TASAC Minutes 24 August 2016

Minutes of the Tourist Attraction Signposting Assessment Committee Western Region meeting

Wednesday 24 August 2016 at the Bourke Shire Council offices 29 Mitchell Street, Bourke

Members David Douglas Regional Coordinator TASAC and Drive, Destination NSW Phil Oliver Guidance and Delineation Manager, Roads & Maritime Services (RMS) Nick Angelini TASAC Secretariat

Also present Leonie Brown Manager Corporate Services, Bourke Shire Council Mark Gordon Manager Roads, Bourke Shire Council Matthew McCorkle Roads Assistant, Bourke Shire Council Marty Cassell RMS Western Region

Apologies Sharon Grierson RMS Western Region Phil Johnston Manager Tourism and Development, Bourke Shire Council

AGENDA ITEMS

1. DELEGATIONS / PRESENTATIONS & REGIONAL SIGNPOSTING ISSUES

1.1 Bourke Shire signage issues

i. Tourist drives

Mark Gordon inquired about what the Council would need to do to establish one or more tourist drives in the Shire. Mark identified three main routes that could be candidates and David, Phil and Marty provided some preliminary feedback regarding the routes. Typically, tourist drives are not radial routes and they start and end on State roads. It was noted that TASAC has not been accepting applications for new tourist drives since 2011 when a review of existing numbered tourist drives commenced. While the review has resulted in the upgrading of signage and promotional material for many of the State’s numbered tourist drives, the review process is still ongoing for several drives.

As a first step, David suggested that Council audit the relevant routes to more clearly define attractions and experiences of interest to visitors. It was also noted that there can be very high costs associated with establishing and maintaining signposting for tourist drives. Therefore, many local authorities are choosing not to use signage solutions to encourage visitors to explore hinterland areas and instead are employing digital and / or hard copy promotional material as a more cost effective and flexible way of achieving this objective.

Action: David to send Matthew a hard copy of the Manual.

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ii. Tourist attractions

David mentioned that the Committee had visited the Back O’ Bourke Exhibition Centre the day before. A discussion ensued regarding other attractions and activities for tourists in and around Bourke and throughout the Shire, including the wharf precinct (incorporating the wharf and Crossley Engine), the weir, the PV Jandra river boat and Fred Hollows Grave site within the Bourke historic cemetery.

From the descriptions provided by Leonie, Mark and Matthew, TASAC members indicated that the wharf precinct and Fred Hollows Grave would warrant further investigation to determine whether they could be eligible for signposting as tourist attractions and undertook to visit them after the meeting (see item 1.2 below for outcomes). iii. Tourist attraction signage for Gundabooka and Toorale National Parks

Mark advised that the Council is in possession of the manufactured tourist attraction signs delivered by RMS for Gundabooka and Toorale National Parks and has provided NPWS with a quote for their installation.

1.2 Members’ report on site inspections

David and Phil made the following observations arising from their site inspections in the Bourke area and environs the day before the meeting:

i. Narromine - Glenn McGrath statue. Signage is in good condition and directs motorists to the nearest side road adjacent to the park where the statue stands. Interpretive information is provided on the statue’s base.

ii. Nyngan - The Big Bogan statue. Whilst the structure itself has novelty interest, it was noted that there is no accompanying interpretative material on site and that it is not highly visible in the context of its surroundings.

iii. Cobar - Fort Bourke Hill Lookout. The tourist signage to the lookout appears to be in good condition but the destination has not been considered by TASAC for more than five years so any prior signage eligibility it may have had has lapsed. It was evident from the inspection that the lookout could be eligible for attraction signposting as it gives a unique and dramatic view of the mine works and also has comprehensive interpretative information at the lookout platform. It was noted that there are no public toilets at the site. However, no entry fee is charged and, as it is a lookout, the site could be regarded as a short stay, non-commercial attraction that may be signposted without the need for public toilets.

iv. Great Cobar Heritage Centre and Cobar Miner’s Heritage Park. The heritage centre also functions as a visitor information centre and the latter use is well signposted. Attraction signposting is not in evidence however, even though the centre houses a significant collection of exhibits dating from the early 1870s to the present day and it is open daily for more than six hours per day. Similarly, the Miner’s Heritage Park across the road from the heritage centre has numerous displays with accompanying interpretative material and may also be eligible for attraction signposting.

