Tourism Talk SeptemberPlease select a story from the list below or scroll down to view all.
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> News from Tourism
MAPS OF TOWNSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE
The 2011/12 pad maps for our townships are now available through our Visitor Information Centres- Bright, Myrtleford and Mount Beauty. If you would like a copy please drop into their local Visitor Information Centre.
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SPRING CALENDAR OF EVENTS NOW AVAILABLE
Our Spring calendar of events is available through our Visitor Information Centres. Showcasing the breadth of spring activities in the Great Alpine Valleys, the guide will be distributed through visitor information centres throughout victoria and available through our visitor information centres. If you have an event for the summer edition please contact Kate Houlgate at the Alpine Shire Council on (03) 5755 0550 or email kateh@alpineshire.vic.gov.au
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BLOOMING BULBS OF BRIGHT - BULBS ON SALE NOW!
BULBS are now on “Sale”! Come into any of the Alpine Shire Visitor Information Centres in Bright, Mt Beauty and Myrtleford from now until the 2nd of September to purchase your bulbs. There is a large variety with lots on offer and all these little flowers need planting immediately so that next year all regions in the shire are bright with colour and Bright 150’s is a spring to remember. Bulbs will be available for collection on Friday and Saturday from 9-12am the 3rd of September. (Mt Beauty and Myrtleford will be delivered for late afternoon Friday and Saturday pick up). We are encouraging all bulbs to be planted in public view to help make the local community beautiful across the shire. Bulb listed fact sheets along with photos are available so that individuals can read up on the varieties listed below and how to care for their bulbs.
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Blooming Bulbs
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Description
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#
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Sale Value
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Tulips Kees Nellis
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10
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$ 7.00
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Tulips Mixed
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10
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$ 7.00
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Jonquil Mixed
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10
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$ 5.00
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Pheasants Eye
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5
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$ 5.00
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Ixia (mixed)
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25
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$ 3.00
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Daffodil (mixed butterfly)
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5
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$ 5.00
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Muscari
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25
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$ 4.00
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Chincherinchee
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20
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$ 3.00
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Tritonia - Pink
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50
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$ 10.00
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Tritonia - White
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50
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$ 10.00
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Tritonia - Mixed
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50
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$ 10.00
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Tritillia
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25
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$ 4.00
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Sparaxis
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25
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$ 3.00
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Arabs Eye
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10
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$ 7.00
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Babiana
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10
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$ 3.00
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MYRTLEFORD BIKE MUSTER
With just over a month to go Bike Muster organiser Peter Scott has definitely seen a sharp increase in interest since the weather became more cycling friendly. “We have started to get more phone calls and emails and people are now starting to also plan what to do with the kids during the school holidays and Bike Muster is an excellent way to for everyone in the family to get together and enjoy some time outdoors” Scott added.
The Bike Muster program features some excellent riding and some other fun activities all included as a registered participant including:
• Welcome Trivia Night on Friday night at the local Savoy club
• Packed Lunch both days transported to the Lunch stops on the Rail Trail
• Dinner on Saturday night featuring regional produce
• Souvenir Myrtleford Bike Muster t-shirt
• Saturday afternoon “Bike Rally” around Myrtleford
30 September - 1 October - for all the information www.bikemuster.com.au
BRIGHT RIO FESTIVAL 2012
With the success of the first Festival in March this year we have been working away at the 2012 event. We have an exciting line up of bands that are just awesome, as well as some interesting additions to the program that will make spectacular viewing for all (we hope). The Fashion show and Pin Up comp are back with the addition of a Men's section and new bands in the street. So stay tuned to this space for announcements. We will be in the next few weeks launching the Poster for next year’s Festival and we'll be posting shortly some of the photos from this year’s album as well as starting to add information back on the website about next year. Regards RIO Committee
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING OFFER IN THE SENIOR VICTORIA NEWSPAPER
The Senior Victoria newspaper has offered Alpine Shire operators this special advertising deal of their October 2011 issue.
OVER 100,000 copies of this issue will be distributed statewide .
Country Getaways is the regional feature in this issue & will provide Alpine Shire , local businesses and tourism operators with opportunity to promote October activities , special offers from local tourism operators & festivals and attractions in a “tailor made” feature
The Senior Victoria engages monthly with a large and receptive readership who seek out information about domestic travel destinations . If you seek to increase visitations to your region from seniors with the time and money to enjoy both short breaks and extended holidays we would be happy to discuss a special feature for the region , including stories and articles from various operators in the region.
We extend to all tourism regions our government advertising rate, and equally can discuss creating feature within an allocated budget to ensure the region achieves best outcomes. Please see at the footer of this message latest evaluation on The Senior Victoria which in 2010-11 has increased circualtion, maintained readership and is experiencing continued growth and support from readers and its advertisors in the travel sector.
