Day’s work in tourism done

Veteran Clarence Valley councillor Bill Day will bow out of local government a happy man, believing he has helped get the council on the right track in one of his pet areas, local tourism.

Cr Day has confrmed he won’t be standing at the September 14 Local Government election and in the last council meeting of the term, was delighted to put the fnishing touches to a council blueprint for handling tourism services.

Cr Day succeeded in adding a vital amendment to the Draft Clarence Valley Destination Management Plan.

The plan came back to council at its meeting on August 27 for councillors to:

1. note the public exhibition period submissions and responses attached to the report and 2. adopt the Clarence Valley Destination Management Plan 2024/2030

That was not enough for Cr Day who has long argued tourism issues need to be brought into focus at shorter intervals and require a more hands on approach from councillors and staff.

Cr Day argued that a point three be added, to require an annual report detailing Council tourism actions and expenditure to achieve the Clarence Valley Destination Management Plan 2024/2030, should be added.

And he didn’t have much opposition.

Crs Steve Pickering and Karen Toms had a few queries about wording, but Cr Day seemed happy to incorporate them.

It was a ftting end to this term on council for the local government veteran who served on both the Maclean Shire and Clarence Valley councils.

In addition he spent decades at the helm of the Clarence River Tourism Association, where his passion for the industry developed.

Cr Day said the future of tourism was now in good hands and was delighted with the appointment of the a co-ordinator.

“We had a workshop on this destination management plan, conducted by the new coordinator for tourism and economic development on Friday, and the new coordinator, Katee Blizzard,” he said,

“I really appreciate her enthusiasm and she, in fact, gave an assurance that an annual update would be provided to council. This isn’t my original idea, it’s hers.”

Cr Day said it was no secret that he believed council lost its way in tourism.

“I’m really impressed by the new appointment,” he said.

“I’m really happy with how the Economic Development and Tourism Advisory Committee has operated in the last 12 months or more.”

He went on to say he would like to see the tourism levy from the 1990s restored to tourism services.

“I’m sure that’s still possible, but this is a way of trying to ensure that tourism doesn’t get off the tracks again,” he