| Package is “ridiculous”

MURRAY River Paddlesteamers Director Craig Burgess (pictured) has called the Australian Government’s tourism support package “ridiculous”, expressing his disappointment at the disproportionate distribution of locations being supported.

Burgess lashed out at the decision, which he said seemingly supported locations that only attract international guests.

“As we see with most government announcements, it is just another episode of utopia, all-flash and bubble with no thought or substance,” he said.

Burgess’ calls came off the back of the Murray Region Tourism Board Chair Wendy Greiner’s cries for help for her constituency, noting nearly 25% of domestic overnight visitors to the region arrive through its two small airports, both overlooked by the government.

“These short-sighted and unfair subsidies, as they currently stand, will reduce visitation and net visitor spending, and only lead to an alarming increase in job losses,” she warned.

Greiner also pointed out the Murray region has endured the most disruptive lockdown measures in Australia, with over 41 weeks of interrupted trade in the past 12 months thanks to border closures enacted by the New South Wales and Victorian state governments.

Burgess implored Melbourne, or at the very least Albury or Mildura, be supported through the package, lest the Murray region once again miss out.

“I fear many smaller operators along the river may now just give up when JobKeeper ends this month,” Burgess said.

Murray River Paddlesteamers was also at the forefront of the region’s tourism advocacy in Jan (CW 07 Jan), demanding the federal and state governments make changes to pandemic-related legislation to help save the peak season for rural Victorian tourism operators.