State Government rallies behind tourism industry in wake of oil spill

13/03/09 State Government rallies behind tourism industry in wake of oil spill

Tourism Queensland and the State Government will pull out all stops to help mitigate the effects of this week's oil spill on the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay tourism industries following the closure of selected beaches on the Sunshine Coast and several tourism operations in Moreton Bay.

Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said Tourism Queensland and the State Government were working with the local tourism industry to assess the damage to tourism operations and develop a response plan.

"While the oil spill has mainly affected parts of Moreton Island, Bribie Island and parts of the Sunshine Coast, as a precaution the Sunshine Coast Regional Council is advising people to heed warning signs on a number of closed beaches and waterways.

"Our priority is to keep locals and visitors safe and the relevant state and local authorities are monitoring the situation hourly and will decide on the appropriate course of action as the situation changes."

Ms Boyle said affected tourism operations included:

* Closure of selected Sunshine Coast beaches for at least the next 24 hours. Note: Beaches north of Peregian including Noosa and the National Park are expected to stay open over the coming weekend.

* 4WD access to Moreton Island has been closed up to and including Monday 16 March and no new camping permits are being issued by the EPA.
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Beaches on the ocean side of Moreton Island and Ocean Beach on Bribie Island are closed to all campers and vehicles until further notice.

Tourism operations which remain unaffected include:

* All beaches north of Peregian including Noosa, Fraser Island, Hervey Bay and other parts of the Fraser Coast.

* North and South Stradbroke Islands and all Gold Coast beaches.

* Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort on Moreton Island is currently open, however 4WD tours operating from the resort have been cancelled.

* Sand taboggoning, cruising and other water-based activities out of and around Tangalooma Wrecks are operating normally.

* Beaches, shore-front and bay areas around Redcliffe, Wynnum, Manly, Wellington Point and Redland Bay are all open and operating normally.

Ms Boyle said at this stage several Sunshine Coast events planned for this weekend including the Noosa Festival of Surfing and the Mooloolaba Mile Beach Sports Festival had not been cancelled, however authorities would continue to monitor conditions and updates on these events would be provided as necessary.

"Obviously we will continue to monitor the situation over the weekend and into next week and will advise any changes to the current status of tourism operations as soon as possible," she said.

"Preparations are ongoing to restore all beach areas as soon as possible but there is no denying that this is a tragedy for the affected regions, and coming straight after Cyclone Hamish is a double whammy for the local tourism industry," Ms Boyle said.

"We would like to assure anyone planning a trip to the Sunshine Coast or Moreton Bay during coming days and weeks that we are doing everything possible to return our beautiful beaches to normal as quickly as possible.

"In the meantime, we encourage anyone concerned about their holiday plans to continue as normal as there are a wide range of activities available in the regions to enjoy in addition to our beaches."

Ms Boyle said she wanted to assure the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay tourism industry that Tourism Queensland would move quickly to develop a recovery plan.

"Tourism operators in the Fraser Coast have also reported cancellations, despite the region being unaffected by the oil spill so they will also be included in the recovery plan," she said.

"Tourism Queensland has already begun working with industry to pull together a marketing campaign targeting Brisbane, Northern New South Wales and Sydney residents in the lead-up to the crucial Easter holiday period," she said.

"Once our beaches are in the clear, this campaign will give visitors the message that the Fraser Coast, Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay are well and truly open for business, that our beaches are beautiful and that Queensland is the perfect choice for an autumn holiday."

Tourism Sunshine Coast CEO Russell Mason said: "We applaud Tourism Queensland's immediate offer to develop a recovery campaign aimed at reassuring visitors that the region is currently open for business and we are looking forward to a strong Easter holiday period."

Brisbane Marketing CEO John Aitkin said Brisbane Marketing had a long term aspiration for the Moreton Bay and Islands region to be a world-class, internationally-renowned ecotourism destination.

"Not all parts of Moreton Bay have been affected by the oil spill. Tangalooma Island Resort located on Moreton Island is operating as usual and we've received no reports of the spill affecting North Stradbroke Island," Mr Aitkin said.

"Visitors planning a trip to Moreton Island should contact Brisbane's Visitor Information Centre on 07 3006 6290 for up-to-date information on tourist operations and guides."

Permanent Link: State Government rallies behind tourism industry in wake of oil spill
Publish Date: 16 Mar 09

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