Federal Member for Grey Rowan Ramsey has announced tourist facilities at Lochiel’s Lake Bumbunga will get a significant lift as a result of a $236,380 grant from the Federal Government’s highly successful Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF).
Mr Ramsey said, “I have been noticing an increasing number of tourists pulled up at South Australia’s “pink lake”. It is becoming very popular, many are visiting on route to the Clare Valley which is also seeing a lift in tourist numbers.
The old rule applies, if you want tourists, you need to have good facilities and that is exactly what this grant will help provide at Lochiel.”
The project will enhance the visitor experience and attract more visitors through provision of infrastructure catered to tourists needs such as toilets, picnic and playground facilities and interpretive signage.
“The Wakefield Regional Council have instigated the project and will provide fifty percent of the more than $470k for the total project”, Mr Ramsey said. “Lochiel is a small but enthusiastic community with a huge number of vehicles passing through each day. The secret is to get them to pause, spend a few dollars and in doing so provide local business opportunities.”
“Australia wide the latest round of the BBRF set aside more than $70m of the program’s total of $200m for tourism, so it is pleasing that a number of organisations have targeted that pool and been successful,” Mr Ramsey said. “The BBRF has delivered almost $4m to Grey in this current round and will take the total delivered out of this program and its predessor to more than $40m in the electorate since we came to government in 2013. It underlines our commitment to rural Australia.”
“It is projects such as this that make our regional communities even better places to live, work and raise a family and I’m excited to see the positive difference this funding will make to the community.”
“We have seen fantastic outcomes from the first two rounds and I have been very happy with the funding that has made its way into Grey communities. This announcement continues the Government’s commitment to unlocking the economic potential of regional Australia and ensuring our regions continue to thrive.”
Media contact: Leonie Lloyd-Smith 8633 1744
March 6 2019
