2018-12-11 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                         11 DECEMBER 2018


14                       AUSTRALIAN TOURISM COUNCILS ADVOCACY GROUP
DOCUMENT INFORM AT ION




Author                              Chief Executive Officer, Brett de Chastel
                                    CEO’s Office

Index                               ECM/ Subject/ Sustainable Tourism

Attachments                         1.   ATCAG Fact Sheet



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Nil

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Chief Executive Officer to the Services & Organisation
Committee Meeting dated 11 December 2018 and:
A.                       Agree to join the Australian Tourism Councils Advocacy Group at a cost of $1,000 with
                         funding to be sourced from existing budgets; and
B.                       Review Council’s membership of that Group after 12 months.



REPORT
1.                       Background

In December 2017, the Mayor attended an informal meeting of local governments in Sydney who
were interested in the issue of tourism. Around 30 Councils attended that meeting, mainly from
New South Wales. The purpose of the meeting was to explore whether there were benefits in
establishing an advocacy group for those local governments that have specific issues related to
tourism in their shires.

The meeting identified a range of issues that were typically being faced by local governments in
high tourism areas including:
1.    Funding for public infrastructure;
2.    Transport; and
3.    Short Term Accommodation (interestingly, different Councils identified either not enough or
      too much short-term accommodation).

Other issues identified included the impacts of tourism on local communities, problems with camper
vans, misalignment of State government policies with local tourism issues, conflicts between
residents and visitors in terms of amenity etc.

There was some discussion about whether or not the common issues being faced by those local
governments in high tourism areas could be addressed through existing local government
organisations (e.g. the Australian Coastal Councils Association Inc) or whether there was a need
to establish a separate organisation that would advocate on behalf of Councils facing issues
associated with tourism.




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