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Action: Secretariat to contact Cobar Council to discuss whether it wishes to apply for tourist attraction signposting for attractions in its area.

v. Bourke - Back O’ Bourke Exhibition Centre. Members were impressed with the quality of the centre and the attractions / activities it offers to visitors. The centre has tourist signposting which was installed some years ago.

vi. Bourke - Wharf Precinct. Members inspected the historic Bourke wharf and adjacent Crossley Engine exhibit. Both the wharf and the Crossley Engine were considered to hold considerable interest for tourists. The Crossley Engine features interpretative information on site. There was no interpretative information available for the wharf and its history and this would be required for it to be found eligible for signposting.

Action: Secretariat to advise Bourke Council of the Committee’s observations. vii. Bourke - Fred Hollows grave. The grave of renowned ophthalmologist and philanthropist Dr Fred Hollows is located within the historic Bourke cemetery and presents as a unique amalgamation of sculptural forms. Interpretative signage (including a brochure that lists other features within the cemetery) is available on site outlining the history of Dr Hollows’ work, his connection with Bourke and the design philosophy behind the sculptural forms that comprise the grave site. Members considered that the grave would be eligible for tourist attraction signposting should the council wish to apply.

Action: Secretariat to advise Bourke Council that the Fred Hollows’ grave site would appear to be eligible for signposting, should the Council wish to submit an application.

2. NEW TOURIST SIGNPOSTING APPLICATIONS

2.1 The Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre, Tamworth

An application has been submitted to allow existing signage for the Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre to be replaced with new signs that reflect the co-location of the facility with the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre (the AVIC was relocated to the Golden Guitar site in October 2014).

The Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre is located on the corner of the New England Highway and Ringers Road, east of Tamworth town centre. There are six existing signs for the destination in Tamworth (at Bridge Street, Scotts Road and Goonoo Goonoo Road pointing towards Ringers Road). It is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm and is open for longer hours during the Country Music Festival, which takes place for about 10 days each January.

The theme of the centre showcases Tamworth’s role as the “Country Music Capital” through the following displays:

 Golden Guitar Winners Display, comprises wall mounted boards that list winners in each category of Golden Guitar awards since 1973.

 Star Maker Wall, is a visual display with images of winners of the Star Maker award (an annual competition held since 1979 for upcoming country music performers) on a timeline.

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 Gallery of Stars Wax Museum has 26 displays of country music artist pioneers all with a detailed history board. The wax figures are dressed and placed in a scene of the artists’ choosing.

 Wall to wall posters, displays and memorabilia throughout the centre promoting country music artists, past and present.

 Collectors Museum, which presents the largest privately owned collection of sporting memorabilia associated with cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, as well as some items relating to other sports, e.g. football and horseracing.

The Star Maker Wall and Golden Guitar Display are updated annually after new awards are announced. New wax figures are added when income allows. The newest wax figure was added in 2012 and current expectations are that another figure will be introduced in 2018. Sporting items are added as new purchases are made. The most recent item, a Wallaby’s rugby union football, was added to the collection in April 2016.

Captions for each of the 26 wax figures have biographical information, including career highlights for the artist depicted. Both the country music and sporting collections are self-guided tour experiences but visitors are welcome to ask staff for additional information if required. The premises has an area of 1,062 sq. m made up of 199 sq. m for the wax museum and 206 sq. m for the sporting displays. The remaining area is made up of a coffee shop, gift and souvenir shop and a country music CD store.

The centre does not have a collection policy for country music and sporting collections. However, as its displays are specific to award honour rolls and wax figures of country music artists, a formal policy may not be as necessary as it would be for museums that have more traditional collections. Nevertheless, it is recommended that the centre develop a collection policy to guide future management of the displays, including the acquisition and removal of items.

