Following the recent bushfires, a coordinated regional approach is underway to understand impacts on the visitor economy and to support effective recovery efforts.
Goulburn Region Tourism, Greater Shepparton City Council, Mitchell Shire Council and Strathbogie Shire Council, together with Destination Goulburn Valley, Go Nagambie, Go Seymour and the Goulburn Regional Partnership, are working collaboratively to ensure the experiences of affected businesses are captured once and used meaningfully.
The shared priority is to keep this process simple, respectful and proportionate, recognising that many businesses are already under significant pressure.
Through this collaborative approach, information will be collected a single time and used to inform the relevant local councils, government agencies and support organisations, creating a consistent and shared understanding of impacts and recovery needs across the region. For example, Goulburn Region Tourism has responsibility for briefing government agencies that support tourism and the visitor economy, as well as advising the Minister.
This information is critical to building an evidence‑based picture of the impacts of the bushfires and will assist all partners to advocate for, and help shape, appropriate assistance and recovery measures.
Information will be gathered through short, informal conversations with tourism and visitor economy businesses, including accommodation providers, food and beverage operators, attractions, events and festivals. We acknowledge that impacts vary significantly depending on location, proximity to fire activity and business type.
All information will be stored by Goulburn Region Tourism and de‑identified before being used or shared in any way. While it will be necessary to discuss impacts at a town level and by broad business or event type, individual businesses will not be identified. Participation is voluntary, and decisions not to take part will be respected.
Contact with businesses is expected to begin from late January. Outreach will be coordinated across organisations to minimise duplication and reduce the impact on businesses’ time.
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