By STEVE GRAY
SOUTHERN Downs Regional Council has taken a step back, resolving at a special meeting to keep local tourism bodies separate and clarifying its intent in relation to tourism promotion.
Granite Belt tourism operators were shocked when it was announced council would combine Warwick and Granite Belt tourism promotions under a single umbrella.
Granite Belt Wine and Tourism had threatened to go it alone if the planned merger with Warwick Tourism and Events went ahead.
Instead the promotional bodies will be kept separate and decision-making left in local hands.
Councillor Vic Pennisi didn’t have to delve too far into history to come up with an apt comparison.
“I won’t do what Peter Beattie did to us and force an amalgamation,” he said.
The planned board to oversee tourism promotion will be downgraded to a reference group which will look for areas of mutual interest. Meanwhile existing bodies would continue to be funded.
Councillors believe this will help clarify their original intent in announcing a board.
Cr Pennisi said the new arrangement left room for more local tourism bodies to promote Allora or Killarney, for instance.
“It needs to come from the grass roots,” he said.
Cr Denise Ingram said she understood there was no thought of getting rid of either Warwick or Stanthorpe promotional bodies, but that areas of mutual interest and potential would be explored by the reference group.
