Tourism Midwest Victoria four weeks away to operations

The City of Ballarat and the four surrounding shire councils - Hepburn, Pyrenees, Golden Plains and Moorabool - have all agreed to be a part of a new visitor economy partnership in an effort to "enhance regional tourism boards".

The VEP has been named Tourism Midwest Victoria and work is expected to ramp up in the second half of 2023 as the board is put together.

The changes to how tourism works in the region is underpinned by a new strategy across the state.

In April 2021 the state government released its visitor economy recovery and reform plan; the Midwest Victoria body has been created off the back of recommendations to enhance regional tourism boards.

The report also indicates regional Victoria needs more investment in accommodations while marketing resources should be "more effective and coordinated".

The board will be made up of representatives from the five local government areas involved, five industry partners and an observer from the state government's Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions.

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Nominations for the partners who will each represent different skills and backgrounds are open until June 9 while applications for chair manager closed in May.

From July 1, membership and payment structures to become an industry partner will be released.

Each council will pay an annual membership fee which will help fund the projects of the partnership.

The VEP will be housed and resourced as part of the City of Ballarat's Visitor Economy Unit.

At the February council meeting, Ballarat councillors formally agreed to join the VEP and spend $30,000 for the annual membership, which was included in the 2023/24 draft budget.

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During the meeting, councillors remarked how it was important to develop the city's tourism offerings in order to keep up with other regional cities like Geelong and Bendigo.

Mayor Des Hudson said at the meeting while it was great to be a part of the partnership, it was also important to keep eyes open for other opportunities that could be undertaken by council.

Moorabool Shire has committed to spend $30,000 annually to be a part of the VEP. The Moorabool April meeting agenda said the VEP could "unlock significant benefits" and it identified the council could improve from a "more coordinated approach" to the visitor economy in the region.

The Pyrenees Shire will also spend $30,000 annually on memberships, but has budgeted an additional $10,000 for other optional buy-in programs should the council decide to be involved. This could include money for extra marketing.

Councillors in the Pyrenees were concerned about how they would be able to measure the return on investment the VEP could have on the community. They will receive an update from the chief executive in October.

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In the Hepburn Shire, the council will be spending $15,000 on annual membership fees and an additional $5000 this year for marketing. Midwest Victoria will be focused on Creswick and Clunes, while other parts of the shire will still be involved with Daylesford Macedon Tourism, which the council spends $80,000 a year on in membership fees.

Membership structures are yet to be developed for the Golden Plains; the involvement in the partnership will be focused on the areas north of Meredith.

Other parts of the shire are associated with Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine.

A spokesperson said this could be an additional avenue for the shire to promote tourism such as the usage of the Ballarat Skipton Rail Trail and support for the surrounding townships.

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