WARD SLAMS CUTS TO VITAL SOUTH COAST TOURISM FUNDING

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward has slammed more cuts to our region by the Minns Labor Government. This week, the NSW Labor Government are cutting the Regional Event Fund and the NSW Regional Business Event Development Fund.

“Tourism businesses on the South Coast have been slammed with fires, floods and COVID. Adding insult to injury, NSW Labor are now cutting long-standing grants programs that are vital for local tourism businesses and jobs on the South Coast.

“Once again, the Members for South Coast and Shellharbour are absolutely nowhere to be seen as they continue to support a Labor Government that is hurting local business, jobs and our economy. These lazy, Labor Members prefer to stand up for their party than fight for our community.

“The Regional Event Fund identifies and supports events in regional NSW which act as a cornerstone for flagship tourism events by attracting overnight visitation and delivering long-term benefits for regional areas like Kiama, Shoalhaven and the southern Illawarra.

“The NSW Regional Business Event Development Fund is designed to help stakeholders create, attract and support exciting business events for regional NSW and to support new business event initiatives. The Fund aims to enrich these business events with opportunities offered by iconic towns and regions, while helping secure successful conferences and events.

“Since it was established in 1996, the Fund has supported more than 440 individual events across regional New South Wales.

“Despite the desperate pleas of local stakeholders within our regional development industry and others who have raised their genuine concerns directly with me as their local MP, it appears local Labor MPs are happy to support this Sydney-centric government that doesn’t care about jobs and tourism in our regions.

“I will be raising my objections to these cuts when Parliament sits next week,” Mr Ward concluded.