This week sees the September School Holidays arrive and with it there has come a steady lifting of Covid restrictions. All to coincide with magic Spring days. Fiona Phillips, Member for Gilmore said this week "Living in such a beautiful part of the world, it is no surprise that tourists from near and far flock to the South Coast at every chance they get. We have always welcomed them with open arms, and over the years, we have come to rely on them as the backbone of our regional economy.
"This year, our community has faced so many challenges and our reliance on tourism has been tested greatly.
"Our tourism and event operators, and their workers, have been hit hard, time and time again. It was clear early on that urgent support to keep the local economy going was needed.
"I have continually called for more funding to support our tourism and event operators after the bushfires. Over many many months, I have been vocal in asking where the tourism funding for bushfire recovery is – and why it has not hit the ground on the South Coast.
"Tourism and event operators said they needed help months ago to aid in their recovery and keep our economy going.
"So I was very pleased to see the Eurobodalla receive $245,000 under the Australian Government’s Regional Tourism Bushfire Recovery Grants program for the Coastal Headlands Walk and the Eurobodalla Food Trails.
"This is great news for local operators and for local businesses generally. We need to be encouraging people back to our coast now more than ever. But it has taken a long time to get this support, and there are still so many fantastic local projects the government could be helping.
"The wonderful Eurobodalla Agricultural Show or the Mogo Adventure Trail Hub are just two examples of where further funding support could be provided. Supporting tourism and encouraging people back to our community has so many flow on impacts, from the local fish and chip shop, to the butcher, the real estate agent, the post office and more.
"I will continue to advocate on behalf of tourism and event operators to ensure they get the help they need, when they need it. I won’t let our community be left behind."
Above: This week also saw the launch of the South Coast Travel Guide Eurobodalla Food Guide in readiness for the upcoming holidays and approaching summer
