Tourism

It is why I have put forward a proposal for our region’s tourism brand to be Outback Vic.

The northwest of Victoria really is the outback of Victoria and capitalising on and utilising this unique imagery as part of our branding could help attract more domestic and international tourists to our part of the world

A cornerstone of Outback Vic is a slow-train service which would initially run once a week to bring passengers – and especially tourists – to our region from Melbourne.

Tourists don’t need a fast train – a slow service would allow them to take in a number of stops along the way, which could boost the economies of some of the smaller towns in the Mildura electorate.

This service could be a stepping stone to a return of our passenger rail.

The Outback Vic train service would be cost-effective and affordable transport option for locals while being part of our broader tourism strategy.

A new Outback Vic tourism board would capitalise on the potential of the southern Mallee, connecting the Mallee desert to the south-west NSW outback via Mildura.

A pitch has already been made to the Regional Tourism Review and we are awaiting an outcome.

The Victorian Government could make this a reality by providing funding for consultation, branding, design and creation of digital assets as well as ongoing operational funding.

An important part of Outback Vic would be creation of a War History Trail to capitalise on Mildura’s unique role in World War II and RAAF history.

A Kittyhawk Centre in Mildura which will highlight the important role Mildura played as a training base for our fighter pilots during WWII would complement other war history centres including the Lake Boga Catalina Museum and war museum at Nhill.