Scott Morrison and a wreck!
A report in the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader says that Defence Minister Brendan Nelson has been asked to scuttle a navy vessel off Cronulla to boost tourism in Sutherland Shire.
Liberal candidate for Cook Scott Morrison and representatives from three dive shops around the shire took Mr Nelson on a boat trip to a site they believe would be perfect for a dive wreck.
Mr Morrison said there was fierce competition for naval vessels when they were decommissioned and he wanted to get onto the front foot early to stake a claim for the shire.
“As a former managing director of Tourism Australia I know that one of the challenges Sydney faces as a tourism destination is the need to be always coming up with new experiences,” he said.
“A dive wreck will provide us with the opportunity to catch the attention of international visitors and introduce them to the many other great natural tourism experiences here.”
He said the wreck would be the first part of a wider plan to reinvigorate tourism in the shire.
“Cook’s landing site should be a magnet for big spending visitors from the UK, especially older visitors with plenty of time and money,” he said.
“Yet this site and the visitor’s centre are currently not up to international standard.”
“We should have world class walking trails, a state-of-the-art interpretive centre and a themed heritage walk linking the landing site to the Esplanade and Bass and Flinders.”
“This would create one of the world’s great city heritage walks.”
Labor candidate Mark Buttigieg said he supported the initiative. “I think it would be a great recreation opportunity for divers and would create a strong tourist attraction for the area,” he said.
“Having said that I am somewhat suspicious about the timing of these discussions.”
“Previous representations made to the government by Sutherland Shire Council have been met with an emphatic no!”
“It reminds me of similar promises made in the past in the lead up to elections on issues like the Kurnell peninsula, which remains in the same state it has been for the last 30 years of conservative representation in the shire.”
Pro-Dive owner Gypsy McNally said there were dive wrecks off Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. “In Western Australia it’s a massive drawcard,” she said.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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