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The Government agrees.
In a document promoting the Great Sandy Marine Park, Deputy Premier, Anna Bligh, herself reiterates the importance of tourism in the Great Sandy Region.
“The tourism industry in the area employs about 15,000 Queenslanders and more than a million people from around the world are attracted to the region every year,” she said.
“That accounts for about 10 percent of Queensland’s annual total numbers of domestic and international tourists who contribute about $500 million to the regional economy.”
Former Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women, Desley Boyle added her two cents worth in a 2004 statement entitled Protecting water quality in the Mary River Basin and Great Sandy Region. In the statement Ms Boyle described the region as a ‘priceless water environment’.
“Letting these waters continue to deteriorate would have major economic and social implications for the region’s economy,” she said.
Precisely. The construction of a dam on the Mary River will deteriorate the water quality of the region more severely than ever before. So why are they even considering it as an option?
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Tourism & the Regional Economy |
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ourgreatsandy.com Celebrating and Defending the Great Sandy Strait
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Help Save Fraser Island’s Unique Marine Environment! |
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The extraordinary beauty and ecological significance of the Great Sandy Region attracts millions of visitors from all over the world.
Tourism related industries have become an important mainstay of the regional economy, with over 200,000 visitors to Fraser Island annually, and overnight visitor expenditure in the Hervey Bay/Maryborough Region totalling $366 million dollars (DNRM 2003).
Fraser Island and the Great Sandy World Heritage Area are recognised as a premier Southeast Queensland tourist destination and one of the best recreational fishing destinations on the Australian east coast. |
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