Victoria Shadow Minister for Tourism and Major Events Louise Asher

LABOR’S BUDGET – TINY PROMISE ON MELBOURNE EXHIBITION CENTRE EXPANSION

Victor P Taffa

Yesterday’s funding announcement for land acquisition for the expansion of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre (also known as Jeff’s shed) should have been made years ago and the expansion should be complete already according to Shadow Minister for Tourism and Major Events Louise Asher.

Ms. Asher said the Brumby Government’s announcement has not provided any concrete details.

There is no information on when the works will commence or when the project will be completed, and no detail has been provided on the costs for delivering the project.

The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust Chairperson Bob Annells have been requesting the Centre’s expansion to enable it to remain competitive in the exhibition industry for the past nine years.

Tourism lobby groups have also been calling for this much-needed expansion.

“The Brumby Government has chosen to largely ignore pleas until this year – which is coincidentally an election year.” Ms. Asher said.

The Victorian Events Industry Council has estimated that the Exhibition Centre expansion could generate $150 Million p.a. for the Victorian economy.

“By delaying the project, the Victorian Government has cost the economy $150 million p.a.” Ms. Asher said.

Western Australia Minister for Tourism Elizabeth Constable

Former Wallaby John Welborn joins Tourism WA board

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Tourism Minister Liz Constable today announced the appointment of John Welborn to the board of Tourism WA.

Dr. Constable said Mr Welborn was a passionate supporter of workforce development, a key area of importance for tourism, and would bring his experience in corporate finance and company administration to the board.

“John Welborn has the background, experience, and skills needed to help the Tourism WA board grow tourism in this State.” Dr. Constable said.

“His appointment comes at an important time with the recent launch of our long term tourism brand, Experience Extraordinary, which will lead to new initiatives that will result in great outcomes for tourism in WA.”

“As Chairman of Future Now, the Creative and Leisure Industries Training Council, John has been instrumental in the significant expansion of the council’s industry coverage to include hospitality and tourism.”

“Mr Welborn’s commitment to the continual improvement of workforce skills to deliver a competitive edge for Western Australian industry will be a welcome addition to the Tourism WA Board.” Dr. Constable said.

Mr Welborn is the Managing Director of Prairie Downs Metals Ltd, a Perth based junior exploration mining company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, and the Minister said he brings strong leadership and direction to the development of their base metal project in the Pilbara.

“John is a former investment banker who is also well-known for his achievements on the rugby field – he is Western Australia’s first born and bred Wallaby having played six tests for Australia between 1996 and 1999 – and brings to the board firsthand experience of major events.” the Minister said.

“He was a founding player with the Western Force in their inaugural season in 2006 and having retired from playing now serves as a Director of RugbyWA.”

Board members include:

• Chairman Kate Lamont, owner of Lamont’s Winery;

• Deputy Chairman David Mazitelli, principal of Mazitelli Pty Ltd;

• Howard Cearns, founding director of Little Creatures Brewing Pty Ltd;

• Alistair Donald, partner Freehills;

• Dixie Marshall, journalist/media presenter STW Channel 9;

• Gail Reynolds-Adamson, director of Kepa Kurl Enterprises Pty Ltd;

• Trish Ridsdale, Principal of Board Business.

Western Australia Minister for Tourism Elizabeth Constable

Biggest ever Sculpture by the Sea transforms Cottesloe into an outdoor gallery

Victor P Taffa

The biggest ever Sculpture by the Sea event, opening today, will transform Cottesloe into an outdoor art gallery featuring 64 exhibits.

Western Australia Minister for Tourism Liz Constable said since its launch six years ago, Sculpture by the Sea Cottesloe had grown to become one of the State’s biggest cultural events.

“The State Government has a strong commitment to events in Western Australia and Sculpture by the Sea has proven to be extremely popular bringing about 140,000 people to Cottesloe Beach last year.” Dr. Constable said.

“It is important we attract and establish a diverse mix of sport and cultural events for the State.”

“This is the second year we have supported Sculpture by the Sea through Eventscorp’s Arts and Cultural Events Scheme which has helped to give the event a significant boost.”

Eventscorp’s funding has extended the length of the exhibition from 13 to 20 days, increased the number of sculptures on display from 54 in 2007 to 64 this year and boosted the interstate and international promotion of the event.

The Minister said Sculpture by the Sea was a terrific example of why arts and cultural events were important for WA.

“Sculpture by the Sea provides visitors with another extraordinary experience and helps encourage tourism.” Dr. Constable said.

“These events enhance the vibrancy of our city and help enrich Perth’s thriving arts and cultural scene as well as providing an opportunity to promote the beautiful beaches we have in WA, in particular Perth’s famous Cottesloe Beach.”

