By ERWIN CHLANDA
The tourism industry is waiting to have discussions with the incoming government about the planned new visitors centre on the former Shell depot site, at the western foot of Anzac Hill.
CEO of Tourism Central Australia Danial Rochford says there will be far more parking space, the lack of which has been an “almost daily” irritation at the current site in the Mall.
He says the new site has been recommended to the previous government by TCA after commissioning a report four years ago.
The industry lobby has looked at several other sites but not including the welcome rock near the Adelaide turn-off on the Stuart Highway, nor the National Transport Hall of Fame, suggested by some locals.
Mr Rochford says 50% of tourists come from the north and 50% from the south which means the facility needs to be in the CBD, which is where local traders as well want it to be.
Not a good idea. When most of our visitors come from the South I suggest that Danial’s figures are a little disjointed and not considering airport and Yulara.
Why would you put a visitors reception area on the North? That’s akin to advertising a film by putting the posters up inside the cinema!
Two years ago I sat at the welcome rock for an hour and counted 102 people photographed on that rock. Two weeks ago I repeated the exercise. The results were, over two consecutive days, Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th, 5 cars, 2 buses, 54 people and 3 caravans pulled in.
Many were photographed on the rock. I also visited Aileron and again asked why have we not got a “Giant” icon – maybe an Indigenous family, an Afghan cameleer and a settler all in harmony, because thats who we are.
Next day in an hour 14 cars, zero buses and 28 people stopped, plus 3 caravans and campers stopped. I still wonder if traffic numbers South of The Gap and their destinations have ever been monitored? A few days later I counted 13 caravans pass the cemetery, obviously heading to the Hall of Fame in the time it took to conduct a funeral.
On all occasions I wondered where the tourism people were to direct these people to where they want the economic activity to occur.
This is what they do in other places, Mclaren Vale and Winton, but here the CBD traders seem to be taking a vision impaired and narrow view.
Both the Cultural Centre and Transport Hall of Fame should be part of a dedicated tourism province south of the gap, and including Yirara as a positive for Indigenous education and to involve the students in their own cultural centre, and where visitors can conveniently park their vehicles and go to where the traders want them to spend their money without the problems of towing a van or parking.
It was distressing and very inconvenient recently to see a large van parked in the bus stand opposite the PO when trying to collect mail. Other centres planned their centres AROUND parking ease not the other way around.
The CBD should be left to commerce and accomodation while putting the visitor attractions outside for the convenience of all of us. Winton uses electric minibuses to do that but here we seem very insular in our thinking.
I’m glad this discussion has been revisited. I have always suggested to Council snd Government that the old Shell Depot should be a big kid play area.
Big play equipment like Darwin has and interstate. It’s right next to Hungry Hacks for a feed and could easily have toilet facilities and perhaps a building for Youth Social Workers.
If it was a place for tourists to park, I envisage rocks bring thrown off the hill.
South of The Gap gets my vote for visitors centre. Good idea.
Shortsighted planning and camper van chaos from TCA.
I absolutely agree with both Trevor and Amelia. The old Shell site would be a great location for outdoor recreation such as a ninja warrior course with supervising staff, appropriately trained and drawn from the ranks who are currently chasing both their tails and the kids around town.
Curiously the youth centre built a couple of years ago in Tennant Creek, with all these plans in place has never been opened, awaiting some final fit out and staff!