Nationals call to back regional tourism by funding local hidden gems

At the recent NSW Nationals conference, the Gunnedah branch put forward a motion calling for a special fund to promote regional tourism, which passed unanimously.

Nationals Gunnedah branch chair Murray O'Keefe said of the millions of tourist visiting the state, the majority don't leave Sydney.

In 2018, Sydney had 4.4 million international visitors, about five times the 870,000 that venture out to regional NSW.

"There's nothing wrong with the Harbour Bridge or the Opera House, but there is plenty more to see out here," Mr O'Keefe said.

"We know that if we get people out in to the regions, they love the place and they tell their friends about it."

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Mr O'Keefe said ideally, he'd like to see a reoccurring funding source that councils and other community groups could apply for "if they've got a project that will deliver a boost to the region's tourism".

"We need some seed funding to push the government in the right direction to drive regional tourism," he said.

"We want to give people the ability to find out about the great hidden gems in regional NSW, and get them to come out and see it.

"Our communities know what the best kept secrets are, let's use that to our advantage. It's a build it and they will come mentality."

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Gunnedah Shire had "huge tourism potential", particularly with its brand as the Koala Capital.

"The koala is a bit of a talisman out here, and it would be unthinkable not to try and leverage that," Mr O'Keefe said.

Last year, the NSW government announced it would spend $6.5 million on a new koala park and hospital in Gunnedah.

"We've got opportunities in Gunnedah Shire and as a community we are really excited about the [koala park] redevelopment," Mr O'Keefe said.