Getting signature tourism event off the ground would come at significant financial cost to ratepayers, according to council
It was supposed to be a ‘surprise event’ but the region’s next big tourism drawcard has been put on hold indefinitely.
Gatton
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Despite initial plans to develop a weekend-long signature event for the region, Lockyer Valley Council has pulled the pin on its tourism drawcard.
Lockyer Valley Regional Council at its 2020-2021 budget meeting announced it would develop a signature event for the region to boost tourism.
What was initially a secret has been put on the backburner for a later date, with council staffers saying it would take a “substantial commitment of funds” to deliver.
Mayor Tanya Milligan described the region as “uniquely positioned” in a time where Queenslanders were encouraged to explore their backyards.
“For us there’s a real opportunity to be smarter and tap into what’s already happening in our region,” Cr Milligan said.
“We know ourselves that we are already a day-trippers market and we are hard-pressed to find a weekend when there’s nothing happening in the Lockyer Valley.”
At Lockyer Valley Regional Council’s budget meeting on July 15 last year, councillors said the aim of the signature event was to draw people to the region for extended stays.
But in Wednesday’s meeting, councillors said the Lockyer Valley lacked significant accommodation facilities to host thousands of people for a weekend.
Councillor Jason Cook said a large event wasn’t out of the question for an external party or community group that wanted to have a crack.
“If someone wants to come out here and put on a massive event, we are happy to support them,” Cr Cook said.
“It’s just not us financing our own event.
“The challenging thing of doing bigger events with thousands of participants is the lack of accommodation we have.”
Councillors agreed that the plan to hold a signature event wouldn’t be tossed away, but that council wasn’t “quite ready at this point in time”.
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