TROY BELL MP
Member for Mount Gambier
Your Independent voice
in State Parliament
Major events put city on map
Thursday October 06, 2022Published by: The SE Voice
Mount Gambier MP flags new ideas to attract tourists
A winter arts festival for the Blue Lake City has been mooted by member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell along with more commercial activities in the Crater Lakes area such as coffee and food outlets.
Speaking in the House of Assembly last week, Mr Bell gave scant details about such possibilities during a five-minute upbeat speech to coincide with World Tourism Day.
"I would like to acknowledge the valuable contribution of event tourism and give thanks to all of those people who work behind the scenes and in this space in my electorate," Mr Bell said.
"Of note are the Limestone Coast festivals and events team of Talie Teakle and Tammy Flier, who have been behind Fringe Mount Gambier and the new medieval fair.
"It was unbelievably successful in its first year, seeing hundreds of people travel from around Australia into Mount Gambier.
"I had the pleasure of meeting with Tammy and Talie in recent weeks about the potential for a winter festival for our city, and I think these two people are capable of big things." Mr Bell also singled out for praise Generations in Jazz coordinator Karen Roberts and chair of Mount Gambier community events management Steve Toope.
"He has been instrumental in leading community events such as the New Year's Eve Festival and Relay for Life," Mr Bell said.
"It was great to be able to ring Steve a few weeks ago to tell him that this State Government would be helping to sponsor this year's New Year's Eve Festival.
"I am still keen to see his idea of the Blue Lake festival come to life, an event designed to celebrate the colour transformation of our Blue Lake each year with food and festivals.
"That would be an amazing celebration of one of our major tourism icons.
"I firmly believe tourism is one of the most underrated industries in the seat of Mount Gambier.
"A lot of our tourism attractions are free, whether that is walking around the Blue Lake or going to the Valley Lake.
"However, we really need to step up as a community and put the commercial part of tourism to the fore where paid employment is a result of tourist attractions.
"The types of things we need to see going forward are coffee and food outlets down in our Valley Lakes area, a zip-line from Centenary Tower right the way across the Valley Lake (which is currently being planned), coffee shops, viewing platforms, attractions including opening the pump station grounds for weddings and catering events, and four-wheel drive tours.
"These are things that people want to come to our region to experience and pay money for, which creates employment particularly for young people."