www.monaropost.com.au
Volume 6 Edition 8 ISSN 1834-0318
years 0 COOMA VISITORS CENTRE 5 service WEDNESDAY October 12, 2011
NOW ONLY $1.20 INC GST
50 years, millions of visitors through CVC Cooma Visitors Centre is celebrating its 50th anniversary this Friday, October 14. The centre had an interesting and feisty beginning and since then has undergone many changes, including its building. Funding for the original centre was raised through the Festival of Snows, just as funds for the Cooma swimming pool were raised. Throughout its history, the CVC has been a focal point for the local tourism industry, an integral part of the local economy. In 2011, the emphasis is again on tourism as Cooma-Monaro Shire Council has formed a new Tourism Advisory Committee to help drive the industry. Mayor Dean Lynch is optimistic about the future for the CVC. “There is a lot of enthusiasm from the tourism committee, giving us a real focus. “The prospects are looking really good. “There is plenty to enjoy and build on, such as the Snowy Ride, the proposed Hill Climb at Mt Gladstone and the manager and staff are enthusiastic and keen to go ahead with other events”. To celebrate the anniversary, the CVC will host festivities this Friday from 9.30am, including a “tour of Cooma”. The theme of the celebrations is the 1960s and there will be displays, classic cars, morning tea and plenty of giveaways.
CVC had a rocky start Cleve Maher had already worked with Cooma Municipal Council for some time when he was given the task to make the newly created Cooma Visitors Centre ‘work’. Mr Maher has shared his CVC experience with The Monaro Post: The centre was started by the council to promote tourism in Cooma and the area as an obviously developing industry and as an investment to help the future of Cooma when the SMA scheme was completed. At that time there was no guarantee that the authority would still be located in Cooma after completion and of course SMEC had not been thought of. Blue Mountains had a information centre and tour booking office in a shop in Katoomba. I remember their
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Above: The current staff at the Cooma Visitors Centre. Since it opened 50 years ago, the Cooma Visitors Centre has served about 4,500,000 visitors.
man coming to Cooma to address the Council and Rotary when the Council first came up with the thought of what to do. All of the Aldermen supported the idea of the centre except for one whose support depended on finance from other councils. The main decision maker was (as in the case of many council projects at the time) Mayor Lindsay Hain. The site in Centennial Park was selected. The council was the trustee of the park. Just to digress, the trustee status with parks in NSW did not seem to be clearly defined or understood because councils all over the place established clubs, meeting rooms, etc , and even during our fight they built information centres in parks.
And then all hell broke loose!!!! A ratepayers association had been formed and strongly opposed the idea of an Information Centre. Ernie Howe of the Citizens Club was the leading light and debate was hot and strong. There was one misguided resolution of the council and that was to resume a shop of one opponent and open that as the Centre. We didn’t. Continued P39...
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NEBULA ,MOTEL.
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From one supporter of local Tourism to another -
The team at The Lott wishes Cooma Visitors Centre A Happy 50th Anniversary The Lott Foodstore now offering a whole Lott more!
Sharp Street, Cooma, 6452 1414 lott.com.au
Thanks Council, for the Cooma Visitors Centre’s 50 years of fabulous service.
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42 Bombala St Cooma NSW 2630
T 02 6452 4133 | F 02 6452 3397
info@nebulacooma.com www.nebulacooma.com