Improving facilities and local character can lift the quality of the tourism offer to a standard deserving of the world class whale and marine experiences and make Hervey Bay the preferred jumping off point for World Heritage K’gari (Fraser Island).
TRC was engaged by Fraser Coast Regional Council to prepare an Infrastructure Study which identified gaps in tourism infrastructure and solutions to improve visitor experiences and establish Hervey Bay as a true international destination.
The report identifies a number of strategies and investments to reinforce the special character of existing precincts within the town to enhance liveability and make local places more attractive for residents and visitors alike. There are significant opportunities for Council to drive planning to enable private and partnered investments in critical infrastructure.
Recommendations include significant new public and private sector facilities at Urangan Harbour and River Heads to give easy, safe and enjoyable jumping off points for the hero experiences, with Urangan Harbour becoming the main visitor focus for the region.
Other initiatives include building on the attractiveness of Maryborough and the hinterland for its mining and military heritage and growing regional farm and nature based attractions to contrast and diversify the coastal experiences.
Improving public infrastructure particularly at the marina and piers and facilitating the establishment of attractions to cater for the non-whale watch seasons will assist in rounding out seasonal fluctuations. Increasing access capacity both to and within the region will also assist in building international visits.
While Council are still considering the report’s recommendations and project ideas, TRC has given a number of case studies from other locations that demonstrate the importance of the initiatives and demonstrate their potential for success.
TRC has provided a clear Tourism Investment Action Plan to assist Fraser Coast Regional Council adopt the right policies and strategies to realise their vision of being globally recognised for world class personal natural encounters and World Heritage listed K’gari (Fraser Island).
This will require Council to build partnerships with business, tourism operators, academic institutions and the local community. Council can facilitate investment by providing public infrastructure and encouraging high quality experiences that benefit tourism, creating partnerships with other agencies and industry to support the development of tourism infrastructure that can drive demand, reviewing current holdings of land and buildings to identify sites suitable for tourism investment, facilitating approval procedures to meet local, state and federal government requirements, undertaking coordinated and effective marketing campaigns to drive demand and providing information to investors on opportunities within the region.
Council’s Principal Economic Development Officer is very happy with the advice TRC has provided; “I think this document will provide a lot of value for Council and the Fraser Coast community. I really like the tourism investment action plan, and in particular the actions that are put forward…”
