Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I associate myself with the remarks of the member for Rankin about Griffith University, which is a common university on the edge of both our electorates. The electorate of Forde is also blessed by the fact that it covers part of two local government areas, the tourist mecca of the Gold Coast and the rising tourism destination of Logan City with its wide variety of activities from shopping and dining to adventure based activities and ecotourism.

It is an exciting time for Logan as it has recently been identified by Queensland tourism as an untapped resource in Queensland's tourism market. Forecasts by Tourism and Events Queensland predict growth of 4.5 per cent per year to 2021 for the Greater Brisbane and Gold Coast areas, which includes Logan. At present, tourism represents only two per cent of the Logan economy, however there are a number of big-ticket items on the horizon. Recently, Logan City has taken the innovative approach of showcasing tourism offerings in the city by launching a new website. The site features categories such as attractions, dining, entertainment, shopping and many others.

In addition to the efforts by the efforts of Logan City Council, I would also like to recognise the efforts of the Logan Tourism Association. This year, its chairman, Terry Skene, organised 100,000 individual maps aimed at highlighting local attractions for visitors to the region. I congratulate all involved in this tourism activity. (Time expired)

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