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Tourism gets boost from the shire

By Tania Martin
THE Shire of Yarra Ranges will spend extra $100,000 a year on tourism in a bid to promote one of its biggest growing industries.
This comes as the council last Tuesday (25 August) adopted its long-awaited Tourism Policy and Action Plan.
It will see the council hire a co-ordinator to manage tourism information centres across the Dandenongs and Yarra Valley.
This would include introducing a regional online booking service.
The cash would also go toward improving signs to help promote some of the shire’s hidden treasures.
Streeton Ward’s councillor Noel Cliff said the plan was vital towards growing the industry.
He said the plan goes a long way towards bringing all sectors of the industry together as one.
In the past the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges had worked in opposition rather than together.
“Bringing all operators together has been nothing short of a miracle,” Cr Cliff said.
“It (the plan) covers all areas from food and wine to agriculture.”
Cr Cliff said it was important to promote the region not just for its big-ticket items such as Puffing Billy, Healesville Sanctuary or for its wineries.
The policy also outlines the need to boost opportunities surrounding adventure and eco-based tourism such as bike riding, hiking and walking.
It aims to improve access to clean and safe public toilets right across the shire.
Dandenong Ranges Tourism’s Michael Axel told the Mail earlier this year that the plan was a great step forward and showed a commitment to the industry.
One of the major issues highlighted in the policy was the continued advocacy for improve public transport options in the Dandenongs and Yarra Valley.
Mr Axel said this was the key for promoting tourism in the Dandenongs was promoting the eco-based opportunities.
“We are getting more and more people choosing to come up here by public transport and using the environment in responsible way,” he said.
Lyster Ward councillor Samantha Dunn was amazed the shire didn’t have a tourism plan.
“We are Melbourne’s playground, we have so many visitors here and to think we didn’t have one (plan) was a huge gap,” she said.
“This is a great step forward for us.”

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