Manager of the Merimbula Visitor Information Centre Hanna Marshall is congratulated by the Governor-General Sam Mostyn. Photo: Governor-General of Australia.
It’s been a big couple of weeks for Hanna Marshall, manager of Merimbula Visitor Information Centre, between picking up a business award for the centre and meeting the Governor-General Sam Mostyn.
Ms Marshall received the award for Outstanding Visitor Experience in the Business NSW Awards for South East NSW which covers an area from Yass and Goulburn to Jindabyne and the Victorian border. The Merimbula Visitor Information Centre was the only Bega Valley business to win an award, although several others were nominated in other categories.
“There was strong competition; I didn’t think we were in with a chance. It came as a big surprise,” a delighted Ms Marshall said.
The judges took into account how the centre contributed to the visitor economy, how it differed from the competition, how it attracted visitors to the region and the key features of its strategy over the past 12 months.
The win places the centre as a finalist in the NSW state awards, in which there will be 10 finalists, and is an endorsement of the value of a visitor information centre as well as recognition for the role it plays in tourism and within the local community. It comes at a time when other visitor information centres have been closed, such as Eurobodalla and Albury, while Shoalhaven is on performance monitoring, Ms Marshall said.
She explained it was important to demonstrate the work the centre did apart from selling T-shirts and souvenirs.
“It has to have some meat behind it. There’s the social inclusion through our relationship with the Disability Trust, work experience and skills development. There’s our partnership with local events such as food festival EAT, the Merimbula Jazz Festival and the New Year’s Eve fireworks. Every day we assist on average 10 local people with things as diverse as printing or booking a bus,” Ms Marshall said.
One of the key ingredients in the success of the centre is digital marketing. Ms Marshall said growth in Facebook followers was 52.6 per cent with 715,000 views in the financial year to date, while Instagram growth had increased by 100 per cent, with views of 343,000.
Funding for visitor information centres has long been a subject of debate. The visitor information centres in the Bega Valley each have a relatively small allocation from a special rate variation. Local businesses help through business memberships which in turn provide them with opportunities to reach customers through the centre, and then there are retail sales.
“We have a strong advocacy role in representing members and offer complimentary memberships for community organisations. We actively support local businesses. There are 80 suppliers, 48 of which are in the Bega Valley and we try to get mum and dad businesses involved,” Ms Marshall said.
There was a further surprise for Ms Marshall when the Governor-General Sam Mostyn asked to meet her recently while she was in the Bega Valley.
“The Governor-General was in the Bega Valley for the opening of the new Bega Showground $15 million evacuation centre. She did an interview with our community radio station, SapphireFM, and Colin Dunn, one of the presenters, told her about me and my award and she wanted to meet me to congratulate me personally which was lovely,” Ms Marshall said.
Mr Dunn, who was an OAM recipient in 2024, had previously invited the Governor-General to SapphireFM for an interview if she was visiting the area.
Ms Mostyn unveiled the plaque to commemorate the opening of the Bega Showground Community Centre, a purpose-built evacuation centre.
Bega Showground land managers received $15 million from the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund, jointly funded by state and federal governments.
The project replaced ageing administration and amenity buildings from the 1950s with a flexible and accessible community space that can host meetings, concerts and indoor sport, while also serving as a critical hub during emergencies. The Bega Showground was a vital place of refuge for many residents and their animals during the Black Summer bushfires in 2019-2020.
Upgrades to the adjacent heritage listed Kerrison Pavilion has improved safety and usability with new heating and cooling systems, fire suppression, and technical infrastructure.
Bega Showgrounds Land Manager Chairman Steve Bartlett said the Bega Showgrounds had long served as an important gathering place for the community, in times of celebration and in times of need.
“This new community evacuation centre strengthens that role by enhancing our region’s emergency preparedness, while also providing modern facilities that will support the annual Bega Show and a wide range of other community events for many years to come. We look forward to this facility serving the people of the Bega Valley and surrounding districts as a valued asset for emergency response, agricultural activity and community life well into the future,” Mr Bartlett said.
