QLD bushfires: Premier pledges campaign to lure tourists back

Queensland tourism hot spots left devastated by last week’s bushfires will benefit from a new campaign to lure tourists back to the areas, as the Premier pleads with visitors not to desert them.

QUEENSLAND Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has pleaded with tourists not to abandon regions decimated by bushfires.

She said the government would launch a campaign to lure visitors back to areas like the Gold Coast hinterland as soon as the fire danger had passed.

Bushfires: Binna Burra was my special place

Historic Binna Burra Lodge destroyed by fire

“Once the fires have gone away - we’ve still got a couple of weekends to go - but we need to run a great tourism campaign to say to everyone come back and support the region,” she told media.

The Sarabah fire destroyed 11 homes and significantly damaged the historic Binna Burra mountain lodge.

Around 70 lodge employees are out of work while the owners start to rebuild. The state’s top cop has confirmed that fire is now being treated as suspicious and that a complex investigation is underway.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk tours Timbarra Drive in Beechmont with Scenic Rim mayor Greg Christensen. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

“We do have concerns about the start of this fire,” Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll told reporters during a tour of destroyed properties in Beechmont on Sunday.

“We will be relentless in pursuing whoever it is that lit the fire, not only here, but across the state.”

The fire remains of the most concern to authorities because it is burning in valleys within the Scenic Rim that are hard to access.

Authorities have spent the last few days strengthening containment lines around blazes across the state while weather conditions have eased.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is seen inspecting a burnt out property at Binna Burra. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

The fire danger remains high to very high ahead of deteriorating firefighting conditions forecast on Tuesday.

More than 40 fires are still burning across the state, with officials warning some could burn for months because the ground is bone-dry and there is no significant rain in sight.

The state government has pledged $200,000 to help bushfire victims.