YARRAWONGA Mulwala Tourism and Moira Shire are at a stalemate, with Moira Shire refusing to budge on its proposed tourism takeover.
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The new Moira Tourism board wants to employ the 10 staff now employed by Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism and keep them operating from the present site on the foreshore, which is owned by Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism.
It will not pay Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism rent but says Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism can retain any commission from bookings.
Should Moira Shire take over Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism? Comment below
President of Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism John Charles said revenue from bookings could be anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000 and would not be equivalent to rent for the property, which he has been advised would be in excess of $65,000.
“They’re saying ‘we’ll pay the staff, so we want it for free and you’ll have no say at all’,” Dr Charles said.
Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism’s board is concerned it will not have a say on who would be employed or what duties they would perform if the shire took over their employment.
Moira Shire chief executive Gary Arnold said it was an “advantageous” arrangement for Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism and in return for the commissions and paying their staff, it was “only fair and reasonable they would offer us the opportunity to work at their desks and use their computers”.
After July 1, Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism will no longer receive funding from Moira Shire, which last year provided 25 per cent of its gross income.
“The threat is if we don’t agree we lose the funding,” Dr Charles said.
He said it would then be up to the people in the community and business owners as to whether they could support the association, which has 220 members.
He pointed to the steady increase in tourism in the town, with visitors through the centre numbering 128,408 last year.
“The association has a proud 40-year history of successfully encouraging and developing tourism in the Yarrawonga-Mulwala region, which we would like to continue,” he said.
Dr Charles said he did not understand why the council wanted to take over tourism in the town, apart from “empire building”.
The two parties are still negotiating and Mr Arnold said he hoped it would not go so far as to have two tourism information centres operating in Yarrawonga Mulwala at the same time.
