VTIC tours its plan for tourism spending

THE Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) has included several major projects for the Geelong region in its election platform that it is spruiking ahead of November’s state poll.

The peak body for Victoria’s tourism and events industry has created a five-point plan of well over half a billion dollars’ worth of investment, “Tourism is Victoria’s Business” and is discussing it with members, tourism bodies and councils at roadshows across the state, including in Warrnambool on Monday and in Geelong on Tuesday.

The platform’s second point, “Invest in our natural assets and regions”, includes requests to invest $150 million for phase 2 of the Shipwreck Coast Masterplan and another $150 million to support the Geelong Convention Centre.

Point four, “Deliver Tourism Transport Solutions and Connectivity”, asks for another $5 million to upgrade the ferry terminals at Queenscliff and Sorrento.

The state government committed $153 million towards the Geelong City Deal in its May budget but the federal government has not yet explicitly matched the figure.

A document was leaked earlier this week that included $150 million for Geelong’s City Deal as part of $7.6 billion of federal funding towards projects in marginal seats, but VTIC chief executive officer Felicia Mariani said to this newspaper yesterday (Wednesday) that the money was not guaranteed.

“We’ve all seen the so-called leak, but at the end of the day, there has been no formal announcement. We have no control over the timing of this; it could happen at any time.”

Ms Mariani said Victoria’s tourism industry had done “extremely well” in May’s state budget and VTIC had to recalibrate its election platform as a result, but the number and scale of the requests in the platform – including $200 million over four years for the Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund, $160 million over four years for Visit Victoria and $43 million for the Sovereign Hill Beyond 50 Project – were not unreasonable.

“There is a history of governments making significant investments in infrastructure, because they realise it creates jobs and improves the economy.”