Thursday, 13 May, 2021
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PAGE 30
Tips from a master Primary producers across the region will soon have the chance to meet one-onone with agency experts at a new council-led expo. The Southern Downs Ag Expo is set to return to Stanthorpe on Thursday 3 June, with the hugely popular ‘Ten Minutes with a Master’ a core feature. More on page 22
Pub’s a gem Everything old is new again at the beautiful and much-loved second-generation family run Country Club Hotel at Stanthorpe. The historic hotel, dating back to the 30s, reopened earlier this year after a year-long renovation and has once again become a community hub and place for locals and visitors to meet and relax. Steph Elms, who swears her business card has Country Club Head Honcho on it, and her brother Brian, who is the bottleshop manager, embarked on the renovation last year as a tribute to their father Neil Johnson who bought the hotel in 1990 and had wanted to renovate for many years with ill health stopping him. See our special feature for more, on pages 28-29
Meet our local heroes Members of the community had the opportunity to meet some of their emergency service heroes at a pop-up event over the weekend. Dozens of people visited the Stan-
thorpe Civic Centre on Saturday 8 May to meet and hear from local firefighters, police, SES crews and paramedics. See photos on pages 12-13
Hospitality surge As visitor numbers in Stanthorpe continue to soar, more than a few local hospitality outlets are struggling to find the staff necessary to keep up. Southern Downs Regional Council’s quarterly Stanthorpe Visitor Information Centre report was tabled at the 28 April ordinary meeting, re-
vealing visitor numbers not seen for years. “Visitor numbers increased by an average of 59 percent over February and March 2021 compared to 2020,” said a SDRC spokesperson. “The previous six months before this (July 2020 to December 2020) averaged an increase of 85 percent year on year.”
The spokesperson said a majority of visitors to Stanthorpe have been Queenslanders, with the recent increase attributable to the continued international travel restrictions and “pent up demand” from intrastate visitors. This recent surge is no doubt a positive for the region, but it has been suggested that local
accommodation and dining options may not be sufficient to support it long-term. “The availability of hospitality outlets, particularly on the weekends, is an ongoing issue with regular feedback received at the Visitor Information Centre,” read the SDRC report. More on page 3
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