Dr Constable said she was delighted to hear the Alcoa School Education program would continue this year, giving 1,300 school students the opportunity to interact with sculptors and produce their own work to take home.

Next year, the Arts and Cultural Events Scheme would be boosted to $2.25 Million more than three years, increasing the funding pool for arts and cultural events to $750,000 per year.

Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett

Western Australia Minister for Tourism Elizabeth Constable

Extraordinary new tourism brand for Western Australia launched

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Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett and Tourism Minister Liz Constable today launched Western Australia’s new tourism brand –

Experience Extraordinary –

which will promote the hundreds of extraordinary destinations and experiences across the State.

 “Experience Extraordinary is a new marketing direction that will engage all Western Australians and help sell our State to the world,” Mr Barnett said.

 “In WA, we’re no strangers to the extraordinary. Kings Park, where we launched the brand today, is the biggest inner city park in the Southern Hemisphere.

 “Experience Extraordinary will help us spread this message to visitors and demonstrate that WA offers extraordinary experiences you can’t get anywhere else in Australia or the rest of the world.”

 The Tourism Minister also unveiled The Extraordinary Taxi Ride which is the first marketing campaign to be developed under the Experience Extraordinary brand.

 The interactive campaign will involve a specially branded taxi undertaking a nine week journey around WA’s extraordinary locations.

People will have the opportunity to enter a competition to be a passenger on sections of the journey and will be joined by celebrity guests along the way.

 The public will also be able to vote for one of five finalists vying to be the official taxi driver for the journey.

 “Experience Extraordinary is a new theme for us to communicate the State’s events and marketing and the Extraordinary Taxi Ride is the first in a series of innovative campaigns which will bring this theme to life,” Dr Constable said.

“We are in a competitive environment and need an extraordinary campaign idea to launch our extraordinary brand and break through to promote the State.

“The taxi ride will make use of traditional media such as newspapers, radio and television, but will also use digital media which has interactivity to allow everyone to get involved and use their own views and extraordinary experiences to help promote WA.

“A taxi was chosen as it is an internationally recognised image which crosses cultural boundaries. WA’s unique landscape, places and events will be seen by people from all over the world as they follow the journey on the internet and through the media.”

While the Extraordinary Taxi Ride will promote WA and the new brand by highlighting the many extraordinary experiences and destinations unique to the State, the Premier said the new brand could also provide opportunities for sectors other than tourism, such as mining and agriculture.

“While this campaign is designed to bring visitors to our State, we hope that it will do more than that by attracting developers and international investors to the extraordinary opportunities in WA as well,” Premier Barnett said.

WA Minister for Tourism Elizabeth Constable

Western Australia Minister for Tourism Elizabeth Constable

Events calendar off to a flying start as Perth secures Twenty20 International

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Western Australia Minister for Tourism Liz Constable today announced the State Government and the Western Australian Cricket Association had secured a Twenty20 International to be played at the WACA ground next season.

The match between Australia and Sri Lanka would form a key part of the 2010 Eventscorp Calendar.

“The match will be one of only three international Twenty20 matches played in Australia next summer and is a big win for Perth,” Dr Constable said.

“It’s a highlight of the 2010 Eventscorp calendar, which has already got off to a flying start this year.

“The calendar, supported by the Government, provides a diverse range of sporting and cultural events across the State.”

The Minister said the combined events featured on the 2010 calendar were expected to attract more than one million spectators and thousands of visitors.

“Along with visitors and spectators, the events will generate more than 1,000 hours of television broadcast promoting WA and this will be seen by millions of prospective visitors in more than 100 countries,” she said.

Other highlights on the 2010 Calendar includes:

• Drug Aware Margaret River Pro-WA’s biggest-ever surfing event – with world No. 1 Mick Fanning and women’s world No. 1 Stephanie Gilmore confirmed to compete in March

• Return of the Red Bull Air Race in April, featuring Australian pilot Matt Hall who will fly a WA-branded aeroplane

• Bundaberg Rugby test match between Australia and arch-rival England at Subiaco Oval in June.

For more information and to view the interactive events calendar, visit http://www.eventscorp.com.au/calendar or phone (08) 9262 1700.

Western Australia Minister for Tourism Elizabeth Constable

Marketing boost will help WA tourism industry turn the corner

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Tourism marketing campaigns targeting all of Western Australia’s short haul overseas markets would be given a $1.35 million boost to help the tourism industry turn the corner following the global financial crisis.

Western Australia Minister for Tourism Liz Constable said Tourism WA was able to secure $450,000 of Federal funding after matching the figure with $450,000 of its own. An additional $450,000 was raised through Tourism WA’s airline partners.

