Hervey Bay Gossip

It’s been quite a while since we went whale watching but when a client asked us to revamp their website and add some images we decided that it was time for us to go and do our own photos. So yesterday we headed out on M V Mikat and we had an incredible time.

Now you’ll hear all the other whale watching centres tell you why they’re the best and Hervey Bay has certainly lost a lot of whale watching tourists to those other centres but frankly … if you don’t do it in Hervey Bay then you’re missing out.

If you want to rock and roll in the open sea off the Gold Coast or off Sydney Heads then by all means but don’t forget your sea-sickness tablets. If you want calm conditions and whales that aren’t in a hurry to get home then you’ll come to Hervey Bay.

We saw plenty of whales that stayed around the boat for ages … in fact one got so close and stayed so close that we were a little late getting back. That particular whale hung around the side of the boat … within a metre or two of the boat … and didn’t want to go away so while it stayed we couldn’t move.

Earlier in the morning a female and one of its friends played tag around the boat getting as close to the bow as what you see here in this photo.

And there’s always something awe inspiring about a creature that’s almost as big as the boat and slowly cruises by a metre or so below the surface just to see what we’re doing in its playground.

We had an amazing day and so did everyone else on the boat and we want to thank the guys from Mikat – they’re not our client but they sure did look after us and all the other whale watchers too.

When your rates are more than your income tax you may begin to wonder if it’s time for the Fraser Coast Regional Council to take a serious look at non-essential costs. Jim MacKellar certainly thinks so.

Over half of the ratepayers on the Fraser Coast will pay more in Council rates and charges this year than they will in income tax.

Analysis of the Median Household Income figures from the last national census, suburb by suburb, reveal that the FCRC is one of the few, if not the only, local government in the country that takes a larger slice of the financial cake than does the Commonwealth Government.

Local government has long claimed to be the poor relation in Australian governance because of the limits on their tax base. But the FCRC has now shown how to reverse this imbalance and break free of its spending constraints.

But one must wonder if they have taken into consideration the ability of people to pay these amounts of money. This consideration is set out in their own Revenue Policy.

Have they considered that they govern one of the most economically challenged and welfare dependent regions in the whole nation? We have more struggling households then anywhere else in the country.

When people are struggling to make ends meet they usually budget in a way that cuts out all but the necessary costs. Luxuries and extravagances are avoided and every dollar is stretched to its limit. This is certainly true of our pensioner community.

I would have hoped that our Council, as leaders of the community, might have been prepared to adopt a similar outlook when spending ratepayers money. But they do not seem to understand what it is like to have to struggle to keep body and soul together. Either that or they just simply do not care.

We hear quite often that the tourism industry in Hervey Bay is in trouble. We hear quite often that the building industry in Hervey Bay is also in trouble but when you look around the town it still seems quite a prosperous place.

The reality though is quite different and last week’s decision by the Stockland Group not to by Centro Hervey Bay is a clear indication of just how bad things really are for Hervey Bay.

When a major investment falls over because an investor with the stature of the Stockland Group decides, after researching the situation, that the town can’t support a major development such as Stage 2 of Centro there’s no escaping the fact that the economy of this town is in trouble.

It appears that maybe the Centro deal is not the only one to fall over in the last month.

There’s a strong rumour that this one … just down the road from Ramada … has also fallen over

So it seems that despite all the money we pour into advertising the wonders of Hervey Bay we’re somehow missing the mark and being beaten by Rainbow Beach.

It’s hardly surprising that people are passing on Hervey Bay and heading for Rainbow instead. For years now the main complaint has been that there’s nothing to do in Hervey Bay apart from the whales and Fraser Island so perhaps it’s time that some of those tourist dollars were spent pointing out that there is much more to do in Hervey Bay than just see the whales.

Sadly though it seems that our marketing gurus can’t think beyond the obvious when it comes to promoting Hervey Bay and don’t want to do a great deal to even promote those attractions.

It says a lot when local accommodation operators have to do their own promotion but that’s what one group is doing and this banner out on the highway just before the Hervey Bay turnoff is one example of their efforts.

