A JOURNEY across four states in as many days was the beginning of an exciting new chapter for New Zealand native Donna Foster.
With her entire life packed in her car, Ms Foster and her partner traveled from Queensland’s Fraser Coast to the Blue Lake city last month.
The whirlwind road trip followed Ms Foster’s appointment as Mount Gambier City Council’s tourism and economic development manager, a role she has embraced with unbridled enthusiasm.
“This is a place of natural beauty, the geological features are completely unique and the location is a huge selling point – Mount Gambier is in the middle of everything,” Ms Foster told The Border Watch.
“Not only is it halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide, within the Limestone Coast we are right in the middle.
“Within an hour you can drive to see beautiful beaches, forests with glow in the dark mushrooms and we have a lake that just happens to change colour in summer – how magical is that?”
Having previously worked in tourism and investment attraction, Ms Foster said the city’s tourism sector was in an exciting stage of development.
“One of the things that attracted me to this role was council’s mandate to really focus on tourism and economic development,” she said.
“All of council, the elected members and operational staff, are facing the same direction and there is real excitement in the city’s tourism sector.
“The products are already here – it’s just a matter of shining them up and presenting them and working with operators and helping them develop what they have.”
Ms Foster said she was passionate about regional development and delighted to apply her skills and experience in an area where both council and community understood the value of tourism.
“I truly believe it is the time of the regional areas – it’s the city folk we should feel sorry for,” she said.
“In regional centres we have the fresh air, the lifestyle and the freedom to live how we want to.
“We have a really energetic board and great focus from management, we are updating our strategic document and looking at programs to help us drive growth.”
She added City Council would continue to strengthen relationships with other tourism bodies and surrounding districts.
“We need to understand what’s already being done so we don’t double the efforts,” Ms Foster said.
“I’ll be looking at the city and region through fresh eyes and I’m eager to tell the stories and let people see the magic of the region.
“I’ve been going out to explore every weekend since I arrived and I have been discovering the history – the shipwrecks, the saint, the poet, our first peoples, we haven’t even scratched the surface and that’s all part of the tourism story.”
Ms Foster said she had been impressed by council’s innovation and forward-planning.
“I’m in a unique position where many of council’s strategies are coming together,” she said.
“I feel privileged to be part of the journey and I know I have a big job ahead of me – I will apply myself 150pc.
“Australia is an amazing country and I’m lucky to be living in an amazing part of it.”
