the area, including some that faced big challenges with social disadvantage, such as Port Pirie and Peterborough.

The railway line was once the busiest route in the world, carting iron ore from Broken Hill to be smeltered in Port Pirie.

Peterborough Mayor Ruth Whittle said the project was an important way to share the region’s story.

“The fact that we’ve got a designated way means people will spend extra time here, whether that’s extra hours or extra days and nights,” Ms Whittle said.

“They’ll stop, spend money and advertise our area.”

A spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said successful applications to the Building Better Regions Fund, would be announced within a week.

The five regional councils also had the support of several universities, the SA and NSW governments and other bodies, to deliver the project.

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LIMESTONE COAST

MIGRANTS WOULD HELP FILL RURAL WORKFORCE

By Erin Jones

Limestone Coast business leaders want to attract and retain at least 2000 people by 2026 to counteract the region's stagnant population and declining working age residents.

Regional Development Australia Limestone Coast has found five of the seven councils in the region had either flat growth or a decline in the population of 20 to 45 year olds.

The declining number of working age people is expected to be a severe constraint on future growth of the region, with a less dynamic labour pool to support investment.

The region’s population is forecast to grow by just two per cent by 2031 – the lowest forecasted growth for any region in SA, according to the Planning Department.

“The only way we can address the issue is to hold on to more young people, but the experience of the last 20 years is that hasn’t happened,” RDALC chief executive David Wheaton said.

“If we want to address the hallowing out of the region we have to bring people here and skilled migrants can bring the skills we need.”

Teys Australia, which has 518 staff at its Naracoorte abattoir, said it was difficult to find staff. “Our regional workforce is typically made up of many long servicing residents of the local community,” chief value chain officer Tom Maguire said.

“However, over the last 10 years there has been more youth sent to boarding schools or away for secondary and tertiary education opportunities and they often are not returning to live and participate in the community.”