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Community facilities Sport and Recreation | October 24, 2018

The Wimmera’s missing tourism link

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy believes Horsham needs a major attraction to draw tourists off the highway and get visitors to stay an extra night in the local area.

“I regularly hear from locals that Horsham doesn’t have a major tourism draw card to entice visitors to stay another day when visiting the Grampians, Silo Art Trail, rivers and waterways or any of the other breathtaking natural assets around our amazing region,” Ms Kealy said.

“The Nationals have listened to the local community’s calls for a plan to better utilise and appreciate the Wimmera River and as a result we have committed $150,000 to kick-start plans to develop the Wimmera River precinct to boost tourism and grow our region’s local economy.

“By activating the Wimmera River Precinct, locals and tourists alike will be able to enjoy a coffee or a bite to eat with a fantastic view of one of our greatest natural assets.

“But we need to look at what else we can do to support our local businesses and jobs, and help to attract people to live, work and visit the Wimmera.

“Another great local idea gaining momentum is an expansion plan for Horsham’s largest recreation facility, the Aquatic Centre. This concept includes an amazing water park and playground, which would not just be an asset for local families but also help to attract more visitors.

“The Mildura Water Play Park is an outstanding example of this type of attraction with 1,000 people regularly attending the facility over summer weekends.

“And more tourists means more money in our region to support local businesses and jobs, plus a great facility for locals to enjoy.

“Only the Liberal Nationals have a plan to decentralise Victoria and support liveability and business growth in country Victoria”, she said.