Special offer for Alpine Shire operators $291.50 each , including gst and full colour - Casual rate for same is $513.15 , so this is a genuine reduction to have presence in Get Going – Country Getaways.
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TIME AND PLACE | A UNIQUE EXHIBITION
A unique exhibition of modern Aboriginal art from around Australia showing the transition from the early days of the Papunya art movement in the 1970's to present day contempary artists. At the Bright Art Gallery from 10 September to 8 October 2011. Much of this work has not been displayed publicly before. Includes works by noted artists Clifford Possum, Billy Doolan, Craig Charles, Luke and John Cummins, Faith Thompson, Joyce Huddleston and Kemarre. Paintings by emerging artists will be available for sale.
>TOURISM VICTORIA NEWS
Click here to go to the Tourism Victoria Corporate site
FIRE UP FOR FIRE ACTION WEEK
A statewide campaign to ensure all Victorians understand the importance of bushfire preparation and planning will be launched in November ahead of summer.
The 2011 Fire Action Week, from 13–20 November, will include a range of events across the state. Fire Action Week will give people practical tips and advice on fire preparation and include many family-friendly events including CFA and MFB family days, fire planning days and other important education programs that will help people get on the front foot and understand fire risk.
A comprehensive four month advertising campaign will also run during the high risk period to further reinforce the message about preparing and planning for bushfires. The campaign will feature print, radio, online, outdoor and television ads to help encourage a proactive approach to bushfire preparedness and keep Victorians safe this summer.
Victorian Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said Fire Action Week was a whole-of-government initiative that included a partnership with local councils and communities to ensure all Victorians were well prepared.
"Fires don't just pose a threat to people who live in country Victoria. Bush and grass fires can place lives and property in jeopardy in suburban areas near parklands, presenting a threat to residents and visitors," Commissioner Lapsley said.
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TOURISM AND EVENTS EXCELLENCE CONFERENCE
The 2011 Tourism and Events Excellence Conference showcases business excellence within the tourism and events industries.
The Conference will bring together industry experts and leaders, business owners and operators, destination managers and visitor service providers, offering a unique opportunity to share knowledge, learn from each other, form new business relationships and discuss the issues that matter most to your business and our industry.
The Tourism & Events Excellence Conference is set to become a key feature of Asia Pacific business events circuit and a leading centre for thought leadership in our industry. Expect new insights, creative solutions and the unexpected from an outstanding range of professional presentations.
Date: Monday 5-7 September
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
Cost: Registrations start from $595.00
Don't miss out, register now at teeconference.com
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WORKPLACE VACANCY? THE YOUNG TOURISM NETWORK CAN HELP
The Young Tourism Network (YTN) is a Victorian member based networking group that encourages both employees and new entrants to the industry to share ideas and experiences, providing professional development opportunities. Members are from a variety of sectors including travel, leisure, hospitality, marketing, events, attractions, tour operators and other tourism business operators.
A key feature and highly valued benefit of YTN membership is the free Job Alert Service, regularly circulated to all members. The Job Alert Service can include volunteer roles (ongoing or one-off opportunities), entry-level positions and more experienced positions.
If you have a vacant position, YTN would love to assist by distributing it to its database of more than 300 members. Position descriptions or further information may be emailed to info@youngtourismnetwork.com
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> News from Economic Development
ATO TO PILOT ONLINE COMMUNITY FOR SMALL BUSINESS
From early September 2011 the ATO will launch a three month trial of the Small Business Tax Forum, creating a unique opportunity for small businesses to directly provide their insights and perspectives to the ATO on taxation and other administrative issues.
The proposed forum provides an ideal opportunity for our local business community to interact directly with senior ATO executives and decision-makers, who manage the ATO products and services you use. This will also allow the ATO to develop a far better understanding of how their systems and processes impact on business operators and their advisors.
The time investment they are seeking from business owners - 5 to 10 minutes per week on average – is not a huge impost, and could result in some positive changes in terms of how they administer the system. As a member of the forum, you will have the opportunity to not only share your experiences and views, but also to hear from other small business operators facing similar tax challenges.
If you are interested in participating in this innovative pilot community, please click the link below and complete the short survey to see if you qualify.
www.smallbusinesstaxforum.com.au/recruit/2/
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ATO SMALL BUSINESS INFORMATION NETWORK NEWSLETTER
Small business owners are often busy, with many different tasks on their hands. At times, unscrupulous operators may take advantage of this and attempt to trick a small business owner into making a payment for something they didn’t order, or to agree to goods or services that they don’t need.
Typically, this trick involves an unscrupulous business sending realistic-looking invoices with what appears to be an official looking letterhead or logo. Other tricks include sending unsolicited facsimiles, emails or letters and follow-up invoices to entice businesses to subscribe to, and pay for, entries or advertising in online business directories or other publications.
