TOURISM AND EMPLOYMENT

It should be noted that a significant proportion of our residents need to travel outside Moorabool for their employment, this is a major difficulty especially for our young teenage youth seeking employment.

If elected, I will advocate strongly for Council to take a lead role with State and Federal Governments to overcome this problem within our community to ensure we create more local employment.

I will also advocate strongly for a Government department to be relocated in Bacchus Marsh, housed in the proposed Civic Centre, which will increase local employment. This increased employment will revitalise the city centre shopping district and help to stop the leakage of retail spending to Melton.

I will also advocate strongly to create this vitally important and meaningful local employment for youth, for example, by boosting Moorabool’s largely untapped tourism potential.

By bringing more visitors to the region, with Melbourne on our doorstep, we can boost the hospitality industry and bring along other small businesses in the process, which will create a diversity of employment especially for younger residents.

Presently tourists bound for Daylesford or Ballarat pass through Moorabool without stopping. It is imperative that we build more walking, hiking and bicycle paths especially around Ballan and Gordon in conjunction with the upgrade to Paddock Creek located within the township of Gordon.

With Melbourne so close by train and car it is imperative that we advertise the profile of Moorabool.

I will advocate for the development of a linear path strategy along the entire length of the Werribee River [Pykes to Port Phillip] from Pykes Creek Reservoir to Port Phillip Bay in conjunction with the City of Melton the City of Hobsons Bay along with the State Government.

I will advocate for a greater emphasis on the construction of footpaths and bicycle paths, together with their regular maintenance to facilitate regular disabled use, especially gravel paths after a heavy rain event.

The bicycle and walking path networks located in Darley and Bacchus Marsh need to be linked and satisfactorily sign posted as soon as possible.

as soon as possible. These bicycle and walking paths bring in tourists requiring services, which bring in jobs. I would to see Melbourne tourists alighting from the train at Ballan and Bacchus Marsh, riding around bicycle paths and lightly trafficked rural roads for a number of days. Local overnight accommodation in Ballan, Bacchus Marsh and Gordon can be found to allow bicycle tourists to visit our parks, mountains and other local features such as Mt. Warrenheip and Lal Lal falls.

It is important to keep Moorabool’s urban districts distinct from the Metropolitan suburbs and to preserve our beautiful natural vistas which are “a jewel in Moorabool’s crown.” There is no other Shire that has better picturesque landscapes than Myrniong, Gordon, Blackwood and Greendale. It is absolute madness to even think of putting a 500Kv overhead transmission line anywhere near them.

This sort of tourism is just waiting to be developed.

There is also an important role for events-based tourism and if elected will advocate strongly for the Blackwood Easter Festival and the annual Ballan Autumn Festival to get greater Council support.

I will advocate for Council to develop a long-term strategic plan to identify cultural and environmental tourism opportunities to enhance economic development.

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