A national research project to identify the extent of Local Government involvement in tourism development will be conducted throughout rural and remote Australia.
The Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Services in partnership with the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism at the University of Canberra will undertake the study.
Tourism is increasingly seen as a legitimate development option in all spheres of government. This is borne out by recent Bureau of Tourism Research and the Australian Bureau of Statistics Tourism Satellite Account which show that tourism contributes significantly to the economy of regional Australia, and the nation as a whole.
However, understanding how to disperse the benefits of the increasing number of visitors to remote and rural Australia is complex. Managing the impact of a higher number of tourists on your council area and the consequent added pressure on infrastructure and lifestyle changes needs careful consideration.
The objective of the study is to foster an increased awareness within Local Government of the need to develop close ties with the tourism industry, researchers and all spheres of Government and increase the understanding of how tourism can be utilised to assist councils in their economic development role. After the preliminary stage of this research, publications, website references and resources will be made available to Councils.
For more information about this study contact Grant Jay on 1800 026 222 (freecall) or email: Grant.Jay@dotrs.gov.au or facsimilie: (02) 6274 8116.
Further information and a list of useful links will be available at the National Office for Local Government website: www.nolg.gov.au as the project develops.
