State Budget 2018: Money set aside to find bushwalk to rival Three Capes, the Overland Track

THE search is on for Tasmania’s next great iconic walk, with $9 million allocated in this year’s Budget to find the right slice of wilderness in which to create the $20 million drawcard.

THE search is on for Tasmania’s next great iconic walk, with $9 million allocated in this year’s Budget to find the right slice of wilderness in which to create the $20 million drawcard.

The funding is part of a tourism spend Treasurer Peter Gutwein said was needed for Tasmania’s tourism sector to continue to be a “runaway success”.

The Tasman Peninsula was identified in early studies as the prime spot for a wilderness walk but that vision has become reality through the creation of the Three Capes Track.

Other parts of the state will now be under the microscope, with building of a new walk earmarked for 2019-2020.

“With existing walks booked out in peak season, it is clear there is ample demand for another iconic walk in Tasmania,” Mr Gutwein said.

With the flow-on effects for regional communities near wild attractions, lobbying is expected to be fierce.

“Existing walks such as the Three Capes track, have an enormous positive impact on their surrounding communities, boosting the economy, creating jobs and redefining the identity of a region,” Mr Gutwein said.

“For a state that in the past has been often left off the map, we are now the destination that everyone wants to visit, and our accommodation sector is in overdrive to keep up with demand,” he said.

MORE STATE BUDGET COVERAGE:

TASMANIA POLICE DRONES TAKE TO THE AIR

ANALYSIS: GUTWEIN SURFS THE WAVE OF PROSPERITY

MAJOR COST BLOWOUT HITS HEALTH BUDGET

FOREIGN INVESTOR DUTY SURCHARGE FOR HOUSING

Russell Falls at Mt Field National Park. Visitor numbers are in the increase in the Park with 189,000 per annum. Picture: MATT THOMPSON