Premier re-opens Hayman Island Resort

 The legend of Hayman Island is set to live on. On Friday August 5 Queensland Premier Anna Bligh officially re-opened the new-look resort after five months of rectification works following the devastation wreaked by Cyclones Anthony and Yasi earlier this year.

 Ms Bligh said Hayman’s re-opening was a “powerful symbol of recovery for the Whitsundays”.

 “This paradise was battered and bruised but is now back even better than before. When we see great success stories like this one at Hayman it gives everybody hope,” she said.

 Premier Bligh was accompanied to Hayman by Tourism Minister and local MP Jan Jarratt, who said, “Hayman represents the resilience of the Whitsundays”.

 “As both the Tourism Minister and the local member it’s an emotional journey for me here today. In the face of the challenges confronting our industry, the team at Hayman has demonstrated that we can fight back from a shocking summer as a community and as a state,” Ms Jarratt said.

 The Premier and Minister were taken on a tour of the island encompassing its iconic 16 hectare botanic garden, revitalised with the introduction of 33,000 new plants including 327 new plant species. Ms Bligh was treated to tropical juice and gourmet fingerfoods from the resort’s kitchens before visiting the island’s small state school where students presented her with a special Hayman book.

 Before boarding her helicopter, Ms Bligh was presented with a cheque for $32,650 raised by Hayman staff and Hayman/ Mulpha Australia management for the disaster relief appeal.

 The employee chosen to present the cheque was Captain Bill Hutchinson, who has been with the resort for 41 years.

 “Captain Cook dropped me off on the way past,” Bill joked.

 “We’re back to being the best resort in the world, but nothing’s changed in the way we treat our guests,” he said.

 Hayman’s General Manager Shane Green said it was staff like Bill who were responsible for “putting the island back together”.

 “If there was one thing about this closure it’s that our sense of community and sense of ownership of the island is unbelievable right now,” Mr Green said.

Shadow Tourism Minister on tour

 Shadow Tourism Minister Jann Stuckey is going to take “a special interest” in the Whitsundays having come here last week.

 Ms Stuckey met with representatives from the local Tourism industry including Tourism Whitsundays, the Proserpine Chamber of Commerce, Airlie Beach Main Street Traders Association and Enterprise Whitsundays, during her stay.

 Ms Stuckey’s visit was part of a “listening tour” seeking feedback from small business operators, “to identify areas they feel state government could get off their backs”.

 “I am on a very committed mission to visit the areas that are under the most stress, which is why I have chosen to come here and why I’m heading to Cairns soon,” Ms Stuckey said.

 “My disappointment in the neglect by the state government in this area is all the worse because your local member is also supposed to be Tourism Minister,” she said.

 Ms Stuckey said she was “appalled” by the “abuse from your council” describing the recent slashing of funding and closure of the information centre as “almost like dancing on graves”.

 “When your chips are down you market more,” Ms Stuckey said, drawing on her background in marketing and customer service.

 “You have a minister who has not gone on the warpath after the mayor and on top of that her attitude to news that the carbon tax is going to hit this industry more than any other was, and I quote, “just wait and see”,” she said.

 Ms Stuckey praised local operators whose “fighting spirit and attachment to the area is impressive”.

 “I have met real people here. People who give a damn and people who should be listened to,” she said.

 Tourism Whitsundays Chief Executive Officer Peter O’Reilly said he was very pleased to have the Tourism Minister from alternative state government in the region.

 “It was a great opportunity to talk to her about the challenges facing the Whitsundays tourism industry at this time.

 “The state government is very closely aligned with tourism promotion being the funding provider for Tourism Queensland. As a result it is important that the state government representatives have a clear idea of the needs of the Whitsunday tourism industry,” he said.

 President of the Proserpine Chamber of Commerce Janine Muller said given the current issues facing the community, this was a very timely visit.

 “I think it’s great that she took time out to come and see us. We didn’t ask her to come – she came off her own back. She really wanted to get a grasp of how this area ran and what was important to our town,” Ms Muller said.