Today the Liberal Member for Braddon Adam
Brooks and I inspected the West Coast tourism drawcard, the West Coast Wilderness
Railway.
I was
briefed on the railway's impressive return to operation and upgrades to old
rail between Queenstown and Dubbil Barril, before boarding the fully-booked
train.
More than 7,000 passengers have embarked on the tourism experience since it
reopened in January, and their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
It's part of a surge in tourism to the West Coast, which recorded a 25 per cent
jump in visitor numbers in the 2013 December quarter compared to the previous
year, with more than 40,000 tourists venturing to the region.
The Liberals remain committed to the ongoing operation of the West Coast Wilderness
Railway, and will honour the previous Government's funding commitment of $11
million over the forward estimates to 2017.
This commitment is part of the State Government's targeted West Coast package,
aimed at creating employment and building stronger communities.
The Liberal Government's number one priority is jobs and we are working with the tourism
and hospitality industries on the West Coast to create jobs and boost
investment.