SOME NEW IDEAS

THE Hinterland is a big draw for visitors, particularly international.

Surveys at Springbrook’s Visitors Centre show a 4:1 ratio of domestic to foreign tourists, versus 11:1 across the city. Read this in the context that visitors can be messy sometimes.

Once our environment is compromised it’s hard to claw back. We must make informed decisions about the right places to leverage economic outcomes for tourism.

If we’re going to entertain a cableway, it needs to deal with fire risk in our dry eucalypt areas and activation of National Parks must align with why we protect those areas.

Here are other ideas: Mountain Bike Tourism: many don’t realise one of the best downhill courses is in Mudgeeraba at Boomerang Farm. NV Gravity Park is also on the way in Numinbah Valley, joining the course at Nerang and Gold Coast Mountain Bike Club’s facility at Hinze Dam. There is a real opportunity for a mountain bike hub in the Hinterland.

World Surfing Reserve to World Heritage Areas Walk: untapped potential in for walking tourism.

Upgrade Mudgeeraba Showgrounds for equestrian tourism: We have wonderful showgrounds notoriously underutilised due to under-investment.