Whip cracks on new Year of Outback Tourism Events Program

From star gazing and bush storytelling to camp drafting and dunny racing, The Outback is set to come alive in 2019 and beyond with dozens of new and much-loved tourism events and experiences receiving more than $1.1 million in funding.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the 27 recipients of round one of the Year of Outback Tourism Events Program in Parliament today.

“The array of exciting events being supported is as vast as our Outback itself,” the Premier said.

“Grants of up to $100,000 will go to supporting rugby carnivals, a regatta, a stockman’s challenge, music and food festivals, horse races, an Indigenous walking trail and arts projects.

“There are events already on the calendar like Surat’s Cobb and Co Festival, Birdsville’s Big Red Bash and Cunnamulla’s Fella Festival and Winton’s Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival to make them bigger and better.

“And there are new events too with Longreach putting on an Outback Paddle Regatta and River Fest, and the Charleville Cosmos Centre is hosting a two-night astronomical event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

“This first round of the Year of Outback Tourism Events Program includes events in 24 of the 27 local government areas that form Outback Queensland, so there is a good chance there will be a special experience awaiting tourists no matter where in the region they roam.

“We’ll be opening round two next month so there’ll be plenty more opportunities to further boost tourism in the Outback.”

The Premier said she declared 2019 the Year of Outback Tourism and announced this new $3 million program to attract new visitors to this magical part of Queensland.

“The fascinating history, unique natural beauty, rich indigenous heritage and exceptionally friendly people of The Outback make it a major tourism asset for our State,” she said.

“Tourism is already worth more than $350 million and supports 3700 jobs in Outback Queensland, and our Government is working with locals to see these numbers continue to grow.

Event and festival promoters, local governments, community organisations and local businesses are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit www.qld.gov.au/outback.

Year of Outback Tourism Events Program round one recipients

New event/attraction:

• Footy for the Flinders Highway – Hughenden, Julia Creek, Richmond (26 April 2019 – 5 October 2019)
• On-route to Big Red Bash entertainment – Windorah (13 Jul 2019 – 14 Jul 2019)
• One Giant Leap for Mankind – Charleville (19 Jul 2019 – 21 Jul 2019)
• Indigenous Stock Workers’ Display – Normanton (15 August 2019)
• Outback Paddle Regatta & River Fest – Longreach (21 Sep 2019 – 22 Sep 2019)
• Nindigully Film and Music Festival – Nindigully (04 Oct 2019 – 06 Oct 2019)
• National Boxing Series – Mt Isa (19 Oct 2019)
• Trailblazing the West - Birdsville, Longreach, Charleville, Cloncurry, Julia Creek, Richmond, Thargomindah, Augathella, Boulia, Winton (29 May 2020)
• Watti-Watti Walking Tracks – Birdsville (30 Jul 2020)
• Out the Back Music Festival – Emerald (11 Oct 2020)
• Savannah Way Art Trail - Georgetown, Croydon, Normanton, Karumba, Burketown, Doomadgee (30 Nov 2020)

Existing event/attraction:

• Aramac Races – Aramac (25 May 2019)
• Outback Queensland Masters – Roma, Mt Isa, Charleville, Longreach, Winton, Boulia (17 June 2019 – 28 July 2019)
• Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival – Winton (28 Jun 2019 – 06 Jul 2019)
• Alpha Races – Alpha (29 Jun 2019 – 30 Jun 2019)
• Festival of Small Halls - Goovigen, Mitchell, Alpha, Jericho, Aramac, Muttaburra, Barcaldine, Hughenden, Georgetown (01 Jul 2019 – 30 Nov 2020)
• Cloncurry Stockman’s Challenge and Campdraft – Cloncurry (10 Jul 2019 – 14 Jul 2019)
• Birdsville Big Red Bash – Birdsville (14 July 2019 – 18 July 2019)
• Hughenden Rugby 7s Carnival – Hughenden (26 Jul 2019 – 28 Jul 2019)
• #betterinblackall Festival – Blackall (14 Aug 2019 – 18 Aug 2019)
• Gulf Country Frontier Days Festival – Burketown (15 Aug 2019 – 18 Aug 2019)
• Cobb and Co Festival – Surat (17 Aug 2019 – 25 Aug 2019)
• Cunnamulla Fella Festival – Cunnamulla (30 Aug 2019 – 01 Sep 2019)
• Multicultural River Dragon Festival – St George (06 Sep 2019 – 08 Sep 2019)
• Outback Food, Wine & Music Festival – Longreach (14 Sep 2019)
• Winton Outback Festival – Winton (24 Sep 2019 – 28 Sep 2019)
• Roma’s Easter in the Country – Roma (19 Apr 2020 – 13 Apr 2020)

*Dates correct at time of application and subject to change

ENDS

Media Contact:     Zoe Russell (Premier’s office) 0439 982 347