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- 21 September 2006
Hawkesbury Electorate Tourism
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Mr STEVEN PRINGLE (Hawkesbury) [4.26 p.m.]: Honourable members would be aware that the latest tourism statistics for New South Wales indicate that this State is in decline while other States forge ahead. But, fortunately, the Hawkesbury region is playing its part to arrest the decline. For many years businesses along the Hawkesbury escarpment, which is surrounded by Wisemans Ferry, St Albans, McDonald Valley and Lower Portland, have struggled to find an identity as a tourist destination. Despite being surrounded by about 80 per cent of land that is national park or reserves, the mighty Hawkesbury River and the Great North Road, unfortunately at times tourists have been few and far between. That can be attributed to four key issues.
The area is bordered by four different councils—the Council of the Shire of Baulkham Hills, Hornsby Shire Council, Hawkesbury City Council and Gosford City Council. Consequently, a certain amount of ambiguity is always involved in deciding which council is responsible for infrastructure or, indeed, which council will promote each different area. In relation to transport, the area is not supported by any rail or bus infrastructure, which makes the area inaccessible to tourists who are without a vehicle. In relation to communication, mobile phone reception is very patchy in the area. The landline service at St Albans is also poor. Those factors have significant implications for small business operators who depend on a reliable Internet connection, and make the destination unappealing to certain markets that are mobile phone and Internet dependent.
The lack of support for, and recognition of, the Hawkesbury area as a tourist region by Tourism New South Wales has meant that any marketing initiatives by Tourism New South Wales have been outside the affordability parameters and the leagues of smaller operators. A way forward has been the formation of a consortium of business owners and interested persons from within and around the area. They recently gathered together to form Hawkesbury River Heartland Inc. The group identified the untapped potential of the area as a tourist destination and forged ahead to form an incorporated association. The association held its first formally constituted meeting on 9 March 2006. The formation and planning by this new Hawkesbury group is not only great for the soul and morale of individual operators but is also great for our region and for packaging the area as a whole.
The Hawkesbury region is the ideal short break destination, with so many hidden treasures and places of natural beauty—and it is only an hour or so from Sydney. The Council of the Shire of Baulkham Hills places considerable emphasis on promoting tourism in the area, and supports local tourism operators in their efforts to provide a diverse range of products that achieve a standard of excellence. I commend the work of Hawkesbury River Heartland Inc. for using its skills and resources to raise the profile of the Hawkesbury region as a tourism destination. Visitors to the Wisemans Ferry and St Albans area can take in both the beauty and history of that part of the Hawkesbury region. By planning a short break to the area, visitors can enjoy a range of experiences.
Accommodation in the Wisemans Ferry and St Albans area has everything, from basic camping facilities at places including riverside tourist parks and the Mill Creek Reserve, which I and my family and I have enjoyed, through to luxury bed and breakfast destinations and four-and-a-half star resorts that provide great facilities, such as state-of-the-art conference rooms, golf and tennis facilities, and swimming pools, as well as some of the most sumptuous restaurants and cafés with styles to suit everyone. It is easy to access the river. A cruise boat operator offers booked and walk-on cruises every weekend. The largest houseboat operator in New South Wales is based at Wisemans Ferry and has more than 20 houseboats. The waterskiing and wakeboarding schools are world class and the vehicular ferries continually provide transport across the river, as they have since 1827.
The Wisemans Ferry-St Albans area is also known for its art and music. A co-operative of local artists runs a gallery at Wisemans Ferry, which hosts regular workshops, and a commercial gallery in St Albans, which also hosts regular exhibitions. An annual event called the River Artists Tour is held in September each year to showcase many local artists working in their studios. This year it was held on Saturday 9 September and Sunday 10 September. Music festivals also run every year, including the well-known St Albans Folk Festival and Jazz by the River at Wisemans Ferry, which is held several times a year.
The future of the region is indeed promising, but without support from key stakeholders such as the State Government, local councils, local businesses, the Roads and Traffic Authority and Tourism New South Wales the area will remain stagnant, and unfortunately forgotten. Hawkesbury River Heartland Inc. has so far gained funding from the Department of State and Regional Development to commission a consultant to produce a strategic plan. With the support of the major stakeholders previously mentioned, the plan will provide a blueprint for the tourism operators of the Wisemans Ferry and St Albans district to be able to move ahead with a sustainable and highly recognisable brand to position their product as the number one short-break destination in the Sydney region. I commend Hugh and Kathy Morris and their team from Leisure Lass River Cruises. I urge the Minister to take this region seriously and support the Hawkesbury River heartland.
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