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Check out our Double Artz Page this edition Volume 4, Thursday 27th July, 2006
Roxby’s tourism troubles
Written by Stuart Deed Roxby Downs is experiencing record high numbers of tourists but there are fears the housing shortage is hampering vital tourists dollars for the town. According to Cultural Precinct manager, Karyn Biggs, there have been 1500 tourists in the last month - a 25 per cent increase from this time last year. “We need more accommodation because we are clearly having more people coming through the town but there are no spaces,” Ms Biggs said. “Quite a few people are going through to Andamooka because there are no spaces here, even if they have vans,” she said. “I know that coming up to shut-down there is no accommodation anywhere, everything is booked out. Perhaps we need to find other spaces for the workers to stay,” she said. Northern Regional Development Board officer Alex Barker, said he had a tourism budget of $5000.
But he said that money would be going to waste if the tourist accommodation was not solved. “Accommodating tourists is my biggest issue,” he said. “I’ve got concerns that when we put money and time into marketing that if people can’t find a place to stay in Roxby Downs they might not come back again. “We’re being very strategic in our management of tourism at the moment but in the last year I have completed $1.3 million in South Australian Tourism Commission grants for the region,” he said. General Manager of Myall Grove Caravan Park, John Betterman, said the recent political and media attention on Olympic Dam had resulted in a tourism upsurge but disagreed there was a housing shortage. “Roxby Downs has had so much publicity recently – lots of people have wanted to come and see what the town is all about. “Can we accommodate them? Yes. We’re filling up but we
haven’t used all the space available yet,” Mr Betterman said. “People are coming into the park and we’re not turning anyone away.” Mr Betterman said that in a small town like Roxby Downs a caravan park could not afford accommodation to remain unused, so the park caters more to long term residents. “We like and need long term residents but we appreciate the town has a need for tourist accommodation – it has to be available,” he said. Despite the dispute everyone agreed tourism is important to the town. “I wouldn’t think tourism is crucial to Roxby Downs at the moment given the mining boom and town expansion opportunities but once that is finished and the construction is gone we will have to realign our priorities.”
Doctors Warning: Young babies in danger Local families with very young babies are being warned of a respiratory disease that is potentially fatal. A recent report in The Advertiser stated Adelaide’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital had experienced an increase in babies admitted with respiratory syncytial virus this winter Up to 10 babies a day were being admitted with the virus, the leading cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in babies 12 months and younger. In many cases the virus was contracted through exposure to children and other family members suffering from colds. Child Health authorities are now strongly recommending babies be quarantined from any family members and friends effected by colds or flu. The warning is particularly relevant to Roxby Downs residents given the high numbers of families with young babies
“I would ask parents and friends to be responsible and not visit families with very young children if either they, or their children, have a cold,” Ms Connell, EO/DON of Roxby Downs Health Service and Woomera Hospital said. The Women’s and Children’s Hospital’s Dr Chris Pearson said the common cold was potentially deadly for very young and premature babies in particular, because their lungs were undeveloped. In babies presenting with the virus, there often was a history of exposure to a child with a cold. “An infection that is a head cold in an older child can put a baby in intensive care,” Dr Pearson said. The virus could be transmitted by coughs and sneezes, he said. “Being in the same room as someone with a cold is a risk because a sneeze can travel a good two metres.” Dr Pearson recommended parents of babies ask family and friends not to visit when ill. Parents should also take the precaution of wash-
ing their hands before attending to infants, especially after contact with the sick child, he said. “Soap and water is wonderful stuff.” While no babies have died from the virus, there had been fatalities in past decades when babies had not been taken to hospital after suffering from lack of oxygen, Dr Pearson said. While babies born prematurely or with other health problems were most at risk from complications, Dr Pearson warned parents they would not be able to tell the difference between the virus and a cold. “Babies can just get a cold like anyone else,” he said. “But symptoms of the virus include a cold runny nose and a bit of a cough, rapid breath and difficulty with feeding. “Parents’ first port of call should be a GP unless a baby is looking very sick - then they should call an ambulance and come to hospital.”