Yes, they’re pushing the whales too but they’re also emphasising other things that Hervey Bay has to offer tourists. So if a small group of what are basically marketing amateurs can do this then why can’t our paid experts do something similar?

Billboard advertising is a highly effective form of marketing … and plenty of other tourist destinations are using this form of marketing along the Bruce Highway but when was the last time you saw a billboard advertising Hervey Bay?

Smoke from burn-offs on Fraser Island … a passing jet … and a couple walking on the beach as the sun goes down over Point Vernon.

What more could someone with a camera ask for

A stunning sunset yesterday taken from Shelly Beach

Jim Mackellar seems to think so and points to the Hervey Bay airport as a prime example.

Supporting the Economic Development Strategy?

From the Fraser Coast Economic Development Strategy Objective 3.2 –

2. Foster a business supportive environment that encourages the retention and development of existing business;     and

5. Promote aviation and the region’s capacity to attract and establish new aviation related business.

Would someone please be able to explain to me how the above two objectives are advanced by forcing established businesses out of their hangers at Hervey Bay airport?

Given that it would appear that the three major facts of the case are –

1. The airport does not presently make a profit;
2. There is ample land available to expand the hanger space;  and
3. There are more prospective tenants available then there is available hanger space.

It would seem that the obvious business decision was to provide more hanger space to provide for all the potential clients rather than evict the present businesses in favour of new clients who may be prepared to pay slightly more.

Alternatively, it may be more feasible to provide new applicants with a long term lease on a suitably sized parcel of land and allow them to build their own hangers. Either way is better than forcing the closure of established local operators.

It would appear that having approved the Economic Development Strategy the Councillors have filed it away and forgotten its high sounding objectives. Maybe they should have actually read it first.

Jim MacKellar

After days of gloomy weather last week we really did hit the jackpot over the weekend. Mild sunny days were a great reminder of why this is a wonderful place to live and that weather is set to continue for most of the coming week too.

If you’re coming to Hervey Bay for the whale watching then be sure to take some time to wander down to the beach.

Scenes like this - taken early yesterday morning - are common around here.

It’s a hard life in Hervey Bay but someone has to do it

These days if a business doesn’t have it’s own website then it is almost certainly losing customers for so many people in Hervey Bay search online for the businesses in town that can provide the services they need.

But now it’s quite possible to go beyond just having a website that provides basic information about your business and two businesses here in Hervey Bay have used the website technology to make it easier for their clients to make an appointment.

If you’re looking for a dentist in Hervey Bay then click the link and you’ll find yourself on the Primere Dental Studio’s website where you can book an appointment for whatever dental service you need.

For car repairs in Hervey Bay click the link and you’ll find yourself on the Total Auto Care website where you can book your car in for a service or repairs using the booking form on the website.

Before long you’ll be seeing other businesses using the Internet to interact with their clients here in Hervey Bay.

For quite some time now we’ve been hearing from Council and the local tourism board that tourism in Hervey Bay and the Fraser Coast has never been better.

The general manager of the Fraser Coast South Burnett Regional Tourism Board would have you believe that tourism to the region continues to grow. Councillor Noia claims that the loss of Jetsar has had no significant impact on tourism to the region.

That’s been at complete odds with what those working at the frontline of tourism have been saying and now it looks like those optimistic reports were just so much hot air.

It makes you wonder what the Council and the Board have been basing their figurees on when the latest report from Tourism Queensland shows quite clearly that tourism to the Fraser Coast Region for the year ended March 2010 is well down.

Domestic visitors are down by 12% … holiday visitors are down by 5% … intrastate visitors are down by 9% and interstate visitors are down by a whopping 28%.

So perhaps the Council and the Fraser Coast South Burnett Regional Tourism Board might care to explain why their claims of increased tourism to the region are not supported by the facts.

If you’re looking for the best pizza in Hervey Bay plus some great wine … or just a nice place for a quiet drink then check out Paolo’s Pizza Bar at 446 The Esplanade Hervey Bay.

You’ll get genuine Italian pizza, a fine selection of good Australian wines and friendly service too.

And if you’re not sure where 446 the Esplanade is just look for the little blue car … you really can’t miss it