THE Hunter’s outgoing tourism boss will push for an events “audit” and strategy he says are needed for Newcastle to aspire to hosting Big Bash League cricket, or the Commonwealth Games.
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Tourism Hunter chairman Will Creedon will defer to a NSW government-appointed “Sydney Surrounds North” board in the coming months, but will first drive a strategy he says will cut duplication and find the infrastructure gaps in the Hunter’s visitor economy.
“It’s not just what sort of events we should have in the Hunter, it’s asking how we can further maximise their effect on the region,” Mr Creedon said.
“Why can’t we be home to a Big Bash League team? What has to happen for that to occur? This [strategy] is the sort of thing we can put before the state government if we seriously want to go for the Commonwealth Games.”
Tourism Hunter will put $100,000 of seed funding towards its “legacy” strategy, which will be managed by the Hunter Joint Organisation of Councils.
“We are delighted that the Hunter Joint Organisation of Councils will be project-managing the initiative on Tourism Hunter’s behalf,” organisation chairman and Cessnock mayor Bob Pynsent said.
Scot MacDonald, the parliamentary secretary for the Hunter, said the incoming tourism board would ultimately determine the region’s major events.
“The aims [of the strategy] are worthy, but it would very much have to be in line with what the board are trying to do,” Mr MacDonald said.
“Around major events you need to be very, very sure the business case stacks up for the community. I think the success of the Hunter will always be driven by the day-in, day-out activities that employ people and keep the visitor economy going.”
But Mr Creedon said the events strategy would be multi-faceted, and a “road map” for tourism growth across the sporting, cultural, community, health, education and business sectors.
“This will define the next 10 years of how we go about things. This is the strategic, level-headed and realistic method we need,” Mr Creedon said.
“We had ten million visitors last year for the first time ever. This paves the way for not ten million, but 15 million, 20 million in the future.”
In the year to last September the Hunter had a increase of more than half a million visitors, who collectively spent $2.3 billion.
