Visitors to Burke Shire during the 2021 tourist season will be encouraged to wave a passport with pride in an initiative supporting the region's businesses.
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Burke Shire Council says the popular Burke Shire Passport would be relaunched after a four-decade absence as the remote community attempts to bounce back from the devastating impact of COVID-19 travel restrictions over the past 12 months.
Council CEO Clare Keenan said the passport, last used in the late 1970s, would be redeveloped to allow bearers to take advantage of a range of benefits from local businesses.
"The aim of the campaign is for people to feel a sense of connection and loyalty to our quirky community, and visit our local businesses now our border has been reopened," Ms Keenan said.
"Council was fortunate enough to secure $125,000 in funding from the Queensland government to give our local businesses a boost, and after speaking to people in our community, I realised that money could be best spent by thinking outside the square and bringing back the passport.
"Government thought the idea was exceptional, so we're working hard to ensure it's up and running by the dry season."
To maximise Council's bang for buck with the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training funding, it is offering $10,000 in prizemoney through a marketing campaign competition, a move Ms Keenan believed would attract tourism and design practitioners to share their expertise.
"We are inviting entries into the competition that will see the winning campaign on television, social media, radio and billboards," she said.
"We like doing things differently up here, so we want to hear from designers and marketing gurus, with the winning campaign and passport design set to score $10,000."
Cr Rosita Wade, who is also a Burketown business owner, said the reintroduction of the passport would give Burke Shire a point of difference in the north-west Queensland tourist market.
"Bringing back the passport is just a wonderful idea, and those of us who were around last time we had it remember how successful it was in giving our visitors a link to the community," Cr Wade said.
"Our CEO has done a brilliant job in securing the funding Council is using to relaunch the passport, and it shows a big commitment to businesses in Burke Shire, who are all feeling the impact of the border closure last year."
Entries for the marketing competition close at 5pm on March 22, with further information available by calling Ms Keenan at the Council administration centre on 07 4745 5100.
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
