A NEW push to transform Logan’s rural areas into tourism hotspots has received a thumbs up from industry leaders who say ‘now is the time’.
Logan City Council wants its new planning scheme to unlock the city’s tourism potential by allowing drawcards like wineries, farm stays and nature-based experiences in rural, rural residential, and environmental management and conservation zoned areas.
The council says opening these previously “untapped” areas will diversify the economy, create jobs, and showcase Logan’s natural beauty and cultural heritage.
Associate professor of tourism at Griffith University, Dr Anna Kralj said now was a “great time” for Logan to capitalise on investment circulating throughout the region ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
She cautioned against an “any tourism is good tourism” approach.
“[Tourism] needs to be place-based. It needs to help the community develop a sense of pride about where they are and what makes them unique and different.
”The tourism use needs to be with a view to preserving and conserving the natural features of that rural environment in western Logan.
“The Logan draft plan does seem to be laying out what they do want from their tourism development and what they want to avoid.”
Logan Chamber of Commerce president Arwen McGregor, who has spearheaded the movement to boost tourism across the city, agreed.
She warned Logan must carve out its own niche rather than trying to copy neighbouring regions like the Scenic Rim, which have a 20-year headstart.
While she agreed wineries, glamping and farm stays were a solid opportunity, Ms McGregor has even bigger dreams.
She has long championed the idea of a wine processing facility in Logan – something she explored while completing her Masters degree in tourism ten years ago – that would take business from the vineyards at the Scenic Rim.
“There are only two places in Queensland where you can get your grapes processed into wine, and that is something we would be better off having in Logan – we’ve got space, it can be relatively flood proof, you can attract tourism and pull in other agritourism like cheeses and bees.
“ It also leads into school-based trainees learning about wine, horticulture, agriculture… it brings in so many skills.”
Dr Kralj, who has worked with regional councils in remote Queensland to help diversify tourism, acknowledged one of the biggest challenges would be getting the community “on board”.
“Council will need to be careful with how it engages in strategic storytelling to build this sort of sense of urgency amongst residents for tourism development,” she said.
She pointed to established attractions in Logan’s east, such as the Daisy Hill Koala Centre, and said there was untapped potential in the west.
“There really is an opportunity to expand in the west in a way that actually helps to preserve and conserve natural and cultural heritage.”
She warned against the pitfalls of “overt tourism”, and said Logan should instead aim for “high yield, low impact” visitors looking for luxury experiences who spend more without burdening the surrounding community.
Development of the country parts of Logan is all well and good. But, what about looking after assets the are in inner Logan. Like Logan park, oh the central area is well looked after but follow the paths and the neglect is obvious. Little branches and leaves that get caught in wheel e walkers. The dog parks grass can get so high that my chihuahua gets lost but it’s ok because the area is most weeds and dirt. Even in wet season.
In the larg dog park it took four months to clear the roots of a fallen tree.
Some areas are beautifully done up but not maintained now they are full of weeds and bindies.
And the path up to the car park is not paved and is very difficult to navigate for an able bodied person let alone a disabled person. There is roots coming through and divits that were once filled with sand but this has washed away. The park needs a larger budget and gardeners that care about their job. I saw one smoking while mowing hanging over the side to make sure he was doing it right. Also there is one fellow who doesn’t even get out of his car. They think nobody notices or they just don’t care but good council money is being wasted on a lack of care. But the in paved footpath is an accident waiting to happen.
The Logan P is used by hundreds of people a day walking running and playing sport. the park needs to be a shining example of how good Logan can be. Not somewhere you dump your Macca’s wrapper’s at. Encourage people to have pride in Logan not allow it to be a drug den.