Tuesday, 15 October 2024

 Darren CHEESEMAN (South Barwon) (13:11): The Geelong tourism economy is worth many hundreds of millions of dollars to the local economy and is also a significant driver of jobs. Many people visit the broader Geelong region to enjoy their summer holidays and to take advantage of everything that Geelong and the broader region have to offer, whether that be our fabulous beaches, our fantastic national parks or our fantastic wine and food industries. All of these things have had it particularly difficult over the last 12 months with the cost-of-living crisis that our nation has endured. However, I was very, very pleased to see the announcement made by the Allan Labor government just this last weekend of free camping. This will turbocharge the local Geelong tourism economy, providing families across Victoria with the opportunity to camp free, and I have no doubt it will support jobs in our important, growing regions. It is going to be great for jobs, great for families and great for small businesses right across our region. I welcome this initiative, and I hope it helps in turbocharging our local economy.