Mayor congratulates Visitor Information Centre volunteers’ commitment to Goondiwindi Region

Mayor of the Goondiwindi Region the Honourable Cr Lawrence Springborg AM has congratulated the volunteers of the Goondiwindi Region Visitor Information Centre (VIC) on a combined 165+ years of service to the region.

Cr Springborg presented the VIC volunteers with certificates in recognition of their service during a special Christmas celebration recently.

Council commenced management of the Goondiwindi VIC in 2016, with many volunteers having served the centre for much longer – including Sue McCollum (24 years), Marion Woods (17 years), Phil Percival (15 years), and Dianne Hyson and Sue Fairbanks (14 years each).

Cr Springborg says the VIC volunteers provide an invaluable service to the Goondiwindi Region’s visitor economy, giving more than 2,000 hours of their time in 2022.

“Our Goondiwindi VIC operates on the power of volunteers, who share valued local advice and firsthand knowledge of the region with visitors from far and wide,” the Mayor said.

“Many local businesses, especially in hospitality and adjacent sectors, benefit directly from the service of our volunteers and the helpful guidance they give to thousands of visitors,” he said. “From where to get a coffee to the best things to do during school holidays with the kids – our VIC volunteers proudly promote our region and reputation as Regional Australia at its Best.”

More than 8,600 people visited the Goondiwindi VIC in January-November 2022. Estimates suggest nearly 340,000 visitors came to the Goondiwindi Region in 2020-21, worth around $36.4 million to the local economy.

Council also manages the self-service Visitor Information Centres in Inglewood and Texas. Council continues to offer Goondiwindi VIC volunteer familiarisation tours across the region – this enables the Goondiwindi volunteers to get to know each other, as well as our smaller towns and communities, and helps to ensure they can promote visitor experiences from across the region.

Cr Springborg also presented some of the VIC volunteers with a pin to reflect long service – ranging from 5-20 years.

“This is just one small gesture of our appreciation and acknowledgement of the huge contribution given by our volunteers,” Cr Springborg said. “Our volunteers are essential in helping visitors discover our region - from our rich local history to some pioneering agri-tourism, and don’t forget our thriving events calendar.”

While some volunteers have served at the VIC for several years, there are also plenty of new faces with new volunteers having joined the team in the past 12 months, including Diane Brown, Maree Conroy, Katy Conroy, Michelle Kearney, Cait-Lyn Ligawa and Layne Martyn.

“Volunteering at the VIC is a great way to give back to the community, as well as meet new people from all walks of life - with many visitors coming from across the country and some even from around the world,” the Mayor said.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at the Goondiwindi VIC, please get in touch with Council’s Visitor Experience Coordinator Angela Deneault at 07 4671 7474 or visit@grc.qld.gov.au.