These tricks generally rely on time-poor employees unwittingly paying invoices without checking if they know the sender or if they actually agreed to the advertising or directory listing.
This SBIN newsletter outlines a recent case taken against Spanish-based Company, European City Guide S L (trading in Australia as ‘Industry and Commerce’). Industry and Commerce sent misleading forms to business owners and later billed them for directory listings that the businesses did not realise they had agreed to. Importantly this case means that businesses that were misled by Industry and Commerce do not have to pay invoices issued by the company.
This newsletter also provides information on how you can avoid becoming the victim of this type of unscrupulous behaviour.
ACCC court action for false billing
The Federal Court recently found that Industry and Commerce misled Australian small businesses into signing up with its online business directory.
Industry and Commerce sent forms to small business owners which gave the impression that they were Australian Government representatives. These forms asked the businesses to update or check that the information on the Register of Business Information was “positively and correctly presented”. The forms also represented that the Register of Business Information was a free Australian Government record when this was not the case.
Unsuspecting businesses that responded to Industry and Commerce were then pursued for fees. Some businesses were also threatened with debt collection and legal action when they attempted to cancel their listing on the Register of Business Information.
As part of its judgment, the Federal Court ordered Industry and Commerce not to claim or seek payment from Australian businesses that received the misleading forms. This means that Australian businesses who were misled by Industry and Commerce do not have to pay.
Related media release: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1000088/fromItemId/2332
How to protect your business
There are several steps you can take to protect yourself and your business. The ACCC strongly encourages businesses to:
>be wary of unsolicited offers, particularly those claiming to provide a free service, make sure you carefully read any fine print to fully understand the offer.
>make sure you know who you are dealing with before responding to any offer–do an internet search on the name of the product or company and verify contact and company details.
>look into the legitimacy and profile of a directory or publication – for example, ask for details of other local businesses who have previously listed or advertised and check with them that they received what they paid for.
>retain written records of authorisations for advertising or directory entries so that if you receive an invoice or a telephone call, you can go back to your records to check it.
>ensure that only authorised employees are responsible for payments and they should have ready access to important dates and suppliers. You should also keep these employees updated on any scam or unsolicited service that may target your business.
What to do if you think you have been targeted
If you feel you have been targeted by an illegitimate trader or if you have already given sensitive information to an illegitimate source, you should immediately report it to the police and the Scamwatch website. Scamwatch is the ACCC’s online resource to help people recognise, report and protect themselves from scams.
The ACCC’s Small Business Scams Fact Sheet provides tips to help protect your business from scams. You can get it from the ACCC website – www.accc.gov.au/smallbusiness – or from the ACCC Small Business Helpline on 1300 302 021.
Further information about protecting yourself and your small business from scams can be found on the Scamwatch website – www.scamwatch.gov.au.
If you would like to subscribe to receive regular updates from the ACCC on small business issues please send an email with your contact details to smallbusinessinfo@accc.gov.au.
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> News from Visitor Information Centres
VOLUNTEER SUMMIT
The High Country Visitor Information Centre network will host the 2011 Volunteers Summit on September 5 and 6 at Corryong. The two day event features familiarisation tours, workshops and networking functions. The guest speaker at the Summit is Corinne Grant – television personality and comedian.
The Summit provides an opportunity for Alpine Ambassadors (volunteers in the Alpine Shire Visitor Information Centres) to develop their product knowledge, network with volunteers from across North East Victoria and forge relationships with their fellow ambassadors across the three Alpine Shire visitor information centre locations.
The Summit celebrates the contribution of all volunteers in the region and their valuable contribution the tourism industry.
There are 28 registered volunteers participating in the Summit and local businesses such as Boyntons Winery and Bright Berry Farms have provided donations for the event.
Visitor Information Centres at Bright, Mount Beauty and Myrtleford have sold chocolates to fundraise for the event and the Alpine Shire receives a travel subsidy from North East Victoria tourism.
VICTORIAN TOURISM WEEK CELEBRATION AT MOUNT BEAUTY
On Saturday 10 September 2011, as part of Victoria Tourism Week, the Mount Beauty Visitor Information Centre will throw open its doors to showcase the state of the art interactive displays on mountain biking, ski touring, winter Olympics and hydro electricity.
The important role of Visitor Information Centres will also be celebrated with local food and wine and tours of the Centre by local Ambassadors and members of the Kiewa Valley Historical Society.
Annapurna Winery and Sweet Water Brewing Company will be in attendance for tastings and sales.
The FREE event kicks off at 11am and will run until 2.00pm.
See you at the Mount Beauty Visitor Information, 31 Bogong High Plains Road Mount Beauty!
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