Show me the money: Schwartz takes aim at Hunter funding

As one of Hunter Valley’s largest tourism investors, the Schwartz Family Company (SFC) said it believes the $1 million allocated toward reviving the region’s tourism industry after storms battered the region last month is “manifestly inadequate”, and will be tied up in “administrative costs” instead of being put toward actual promotion of the region.

“While I was pleased to hear of the Government’s initiative, I was appalled when I read about the size of the fund,” SFC director, Jerry Schwartz said.

Schwartz believes the funds would be better spent should it go directly to the Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association, bypassing the state’s tourism body, Destination NSW.

“The Hunter Valley needs a vibrant tourism industry if we are to generate sustainable future employment, and the NSW Government would be better off allocating the $1 million directly to the Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association – which now has full council support – to promote the region’s tourism assets. That would be the best and most efficient allocation of scarce funds.”

Schwartz said the group is “putting our tourism investment money where our mouth is”, having poured over $100million into the Hunter region in the past three years.

SFC owns three major hotels in the Hunter Valley – Crowne Plaza Newcastle, Novotel Newcastle and Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley – as well as the new Hunter Valley Convention Centre, Lovedale Brewery, Lovedale Distillery, Newcastle Brewery, Jade Winery, and Brew Sky Airways.

“I have realised that we will need to self-fund the upgrades to SFC’s three large hotels in the Hunter region, but would at least expect assistance with the development process,” Schwartz said.

Dr-Jerry-Schwartz-Premier-Mike-Baird-launch-of-Hunter-Valley-Conference-Events-Centre-

Dr Jerry Schwartz, Premier Mike Baird at launch of Hunter Valley Conference Events Centre

In particular, the $6 million Hunter Valley Convention Centre – the largest in regional NSW – was fast-tracked to open in February this year to take the heat off Sydney’s lack of convention space following the closure of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre in December 2013, however Schwartz argues “greater funds” are required to promote the region for major conferences.

“Because of the manifestly inadequate levels of support for Hunter tourism, I will now need to spend even more money to market the region so that we can attract groups to the Hunter,” Schwartz said.

“Already, we self-fund the Hunter Valley Wine Festival, which takes place at the Crowne Plaza on 20 June. We revived the Festival after a 30-year absence because while it costs our company some $150, 000, it was inconceivable to me that the Hunter Valley didn’t have an official regional wine festival to celebrate its produce.

“We were granted a $500K Tourism Infrastructure grant two years ago, under the previous government, towards developing the convention centre and another hotel which I wanted to build in Newcastle, but I was unable to take up this grant, because we weren’t able to commence building. In fact, we still await development approval for the hotel despite the submission being made almost three years ago.”

“I have just purchased a sea-plane for an air route which I wish to run from Cessnock Airport to Rose Bay harbour via Newcastle Harbour; but once again have had no help from any of the three authorities to facilitate landing in each of these three ports,” Schwartz said.

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