Joanna Gash (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am sure there are others too! Thank you. But the ones to gain the most will be the children, because it is they who will inherit this legacy to carry these stories for future generations.

An attraction such as this so close to Sydney and Canberra cannot fail to please and educate all who visit, and I hope they will be many. This has only come about through the efforts of many locals, volunteers and the dedicated. Elaine Apperley and her crew have done a marvellous job and I commend them on their achievement. Tourism has been an abiding interest with me, and I can report to the House that the Shoalhaven Tourism Board has gained a new member, me. I am very thrilled at being given the opportunity to renew an unrequited love with the industry. My reason for getting involved as a board member was the successful track record of Shoalhaven Tourism in difficult circumstances. Attracting visitors to the area has been made a little easier following the construction of the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre in Nowra.

Last week, we hosted the annual Country Women's Association conference, which brought over 1,000 delegates from all over New South Wales. I have the greatest respect for this organisation and the work that they do for rural and regional areas such as the Shoalhaven. The power and vibration that comes from the imagination of women with a 'can do' attitude was palpable in the auditorium. The atmosphere was enthusiastic, infectious and inspirational. You really had to be there to gain a full appreciation of the unity of purpose that bound these women.

I spoke to a number of delegates before and after the opening address and I can say that I received only positive comments. They said they felt welcome wherever they went, and the hospitality extended to them throughout the town made them feel entirely at home. The service they got in our restaurants and the many accommodation venues they stayed at was first class. The conference not only provided an economic boost to the local coffers but also served as an opportunity to promote the area to other regions.

The more who see our product, the greater the likelihood of them telling someone else and enticing them to see for themselves. I cannot stress the importance of the need to continually review the product on offer to ensure the level of appeal is maintained. This holds true not only for our local product but also throughout other tourist destinations within Australia. I hope the Minister for Tourism is aware of the parlous state of tourism in Australia, exacerbated by the strength of our dollar. This is an industry that brings something like $92 billion in spending. As a sector, tourism contributes $33 billion in GDP. That is 2.6 per cent of Australia's total GDP.

It is not a trivial industry in the overall scheme of things and it has huge potential to grow, with the right approach and adequate support. I can only echo the comments of the industry itself, which has said that reducing red tape and fast-tracking investment, as well as integrating tourism into regional development plans, is essential not only for the future of the tourism industry but also for the very existence of our regional and remote towns. This is exactly the time the government needs to reconsider its approach to tourism and to upgrade the status of the portfolio.

I sincerely hope that the new coalition government in New South Wales will make New South Wales No. 1 again for tourism, as the previous Labor minister for tourism was off the radar. Other states were promoting not only to the domestic market but overseas as well, whilst New South Wales was asleep at the wheel. Tourism is the livelihood, as I said, of many regional areas, and that includes the Shoalhaven. I would like to place on the record my appreciation for the foresight of our former mayor Mr Greg Watson, who had the vision to build a 1,000-seat auditorium entertainment centre and, not only that, was able to get the building completed. Later this year, we will be hosting the local government conference. So, by building something, we can reward ourselves as well.

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