Tourism destination push

Little Blue Lake

July 30, 2025

Tourism destination push

Tourism assets within the region that are not managed by Dorset Council would be prioritised for their significance by a new working group set to be established soon.

Dorset Councillors unanimously approved Infrastructure Kerry Sacilotto’s vision to establish the group which would investigate, prioritise, and advocate for the development of tourism attractions.

Ms Sacilotto said Council was often asked to improve a range of assets such as waterfalls, walking trails and lookouts that are actually managed by Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife.

Common requests for improvements centre around better access, signage, parking, and visitor amenities.

For example, the Council has long been arguing for improvements to Little Blue Lake, a PWS-managed site. 

“There is a growing expectation that Council intervene with ratepayer-funded support to address perceived gaps and help unlock the economic potential of key tourism assets,” she said.

“It is acknowledged that PWS operates within finite resources and must balance competing priorities across the State. 

“However, Council sees value in working collaboratively to highlight regionally significant sites where targeted investment could deliver strong community, economic, and tourism outcomes for Dorset.

“There is a strong desire to see these natural assets protected, enhanced, and celebrated, not only for visitors, but for the benefit of local families, businesses, and future generations.”

She said local tourism operators and the community would be consulted to identify and prioritise projects in a bid to ensure that resources were not diverted to lower-priority or ad hoc initiatives without appropriate review.