Better roads, signage, maps and public transport could hold the key to attracting more visitors to the scenic areas of The Westerner region.

A draft action plan, aimed at increasing and enhancing tourism in the Moreton Bay Hinterland, has been formulated by State Member for Pine Rivers Seath Holswich and his constituents.

The draft plan, which lists 64 ways to better promote areas such as Dayboro, Samford, Mt Mee, Petrie, Lake Samsonvale and Lake Kurwongbah to visitors, was devised following a public forum on local tourism held in Dayboro in June.

Mr Holswich said the draft action plan was based on input from tourism operators, residents, business owners and community leaders.

“The plan captures a wide range of ideas and challenges that need to be thoroughly investigated in order to grow the local tourism industry,” he said.

“The ideas are diverse and include issues such as the need for better road infrastructure, ideas for bike and horse trails, ways to market our region and ways to better utilise the lakes.”

Carmel Bond from the Dayboro Visitor Information Centre believes more camping facilities, and opening up local lakes to the public for water sports, should be on the agenda.

Currently only members of the Lake Samsonvale Water Sports Association are able to access the waterway for recreational purposes.

“There is no camping anywhere in the district… and on Lake Samsonvale there’s no camping allowed in the area,” Mrs Bond said.

“Camping is the thing we get asked about a lot here, and there are only two designated camping grounds up in the Mt Mee State Forest, which yo have to go online and pre-book and pre-pay.”

“People are always looking for walking tracks but what they don’t understand is while it’s nice to be able to walk along the river, it’s all private property.”

Mrs Bond said while local bed and breakfast businesses were surviving on the back of popular wedding venues, visitors rarely stay for an extended period.

“It’s very much a day trip destination because of its close proximity to Brisbane, and maybe our problem is that we’re too close to Brisbane,” she said.

“People aren’t really coming to stay weekends but instead they come on day trips, and here on a weekend it is extremely busy.”

Locals also suggested that improvements to Mt Mee and Mt Samson Roads could also drive more tourism in the region.

The Moreton Bay Hinterland Tourism Draft Action Plan can be downloaded from http://www.seathholswich.com/

Mr Holswich is calling for expressions of interest for the formation of a working group that will assess the ideas floated in the draft action plan.

Expressions of interest should be lodged with the Pine Rivers Electorate Office by 31 August.

Phone 3205 6779 or email pine.rivers@parliament.qld.gov.au