2006 AGM: Looking to the future

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2006 AGM Looking to the future
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In 2006, tourism provided around 1 billion
income to the Northern Rivers It provided
employment for an estimated 7,000 people
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Review of NRT

• A Review of Northern Rivers Tourism (NRT) was
  completed this year
• A taskforce of industry representatives was
  established by the NRT Board to guide the work of
  consultant Jennifer Mossfield in conducting the
  review
• The review identified opportunities and
  challenges to be met for NRT to be effective

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Opportunity

• The review identified opportunity
• Regular air services and 4 airports
• Large communities within easy day/short stay
  distances
• Climate
• World heritage rainforests
• Beaches and rivers
• Diverse and original art, craft, music industry,
  culture technology
• Growing quality regional cuisine industry
• Mix of towns and villages with unique characters
• These features indicate huge potential for
  Northern Rivers as a tourism destination and for
  the industry to grow and develop

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Challenges

• It also found NRT had challenges
• Difficulty prioritising key initiatives
• No strong relationships with key industry players
• Not well resourced
• Not adequately staffed
• Without industry leaders actively involved with
  and supporting NRT, it is incapable of performing
  its primary function of leadership

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Key findings

• NRT needs to build solid foundations and deliver
  to industry in a consistent manner
• It needs to deliver on 2-3 key strategies and
  promote achievements
• Changes may take 2-3 years to embed industry
  re-engagement
• The Taskforce considers it important to
  recruit industry practitioners as Board members

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Key findings

• NRT needs to
• Be inclusive, focusing on Tourism assets across
  the region and not just coastal components
• Evaluate priorities for the initial 12 month
  period (2006-07) and options for contracting
  marketing skills and/or implementation of
  programs or projects
• Deliver what industry needs and win engagement
  from LGAs/LTAs

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Conclusion

• The Taskforces three most important
  recommendations
• Engage a new Board
• Re-engage industry
• Appoint executive management
• NRT needs to act in ways that stretches rather
  than strains its relationships with industry

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Current Situation

• A new NRT Board is now in place for 2007
• Gerd Beurich, General Manager, Outrigger at Salt
  
• Lyn Parche, General Manager, Byron at Byron
• Jan Barham, Mayor of Byron Shire Council
• Mark Johnston, NPWS Regional Manager
• John ONeill, Tourism NSW Executive Director
  General Manager / Bill Mabey, Tourism NSW
  Regional Manager (alternate)

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Current Situation

• Transitional support
• Northern Rivers Regional Development Board
  providing financial services management of
  Rainforest Way project grant
• Tourism NSW providing human resource support via
  regional operations, corporate affairs and
  finance business units

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Sharp focus for 2007

• Key activities
• Connect industry and local government to
  opportunity for massive international exposure
  via ATEC symposium in Tweed, ATE in Brisbane
  Oztalk in NZ
• Connect industry and local government to
  opportunity to build domestic tourism economy
  via
• the Rainforest Way project
• Tourism NSW marketing and industry development
  activities

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Looking to the future

• Contracting arrangements for programs projects
  during first half of 2007 to ensure NRT operates
  within limits of its resources
• Undertake business planning for 2007-2010 with
  industry and local government leaders now on the
  Board
• Seek support and investment for 2007-2010
  strategy which will include new NRT management
  and business growth model

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Thanks to Taskforce

• Perry Hobson (Taskforce Chair), former Head
  Assoc Professor, School of Tourism Hospitality
  Management, Southern Cross University
• Katrina Luckie, Executive Director, Northern
  Rivers Regional Development Board
• Milica Loncar, Director, Fresh Projects
• Phil Villiers, Corporate Sales Manager, Twin
  Towns Clubs and Resorts
• Steve Ross, Clarence River Wilderness Lodge
• Stephen Fletcher, Stephen Fletcher Associates
  (later, Liz Shepherd, Tourism Manager, Ballina
  Council) and Chair of NRT
• George Cowan, Executive Director, Economic
  Development, Clarence Valley Council
• Ian Oelrichs, Break of Day Investments
• Terry Watson, General Manager, Tweed and
  Coolangatta Tourism
• Jo McMurtry, Julie Burton, former Executive
  Officers, NRT
• Thanks also to Northern Rivers Regional
  Development Board Chair Margot Sweeny for serving
  on interim NRT Board in 2006