Ben Franklin was the most popular man in Moama on Friday.
The NSW Arts and Tourism Minister visited town to announce $4.95 million for the Bridge Art Project and increased support for a tourism campaign promoting the Murray region.
Both announcements were made at Riverbank Moama, which hosted a function featuring a number of prominent businesspeople from the twin towns.
The $4.95 million for the Bridge Art Project is part of Round 2 of the NSW Government’s Regional Tourism Activation Fund.
The Bridge Art Project will incorporate a gallery with events space, café, community arts space, education space and outdoor amphitheatre, which will eventually link to 17ha of bush trails and raised walkways, featuring installations and sculptures along the Murray River.
Mr Franklin, who spent a number of his childhood years living in Barham, said when completed the Bridge Art Project would be a game-changer for the region.
“This is a wonderful part of the world and this project is going to be amazing,” he said.
“I’ve seen the masterplan, the vision of it, the entire precinct, the connection to the fabulous Murray River, it is a beautiful concept.
“Everyone deserves access to high-quality creative experiences and the Liberal and Nationals Government’s commitment to ensuring everyone has access to world-class arts and cultural infrastructure ensures the state’s creative sector has the capacity to innovate, reach new audiences and develop skills.
“It will be an important hub for Moama and draw tourists here.”
Bridge Art Project chair Allison O’Brien said the funding for the gallery was welcome news for the community.
“This is a thrilling moment for us, the enormous amount of money enables the project to start in earnest,” Ms O’Brien said.
“There has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get us to this point, but it has been a wonderful team effort and will continue to be.
“The Bridge Art Project is a great example of community, council, Aboriginal artists and the NSW Government working together, providing vital tourism and art infrastructure that will support the cultural, social and economic fabric of our community.
“This won’t only support Moama by increasing visitation, this will support local economies and local jobs as people spend at cafes, restaurants, hotels, motels and local shops.”
Mr Carroll said the partnership between Destination NSW and Murray Regional Tourism would be bolstered by the targeted campaign to boost the area’s visitor numbers.
“We had already $400,000, but this is another $300,000 to support the region after a challenging summer following the floods,” he said.
“It is part of Destination NSW’s Feel New campaign, which was developed as part of the border recovery marketing program.
“We will be targeting younger travellers from Melbourne, regional Victoria, the ACT and southern NSW to invite them to experience the magic that is on offer in the Murray region.”
The campaign will feature a range of experiences and tourism operators that appeal to a younger demographic via lifestyle media website content, YouTube, Spotify, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
Murray Regional Tourism chair Wendy Greiner thanked the state government for its support during this critical time.
“The good news is the Murray region is open for business and we can’t wait to welcome growing numbers of visitors to the region to enjoy the freedom, adventure and exciting experiences we have to offer,” Ms Greiner said.