Supporting our West Coast economy

Strahan’s vibrant waterfront is set to benefit from additional funding thanks to a Regional Recovery Partnership between the Tasmanian and Australian governments and the West Coast Council.

The Tasmanian Government welcomes the Australian Government’s $2 million commitment to supplement our $1.375 million to progress the Strahan Waterfront and

Visitor Centre project which will see new public spaces, a refurbished visitor's centre and enhanced landscaping around the area.

It will also deliver improvements to safety and access to port area to allow for an expanded range of ship maintenance services.

Through the investments we have seen in the area in recent years this is becoming one of our State’s best tourism and holiday destinations as well as a fantastic place to be a local.

The Waterfront and Visitor Centre Project has been made possible with the completion of the $6.5 million Strahan wharf and cruise ship terminal redevelopment completed in 2018.

As we move to reopen our borders in a few days’ time, we are focussed on making our cities and towns places that visitors want to come to and that locals are proud of.

Before COVID-19 the region was welcoming about 513,000 visitors a year and we hope that once our borders reopen we can get numbers back up to that level again.

The project will also boost local employment and recovery through creating 23 jobs during construction and up to 10 indirect jobs ongoing as a result to improvements in visitor infrastructure and additional business opportunities.

It is a strong demonstration of the commitment shared across all three levels of government in coming together to bring rejuvenation to our regional centres like Strahan.

It was also great to attend the official opening of the Mt Owen MTB Trail network, which is an outstanding addition to the West Coast’s already strong tourism offerings.

This trail network is the first of its kind in Australia offering big mountain riding experiences, including vertical elevation losses of 800m on some trails, which are currently only found in the northern hemisphere or New Zealand.

These trails will provide economic stimulus, increase recreational opportunities and increase the attraction to live and work in the region.