During the discussion the Committee noted that the name requested for signage (The Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre) was too long. The members expressed a preference for the wording on signage to be “Big Golden Guitar”. However, as always, RMS would be responsible for the final decision on the text to appear on signs.

Museums and Galleries NSW has been informed about the application and it advised that it did not wish to comment in detail because the word “Museum” will not appear on the tourist signs and, as the centre is not a traditional museum, it would not have anything significant to contribute.

A site inspection report, which confirms the information in the application, was provided on 10 August 2016 by Samantha Ison, Destination Development Officer of Tamworth Regional Council.

Decision: The Big Golden Guitar is eligible for tourist signposting in the Museums category.

Action: (a) Secretariat to inform the applicant and RMS Northern Region as above. (b) Phil to liaise with RMS Northern Region about sign designs and report back to TASAC if required.

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2.2 Toy & Railway Museum, Leura

The Toy & Railway Museum was last assessed in late 2003 and an application was submitted at TASAC’s request to update the destination’s eligibility for signage. The museum has six existing tourist signs, two signs on the Great Western Highway east and west of the turn to Leura Mall, two signs on Leura Mall north and south of Craigend Street and two more signs further south on the Mall east and west of the intersection of Leura Mall, Cliff Drive and Gordon Street. However, it appears that there may be no tourist signs at the entrance to the museum.

The museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm throughout the year. There is no off-street parking but there is parking for more than 50 cars and six coaches on the surrounding streets. The museum is housed in “Leuralla”, which is an historically important house and garden belonging to the Evatt family. The house, garage, outbuilding, amphitheatre and garden are jointly listed as an item of local heritage significance in Blue Mountains LEP 2015. The property, décor and furnishing are in their original 1912 condition.

Themes of the museum include:

 Toys of the 20th century, with a focus on pre and post war toys from the 1920s to 1960s known as “The Golden Age of Toys”, including dolls, teddy bears, comics and books, model trains, ships, planes, lead figures, toy soldiers, aeroplanes, automobiles and working model-railway layouts. The application states that all items displayed are of museum standard and are presented in focussed, closely curated groups. Not all items displayed are labelled but significant toys have interpretive signs.

 NSW Railway memorabilia, including seats, signals, signs, lights and trolleys.

 Dr H V Evatt Museum. Dr Evatt was a distinguished Australian jurist, politician and diplomat. Career highlights include his roles as the third President of the United Nations General Assembly, Australian Attorney General and Justice of the High Court of Australia.

 Leuralla Amphitheatre, which are across the road from the main building and garden.

 Heritage temperate gardens set on 12 acres.

The application states that there are 1,332 sq. m of exhibition space at the site, excluding the amphitheatre. Numerous photos of the various displays accompanied the application. A “Museum Policy” was also submitted, which states that the aim of the museum is “to stringently collect and preserve the items on display for the enjoyment of the many visitors”.

Tamara Lavrencic, Museum Program and Collections Manager with Museums and Galleries NSW (MGNSW), commented on the application for TASAC. In doing so she considered the application documentation and comments on TripAdvisor, which give mixed reviews, with some visitors enjoying the experience while others found the toy displays confusing and did not understand why the site was called a toy museum when the history of the house itself and the people associated with it seemed more significant. Other visitor comments noted that the displays “seemed like a strange mix of several almost unrelated themes which had been all packed into a grand old (slightly decaying) building” (TripAdvisor 3 January 2016).

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Tamara recommended that the operator carry out the following actions to improve the tourism experience at the site:

i. Adding large interpretive panels to each room to better present and interpret the collections and their context in relation to the house. Tamara made some specific suggestions as to how this could be achieved.

ii. Undertaking a review of the interpretive / text panels currently in place at the museum.

iii. Giving more attention to implementing advice that the Museums and Galleries Foundation (previous name of MGNSW) offered in connection with the 2003 TASAC application.

iv. Improving interpretation of the toys to make sense of their place in the historic house.

v. Improving collection management in terms of documenting management policies and practices, which ensure that the collection and its display and interpretation are maintained to a high standard.

vi. Developing an acquisition policy that explains the core of the collection and includes selection criteria (what the owners collect and what they don’t collect) which could help guide further interpretation.

