Two minutes and 19 seconds. It’s an investment of time that could deliver the Manning Valley a big return in job creation and economic growth. It is the length of a “little clip” about the Manning Valley - that is how its creator Armedia Photography describes it on Facebook - and yes, it is a “little clip” but its potential for change is huge.
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Armedia Photography teamed with Leo Gillespie Media to create the multimedia presentation for MidCoast Council to showcase the Manning Valley at the Local Government NSW Tourism Conference in Taree in March. More than 190 delegates watched the presentation and about two weeks later I found it on Facebook.
I watched it, marvelled at the beauty of the Manning Valley and saw the potential of the “little clip” to be a tool for tourism growth that could be wielded by every resident. It should be watched and shared on social media and messaged to family and friends in far away places with the invitation – come for a visit – or better still – come to live.
‘Tourism is everyone’s business’ – the motto of the NSW conference is the mantra Manning Valley residents must claim to build our economy. Tourism and aged care are our growth industries and tourism is the industry that can be boosted by community contribution to its promotion.
Too often people look to our region and focus only on its challenges and then choose to use social media to give voice to its problems, to slate home blame to council, and our State and Federal members of parliament for the region’s high unemployment, empty shops, deteriorating infrastructure and lack of community facilities. Federal member for Lyne, Dr David Gillespie and State member for Myall Lakes, Stephen Bromhead do fall short of community expectations in their advocacy of needs in our region and delivering dollars - but so too does our community.
Every Manning Valley resident can contribute to growing our economy. It means choosing to focus on the good, seeing potential and acting to promote it. If we want job creation, if we want economic growth in multiple industry sectors, if we want better roads and investment then we need people to visit, to spend and to stay. We must mobilise the power in our community and it can begin today. Visit the Manning River Times website, watch the “little clip” and then use social media to share it. Tourism growth must become your business.