From the PLA President
T
Paul Jane
his edition of the Journal focuses on events, tourism and the arts, and highlights the critical nature these areas play in both building community and creating economic prosperity. Sadly, these areas equally have been the most impacted by Covid-19, or The Great Pause as it has been called; a pause that has impacted the vitality of communities and the livelihood of many of our members, family and friends. It is perhaps because I live in Victoria that I place a heavy focus on this issue, however as we hopefully emerge from The Pause we will need to reconsider how we re-engage the community in the event and tourism space, to reconnect with each other
and bring much needed economic relief to areas reliant on visitors. This is doubly important for those communities impacted by fire last summer that have not had the chance to recover. I would encourage you all to reach out to colleagues, to break the monotony of the daily grind in isolation, or better still have a chat to your PLA region and get involved in an industry project as a great way to shift your headspace. Take care out there, enjoy this edition and lets ensure we learn the lessons Covid-19 has taught us all. Paul Jane PLA President
From the pla CEO
W
MARK BAND
ith summer now upon us, and a time when our festivals and tourism should be in full swing, the impact of Covid-19 still remains. Hopefully, by now, we are slowly gaining momentum in regenerating this pivotal industry and important aspect of our communities. As one of the industries impacted greatly across the globe by Covid, it’s been sad to see cruise ships being dismantled in Turkey, airlines laying off thousands of people, local artists struggling to maintain their livelihoods, and communities missing out on events that generate jobs, boost local economies and provide a valuable social and cultural outlets for us all. We have certainly had to look at creative ways of showcasing what we do at the local level. One thing for certain, is that the way we did it in the past is
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4 Australasian Parks and Leisure | Summer 2020
not the way we will in the future. What this looks like I’m not sure, but as a professional body with many members that work in events and tourism through our local parks, reserves, and projects we deliver on the ground, we need a concerted effort to work together to pave the way forward to ensure these valuable assets and events are protected for future generations. PLA will continue to collaborate and work with stakeholders in this field, to respond in an appropriate manner to get this sector back up to where it should be once again. In the meantime, we thank all of you that have been impacted in this area and hope you are slowly getting back on track to showcase the amazing work done for the benefit of every Australian and visitor to our shores. Mark Band PLA CEO