A site inspection report was received on 15 August 2016 from Wendy Dollin, Tourism Development & Events Coordinator at Blue Mountains City Council. The report notes many positive attributes relating to the experience, including the warm welcome extended on entering the property, but it also raises concerns about the adequacy of interpretive information at the museum. It was noted that there were some coin operated interactive displays (toy trains that move along a railway track, a separate display where toy trains travel around a “Matterhorn” type mountain and a “Noddy” toy display in which the author Enid Blyton reads from a “Noddy” book). These displays provide opportunities to see toys in motion or to listen to an audio track but not for toys to be handled.

The report concludes that the museum should retain signage but recommends that the operator be asked to enhance the experience with more interpretation for the rooms themselves and the individual displays. This would assist younger people put the exhibits into perspective in terms of time, relevance or popularity. Wendy also noted that the floor in the toilet is in need of repair and could be a trip hazard for elderly visitors. It was also noted that Wendy was not offered a copy of a nine page document “Visitor Information” that was submitted as part of the application. The reason for this is not clear but would appear desirable for the operator to produce a short and cost effective guide that can be given to all visitors.

“Hands on” experiences are an important feature of successful museums, especially ones of interest to children. As the museum has “Toys” in its name, it would appeal particularly to children, many of whom would be understandably disappointed as none of the toys can be touched. To more effectively engage children, the operators should be encouraged to establish some toy displays with items that can be touched and played with. It is appreciated that toys used in this way would need to be specifically acquired for the purpose because the antique toys that form the bulk of the museum’s collection would not lend themselves to such a use.

Decision: In view of the foregoing a decision on the application will be deferred pending the provision by the operator of a plan outlining proposals and actions to address the

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concerns regarding interpretive information, the lack of interactive toy displays and other matters mentioned above. The plan should be accompanied by an indicative timeline for implementing each action as well as evidence that some of the actions in the plan have been completed.

Action: Secretariat to advise the operator as above and forward a copy of the MGNSW letter of advice.

2.3 First Ridge Wines, Mudgee

An application was lodged in July seeking signage for a winery in Mudgee where a cellar door is not yet operating. The application indicated that the cellar door was to open in August 2016, though an opening day was not specified. A call to the business in mid-August revealed that it would not now open until September at the earliest.

The following additional concerns were also noted:

i. There is some confusion about the name of the business in the material provided. The name requested for signage on the application form is “First Ridge Wines”. However, the front page of the brochure refers to “Mudgee Ridge Estate” and its website is “mudgeeridge.com”.

ii. The information provided in the application does not demonstrate compliance with a number of the eligibility criteria that apply to the Wineries category as follows:

a. The brochure does not give the street address or any opening times nor is there a locality map. As indicated above, the front page of the brochure refers to “Mudgee Ridge Estate” not First Ridge Wines, which is the name requested for signposting. b. The application provides no information or evidence that written interpretive information is available at the cellar door about grape growing or wine making. c. Photos of an entry sign with opening times were not provided. d. Photos of the parking area were not provided.

iii. Images of the interior of the cellar door would be appreciated.

iv. Details of the size of the vineyard and the types of grapes grown would be helpful.

Decision: The application does not demonstrate that the business meets the requirements for signposting in the Wineries category, which is understandable given that cellar door is not yet operating. The operator would be welcome to submit a new application when the business is operational and he is in a position to demonstrate how the business satisfies the relevant eligibility requirements.

Action: Secretariat to advise the applicant as above and inform the local Council of the position.

3. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF 6 JULY 2016

The minutes of TASAC’s meeting of Wednesday 6 July 2016 in the South West Region in Wagga Wagga were confirmed. The Committee members and Secretariat advised that they had completed all the actions attributed to them from the meeting.

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4. MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

4.1 Eden Road Wines, Murrumbateman, additional information

Following a request from TASAC in March 2016 the operator of Eden Road Wines has recently provided the following additional information to demonstrate that the business meets the relevant signposting eligibility criteria:

i. Copy of a new brochure, which states that the winery is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm.

ii. Photos of a fixed entry sign attached to the fence near the driveway entry which gives the opening times and phone and website details.

iii. Evidence of a variety of new or improved interpretive information including detailed tasting notes, captions added to wall displays, descriptions associated with a display of soil types and a variety of books and journals presented in a book case for visitors to peruse.

