More than 1000 local jobs will be created after the Blue Mountains was awarded a $2.6 million bushfire recovery grant, the area's leading tourism authority has predicted.
Blue Mountains Tourism (BMT) will administer and manage the Blue Mountains Visitor Economy Revitalisation Project, a two-year destination management program that aims to reinstate the Blue Mountains as a key tourist destination in NSW and Australia. It will involve destination branding, marketing, website development, major events, industry communications and a business resilience program.
BMT will deliver the project in partnership with Blue Mountains City Council, which will deliver the industry development and branding component.
"This funding is recognition of the Blue Mountains' key part in Australia's tourism offering and that it needs help to get back on its feet," said Blue Mountains Tourism president Jason Cronshaw.
The project is expected to create more than 1000 local jobs and bring more than 500,000 visitors back to the region.
Mr Cronshaw thanked the state and federal governments for "providing this lifeline to the people of the Blue Mountains, given that so many rely on tourism and its supplier industries for their livelihoods".
The project will deliver a new consumer brand for the Blue Mountains, the visitbluemountains.com.au website upgrade, a new CovidSafe destination event, as well as a 24-month rolling marketing campaign.
The grant will also support an ongoing industry communications initiative and the council will roll out the Building Better Business Program for Tourism Operators.
Blue Mountains mayor Mark Greenhill said: "A strong Blue Mountains tourism sector is vital for our local economy and the last 18 months have been incredibly challenging for our tourism operators. It's the big attractions, but also the small businesses that dot our main streets, that desperately need visitors.
"Council looks forward to partnering with Blue Mountains Tourism to roll out this destination management program as soon as possible, as it will retain and create new jobs in our city and build resilience."
The tourism plan was part of a series of projects funded under the second round of the Federal and State Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund.
Other major projects include $4 million to Blue Mountains City Council for the Grand Cliff Top Walk from Leura, a $500,00 dam project at Blackheath Golf Course and nearly a million dollars for Mount Irvine, Mount Wilson and Mount Tomah projects. A further $720,000 was awarded to establish a disaster Resilience and Recovery Hub at Springwood Neighbourhood Centre.
The Grand Cliff Top Walk is a joint initiative of council and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to develop a world class 13.6km multi-day walk. The initiative seeks to drive nature-focused tourism by delivering greater accessibility to iconic Blue Mountains locations from Wentworth Falls to Katoomba, including the Charles Darwin Walk.
Liberal Senator Marise Payne said the new funding will make a big difference to the area's economic recovery.
"At the outset of the devastating bushfires, we promised our government would work alongside communities on their recovery journey, with this latest funding a further example of delivering on that commitment," she said.
"We understand that a thriving small business community and the steady flow of tourism is essential, as it was before, to the post-bushfire Blue Mountains economy.
"This funding further secures our economic recovery while simultaneously funding important community-led projects which boost resilience and emergency preparedness."
Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman, and State Member for Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle also welcomed the funding which they said was long overdue.
"Nearly two years after fires devastated the area, and after the Blue Mountains was overlooked in previous funding rounds, we are finally seeing a share of joint federal/state funding coming to the area," the Labor MPs said a in a joint statement.
"After fighting to ensure Blue Mountains projects were even considered, after the last debacle, I am relieved to see such worthy recipients of these critical grants," said Ms Doyle.
Ms Templeman said support for the tourism economy was long overdue.
"The tourism sector has been crying out for support to really promote and revitalise the Blue Mountains as a destination, and this should go a long way to helping with branding marketing, and establishing major events in the Mountains."
Mayor Greenhill said it was excellent news that significant funding had now been directed to the Blue Mountains.
"Our agitation and disappointment after the last round of Local Bushfire Economic Recovery Funding has shone a light on the plight of the Blue Mountains," he said.
"These successful projects will retain and create new jobs in our city, build resilience and increase preparedness for future bushfire season."
NSW Upper House Liberal MP Shayne Mallard said the Blue Mountains had been hit hard in the last two years with the catastrophic bushfires and the continuing COVID pandemic.
"I'm glad to see the much needed financial support being provided to our resilient community."
"The Blue Mountains community is still recovering after the 2019/20 bushfires. This funding will help aid this recovery and also the preparedness for the next bushfire season," he said.
The 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires saw a loss of 2500 jobs in the Blue Mountains region with a $341 million hit to the local economy, not including environmental and social impacts.
Projects that received funding are shown on a map, which can be visited at: https://recovery.gov.au/our-community/local-area-profiles#/map
