Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to announce today that the coalition is delivering on its election commitment in the electorate of Macquarie through the newly established Community Infrastructure Grants Program. We will deliver $255,000 to Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Oberon Tourism through this program. BMLOT are the peak regional tourism body in the Blue Mountains region and have a strong track record of delivering results through local projects. This is a welcome announcement for the local tourism industry, which has suffered substantial loss due to the recent bushfires. After only six weeks the current losses are estimated to be around $47 million.

With this financial assistance it is hoped that the marketplace will be able to make adjustments to bring business back to the mountains. I am working with BMLOT and the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development to ensure that this grant can be put to strategic use as early as possible. The grant will assist with a new digital platform and recovery campaign in the Blue Mountains which will direct visitors to a mobile app site. I look forward to working with BMLOT to encourage visitors back to our beautiful region.