On 19 August 2016, Sean Haylan, Yass Valley Council’s Economic Development & Tourism Manager, provided a site inspection report, which supports information provided by the applicant.

Decision: Eden Road Wines is eligible for signposting in the Wineries category.

Action: Secretariat to advise the applicant and RMS South West Region as above.

4.2 Koala Park Sanctuary, West Pennant Hills

Dr Stephen Jackson, Research Scientist at the NSW Department of Primary Industries recently confirmed that the Koala Park Sanctuary has a current license to operate that is scheduled for renewal mid next year. It was also noted that RMS updated tourist signposting for the sanctuary some years ago but that its eligibility for signage is no longer current.

Action: Secretariat to contact the Koala Park Sanctuary to request it to apply for tourist signposting.

4.3 Wagga Wagga Winery and Cottontail Wines

As requested at last month’s meeting, the Secretariat phoned and wrote to the operators of Cottontail Wines and Wagga Wagga Winery to request that they apply to TASAC for tourist signposting. The eligibility of the wineries was last assessed in late 2009 and mid 2010 respectively.

4.4 Foghorn Brewhouse, Newcastle

Finalisation of TASAC’s position on an application for Foghorn Brewhouse is awaiting advice from RMS Hunter regarding the lack of off-street parking at the establishment, which is located in the Newcastle CBD. During the day, visitors must use either metered street parking or

Final 6 September 2016 8 of 13 TASAC Minutes 24 August 2016 commercial car parks in the city centre. Advice was requested on 1 July and a follow up request was made on 16 August but a response has not yet been received.

Action: Phil to follow up with RMS Hunter.

4.5 Update on six String Brewery and Henry Kendall Cottage

Members noted the following updates for signposted attractions on the Central Coast:

i. Six String Brewery, Erina

A staff member at Six String Brewery contacted the Secretariat on 10 August to update TASAC on progress with a replacement entry sign showing its current opening times (Wednesday to Thursday 12 pm - 6 pm, Friday to Saturday 12 pm - 10 pm and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm). A previous sign was damaged by storms and currently, the hours are indicated via a temporary laminated sheet tacked to a wall near the door. A permanent, fixed entry sign is expected to be in place by October.

The following improvements are also expected to be achieved in the same timeframe and evidence will be provided to TASAC to demonstrate their completion:

 A new website for the brewery will be launched that will have the brewery tourism experience as its primary focus.  More information about the tourist experience is to be added to the brewery’s Facebook page, which has been its primary digital platform.  New or improved interpretive information is planned including a new blackboard interpretive wall, menu changes to add brewing process information and tasting notes on all the beers.

ii. Henry Kendall Cottage, West Gosford

On 25 July a member of the management committee responsible for Henry Kendall Cottage contacted the Secretariat to discuss wording for a new entry sign at the cottage (a previous sign suffered weather damage) and similar changes to its website to indicate that visitors are welcome to enjoy the outdoor exhibits at the site at any time. Both actions are planned for completion during August. Similar advice will be added to the cottage’s brochure at the next print run, which is expected to occur in early 2017 (the brochure was reprinted recently but only a small print run was undertaken so it will need to be redone in about six months).

4.6 Panthers World of Entertainment, Penrith

Members noted a recent inquiry to the Secretariat about the history of previous tourist signposting on the Western Motorway for Panthers and they reaffirmed that leagues clubs and sporting / recreational premises are not eligible for tourist signposting.

4.7 Calmsley Hill City Farm, Abbotsbury

Phil informed the meeting that the operator of Calmsley Hill City Farm contacted RMS recently about wishing to act on a decision by TASAC in September 2012 that the destination was

Final 6 September 2016 9 of 13 TASAC Minutes 24 August 2016 eligible for tourist signposting. Existing signage for the attraction refers to its previous name (Fairfield City Farm) and the 2012 application was lodged to change the legend on signs.

