The Kangaroo Island Council has received $2.6 million to upgrade camping and visitor sites across the island from Brown Beach to Snellings Beach.
In what is believed to be the biggest single grant to the island since the South Coast Road was sealed, the Federal Government has granted the money under its economic stimulus Jobs Fund.
The work, to be completed this financial year is estimated to create 22 full-time equivalent jobs over that time and, according to economic modelling by Adelaide company EconSearch, it will create up to 50 ongoing jobs from an increase in visitor expenditure of between 5 and 10 per cent.
“This is a win for the entire island community and our visitors who will use these sites in the future and the positive financial impact this will have on the island businesses,” Mayor Jayne Bates said.
The council’s chief executive officer Carmel Noon said the money would implement a large part of the council’s Camping and Day Visitor Strategy, a document completed at a cost of about $20,000 in 2008.
A previous application for funding for the strategy under a regional infrastructure stimulus program had been unsuccessful.
The council had since budgeted to complete one item from the strategy this financial year – a new bridge at Western River Cove.
Ms Noon said the council had planned to budget up to $150,000 a year to projects in the strategy which would have taken 20 years to complete.
The projects will include revegetation, wind-powered dry toilets, gas barbecues, solar lighting, waste stations, shelters, water tanks, parking facilities, fencing and control barriers at Vivonne Bay, Hanson Bay, Western River, American River, Snellings Beach, Brown Beach, Muston Lookout, Emu Bay and Duck Lagoon.
Ms Noon said the project had potential for ongoing savings for the council in terms of maintenance and fees charged at camping sites.
“Spending money on plans and strategies can be a frustrating process when all you can see at the end is a set of plans but in order to get these sort of grants our projects need to be so-called shovel-ready and this council has been focusing on that,” Ms Noon said.
“The standard of our visitor facilities is high on the list of things that tourists complain about, along with roads obviously, so we believe this project will have a positive impact on visitor experience and peoples’ decisions to visit again.”
Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said the council was to be congratulated on its detailed planning work and for submitting a comprehensive proposal to the government.
Ms Noon said the Federal Government had recognised the work done by the council in its asset management plan and in “tidying up its own backyard”.
She said most councils had to make a co-contribution for funds towards such grants but Kangaroo Island Council had not.
“I’m confident the State Government will soon come to the table with some answers to the options we have put to them about the future sustainability of the island, which we know is being discussed at ministerial level,” Ms Noon said.
“We’ve been trying to work with the SA Tourism Commission for more than two years on a list of priorities for tourism infrastructure on the island and not getting too far. They are constrained in how much they can help by the funding given to them by the State Government but if they are using Kangaroo Island as the main attraction for people to come to South Australia then they need to support that,” she said.
The $2.6 million grant will be managed in-house by the council with work contracted out.
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