“The funding helps the tourism industry recover from the effects of the global financial crisis and complement marketing strategies already in place,” Dr Constable said.

“Although the WA tourism industry weathered the financial storm better than some, this funding will help increase confidence among operators and help them capitalise on a return of consumer confidence and international travel.”

The funding is part of a $20 million tourism campaign – $11 million coming from airlines and State and regional tourism bodies and $9 million provided by the Federal Government.

“This new marketing activity will work alongside and reflect Tourism WA’s new brand campaign to be launched in February,” the Minister said.

Markets targeted with new campaigns running until June 30 were China, Japan, Singapore, NZ and Malaysia.

Victor P Taffa

Having not been to Adelaide for many years I decided to investigate just how well the Tramway extension is and if the Rann Government was right to go ahead with the line. Little did I anticipate was how Adelaide has left Sydney in its wake in terms of development and promotion.

City West Tram Terminus

Sydney has a topographical landscape that should provide New South Wales with a definite advantage. Cities such as Adelaide and Melbourne have their own particular selling points to offset the largely flat surface of their metropolitan and regional areas.

Melbourne has the ‘G’, the football, Formula 1 Motor Grand Prix and a great Tramway network to name but a few. Adelaide has a convention centre, Clipsal 500 Race, Casino and now an extended Tramway network.

Adelaide and Melbourne have a planned grid CBD area that Sydney lacks. Despite all of Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Hobart and Brisbane’s advantages Sydney should be so far ahead of the rest that it should go without saying.

Sydney prior to the 2000 Olympic Games was promised a public transport T card and in 2009 the whole sorry saga will end up in litigation. When I caught a train and tram in Adelaide I purchased a 2 hour ticket that is able to be used on all buses, trains and trams. Adelaide has the T card that Sydney was promised and never got.

Sydney has so many natural advantages for tourists that are too numerable to list. Sydney has so much to see and do that if we were to promote our museums, restaurants and natural beauty throughout Australia then New South Wales could lead this nation to an economic boom led by tourism.

Tram 102 departing South Terrace for Glenelg

When I went into a restaurant in Adelaide there was a myriad of brochures promoting Adelaide and South Australia. I asked the manager if his was the only restaurant to do this in the city and the reply was ‘no there is many that do this’.

As an example in Sydney’s ‘little Italy’ that is called Leichhardt I have not seen one restaurant that promotes Sydney or New South Wales. This lack of tourism is not confined to Leichhardt.

Even on the very first day of my brief trip to Adelaide while walking through the Rundle Mall I discovered the Adelaide visitor Information Centre. This facility is sponsored by the Adelaide City Council and is well staffed by enthusiastic people who are there solely to promote Adelaide and South Australia.

Tram departing South Terrace bound for Victoria Square

Where does Sydney have an Information Centre that promotes our great city and State on a par with that in the Rundle Mall? Even as you look around the Sydney CBD the quality of retail stores is appallingly bad compared to that of the Adelaide CBD.

While in Adelaide I walked into Barlow Shoes store in the Rundle Mall because not only did I need a pair of shoes but prior to leaving from Sydney I was simply unable to find something at an affordable price.

The service that I received was outstanding and the shoes that I bought represented good value for money. Standards of service in Sydney retailing do not compare to that of Adelaide’s. There is no excuse in the world for the inertia that has enveloped Sydney and New South Wales. The reason for this can only lie at the feet of the New South Wales Government.

Sydney hosted the Olympic Games in 2000 and since then we have let this great opportunity go to waste. The trains ran brilliantly during the Olympics and World Youth Day week and yet every other day of the year no one can rely on them.

To say the State has to privatise its Government agencies such as electricity, prisons, ferries and lotteries and build a private Metro Rail is a copout because if South Australia can use some initiative and promote what that State has one wonders why the New South Wales Government cannot do the same thing.

Even the Queensland Government constantly advertises their states natural beauty on our television screens.

While in Adelaide I stayed in the Comfort Hotel Adelaide Riviera on North Terrace. The staff was fantastic and promotion of Adelaide and South Australia was clearly evident with brochures outlining where the shopping, dining and café areas of Adelaide are located. I ate dinner in the cosmopolitan eating area of Gouger Street. The information that I was given made my choice of restaurant relatively easy.

South Terrace tram 106 waiting at the lights bound for Victoria Square

Having returned to Sydney I know that I do live in the best city. However if a state of 1 million people can outshine a state of 5 million in terms of promotion then it is time that the New South Wales Government do as it is paid to do and lead the nation and promote Sydney and New South Wales and show that we are the Premier State.