Action: Phil to review technical aspects of signage design and location and report back to TASAC if necessary.

4.8 O’Briens Hill Historic Gold Mine, Grenfell

Following consultation with the Heritage Division of the Office of Environment and Heritage, the Secretariat completed the assessment of the O’Briens Hill Historic Gold Mine application and advised Weddin Shire Council RMS Western Region on 19 July that the destination is eligible for tourist signposting in the Historic Properties and Sites category.

Decision: TASAC noted that O’Briens Hill Historic Gold Mine is eligible for tourist signposting in the Historic Properties and Sites category.

5. INQUIRIES RECEIVED SINCE LAST MEETING

The following inquiries received in the period since the last meeting were noted:

5.1 Hillside Harvest, Molong 5.2 Skypeak Adventure, St Mary’s 5.3 Poppa’s Olives and Accommodation, Dalwood 5.4 Hellfire Paintball, Salt Ash 5.5 Ballina Beach Village, South Ballina 5.6 Goulburn Wetlands 5.7 VOX FM 106.9 Community Radio, Wollongong 5.8 Chocolate and Nougat Factory, West Gosford 5.9 Panthers World of Entertainment, Penrith 5.10 Rainbow Pines Tourist Caravan Park, Old Adaminaby 5.11 Cranky Rock Nature Reserve, Warialda 5.12 Henry Kendall Cottage, West Gosford 5.13 Trainworks Railway Museum, Thirlmere 5.14 Calmsley Hill City Farm, Abbotsbury 5.15 Obsession Wines, Tumbarumba 5.16 Avoca Beachside Markets 5.17 Mayfield Garden, Oberon 5.18 Cassegrain Wines, Port Macquarie

6. POLICY ISSUES

6.1 Western Region Tourist Drives

A progress report (at Attachment 2) regarding the review of numbered tourist drives in Western Region was discussed and in particular, the following matters were noted:

i. Overall progress

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It was pleasing to note that signage and promotional material have been upgraded for four of the eight tourist drives in Western Region and, as noted at “ii” below, the review process was recently completed for a fifth drive.

ii. Tourist Drive 3 (Narrabri to Inverell) shared by Narrabri, Gwydir and Inverell Councils

A brochure for the drive was completed in July and signage along it was completed in 2014.

Action: Secretariat to write to the Councils to acknowledge completion of the drive’s review and to request RMS Northern to ensure that the drive’s signage at State highway junctions is in good condition. iii. Former Tourist Drive 4 (Warialda to Inverell) shared by Gwydir and Inverell Councils

TASAC removed the drive from the list of authorised numbered tourist drives in March 2016 as neither Council had replied to final correspondence regarding the adequacy of the drive’s signage and promotional material and RMS Northern Region was asked to remove signage for it from State roads.

Action: Phil to follow up RMS Northern Region about removal of signs for the drive on State roads. iv. Tourist Drive 1 (Tooraweenah to Coonabarabran via the Warrumbungles) shared by Warrumbungle & Gilgandra Councils

Signage for the drive was upgraded some time ago. Both Councils have promotional material for it, though Gilgandra’s material is not comprehensive. In November 2015, the two Councils indicated that they would work together to improve the material with a view to preparing a new brochure that would have a common cover but with descriptive content that was specific to the drive in each LGA. Advice regarding progress of this matter is awaited.

Action: David to follow up with the two Councils.

6.2 Eurobodalla Council’s Tourist Drives 5 and 7

Dave Hunter, a roads engineer with Eurobodalla Council, recently informed the Secretariat that Council has completed upgrading signage on its roads along Tourist Drive 7 (Batemans Bay – Batehaven – Broulee – Moruya Heads – Moruya). It was noted that Council advised TASAC last March that signage on its roads for Tourist Drive 5 (Princes Highway – Dalmeny – Kianga – Princes Highway) had been completed.

Council has also upgraded the promotion of the drives on its website with appropriate maps and text (http://www.eurobodalla.com.au/Things-to-See-and-Do/Sport-and-Adventure/drives-and- lookouts).

