Thursday at the Services Club.
A variety of projects and new innovative ideas were discussed at Cobar Shire Council’s Tourism Advisory Committee’s meeting last week.
The volunteer committee meets monthly and is made up of local residents representing various community groups, sporting bodies and businesses as well as Cobar Shire councillors who all have the same vision—that tourism opportunities are good for Cobar.
Council’s tourism manager Demi Smith updated the group on a range of current projects including the progress on the refurbishment of the Grand Hotel building.
Demi reported that window signage depicting the building’s history would soon be installed as part of the Far North West Joint Organisation’s (FNWJO) Pub Route project.
She also gave a progress report on the Museum Stage 2 Coach House and Underground Mining Exhibition project advising the group that a project manager had been appointed and work has started on moving items out of the old coach house.
Aurelia Metals/Peak Gold Mines’ Environment, Social Responsibility and Approvals Superintendent Diana Barnes gave a report on the Towser Huts sub-committee meeting with council.
She said the main item discussed was the logistics of having a tourism attraction on a mine site and other ways the site might be able to be promoted, ie it might be able to be offered as a 3D experience at the museum.
Diana also spoke about the mine’s progress with relocating mining objects of historical significance on the Golden Walk due to future mining activity; and put forward other suggestions of “Feel the Wobble blasting experiences”, bird watching, promoting kultarrs (nocturnal mammals native to the area) and an idea to develop a community chest fund.
Michael Haines, who attended in his capacity as a councillor and president of the Dust Bowl Fuel Burners club, announced the DBFB would be taking over the organising of the Running on Empty Festival and would act as hosts, with the support of council, for next year’s event.
Cr Haines also raised the idea proposed by a fellow councillor of a sponsored tourism sign/map at the COBAR sign.
The pros and cons of the idea were discussed by the committee.
