TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (09:44): I rise today to congratulate four towns in western Victoria who are among 17 finalists in the Victorian Tourism Industry Council awards: Ballarat, Warrnambool, Koroit and Aireys Inlet. Last week Ballarat in the top tourist town category and Aireys Inlet in the top tiny town category, in the face of very strong competition, both won gold – a fantastic achievement. The awards celebrate the best that our state has to offer in the visitor experience. Ballarat and Aireys are top towns for absolutely different reasons, but they showcase Victoria’s attractions right here in our own backyard. The great thing is that consumers and tourists have had their say on who wins. We have always known that Ballarat does it so well: family entertainment, food, heritage, beautiful environment, arts and architecture.
Aireys is a different world. To win gold in the tiny towns category for places with fewer than 1500 people is such a great local achievement. It is a village by global standards, but it has a tight-knit community and a very active traders and tourism association that I know worked very hard for this award. Aireys really is a hidden secret in plain view, a classic ocean-meets-bush setting, iconic features in Australia. I count myself lucky to have caught up with some of the Aireys folk who helped to achieve this award just as they were returning from the awards ceremony and then meet them again at Aireys. Congratulations to everyone who made the gold award possible. The next step is the national awards in September, and I wish Ballarat and Aireys Inlet the very best in their respective categories.