Both drives are wholly within Eurobodalla LGA and RMS Southern (Jesse Fogg on 31 March 2016 regarding Tourist Drive 5 and Peter Bache on 23 August 2016 regarding Tourist Drive 7) has indicated that it concurs with Council’s advice that signage on Council’s roads is now

Final 6 September 2016 11 of 13 TASAC Minutes 24 August 2016 adequate for both drives. Peter Bache also indicated that RMS is currently looking at upgrading signposting the State highway junctions for both drives.

Decision: The review of Tourist Drives 5 and 7, both wholly within Eurobodalla LGA has been completed to TASAC’s satisfaction by the Council.

Actions: (a) Secretariat to inform Council as above. (b) RMS Southern to advise TASAC when the signage for both drives on State highway junctions has been completed.

6.3 Nambucca Council’s Tourist Drive to Macksville via Bowraville

The Committee noted advice from RMS Northern Region that Nambucca Council has created a new unnumbered tourist drive from Macksville to Bowraville. The drive and its signage (white on brown signs with the drive’s name and a symbol representing a Colonial cottage) is wholly located on local roads. As such the drive is outside TASAC’s area of responsibility and it is separate from drive experiences administered by TASAC that generally start and end on State roads.

7. OTHER BUSINESS

7.1 Historic Towns accessed from the Hume Highway

Phil reported on historic town signage treatments along the Hume Highway which he observed after the July meeting held in Wagga Wagga. All the signs (except one for Gunning) feature the “castle” symbol and the word “Historic” before the name of the town. Most of the signs also have some brief descriptive text such as “1823 Pastoral Settlement”. Phil will bear this in mind when designing signs for Gundagai, which TASAC found to be eligible for signage in the Historic Towns and Villages category in April 2016.

7.2 Chocolate and Nougat Factory, West Gosford

An operator of a chocolate and nougat factory at West Gosford contacted the Secretariat in mid- July to inquire about the signposting process and the feasibility of installing tourist signs at the relevant locations. Similar representations were received from Jacqui Greaves of Central Coast Tourism on 22 August.

The tourism experience at the site is being developed and could be operational from October. The Secretariat (Maria) provided the operator and Jacqui with information about the application process and advice was also sought from Ken Saxby at RMS Hunter about the feasibility of locating tourist signposting if and when an eligible tourism experience is established and the business applies and is found eligible by TASAC. Maria and Ken have discussed the matter and written advice from Ken is awaited.

Action: Phil to follow up with RMS Hunter.

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7.3 Signage issues re Port Macquarie to Kempsey Pacific Highway Upgrade

Irwin Perring, RMS Project Development Manager Pacific Highway, advised the Secretariat that he needs to prepare designs for tourist signs for the new alignment of the Pacific Highway from Port Macquarie to Kempsey, which is expected to open in October 2017. Cassegrain Wines and Ricardoes Tomatoes are the only signposted attractions on this part of the highway and Irwin has contacted the operators of both to discuss changes to their access and signage.

Cassegrain Wines has not been assessed in the last five years so its eligibility for signposting needs to be renewed. Ricardoes Tomatoes was found eligible for tourist signage in December 2011 and this will lapse in January 2017, nine months before the new highway alignment is planned to open.

The Cassegrain Wines operator has indicated that he will submit a signposting application in time for consideration at the September meeting. Similar arrangements need to be made with Ricardoes Tomatoes.

Action: Secretariat to request Ricardoes Tomatoes to submit a signposting application.

7.4 TASAC Meeting Schedule

Please refer to Attachment 1 for the schedule of meetings for the next six months. The next Western Region meeting will be held on 15 February 2017 in Orange.

8. NEXT MEETING

Wednesday 21 September 2016 at the RMS Parramatta office.

The meeting concluded at 1 pm.

Attachment 1 – TASAC Meeting Schedule

Region Location Date N/ A Parramatta 21 September 2016 Northern Coffs Harbour 19 October 2016 Northern Tamworth 16 November 2016 N / A Sydney 14 December 2016 N/ A Parramatta 18 January 2017 Western Orange 15 February 2017

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