Joondalup touted as one of WA’s next tourism hubs by Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti

Joondalup has been touted as WA’s next tourism hub as the State Government moves to capitalise on the success of recent high-profile events in Perth such as the Coldplay concert and Matildas games.

Speaking at the Destination Joondalup Business forum earlier in November, Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti said the widespread interest from these world-class events from overseas and interstate travellers needed to be paired with local events.

“We’ll continue to chase those blockbuster events because they do create a level of excitement of West Australians, but they also draw visitors from interstate and overseas,” she said.

“I’m very keen on building the homegrown events and working to build on the events that we may already have, identify gaps in particular months or seasons and develop new events to create a calendar of events.

“We’ve already had initial meetings within tourism identifying what exists across the calendar in Western Australia. Of course the Joondalup festival is one of those.”

Ms Saffioti said working with organisers and local councils to support and plan events together or identify gaps in months or seasons could entice longer stays in Perth and thus boost tourism and the local economy.

She said State and local government working together to invest in tourism attractions, facilities and provide day-experiences to champion WA’s unique features was key.

She highlighted the City of Joondalup as a future tourism hotspot with the construction of the $120 million Ocean Reef Marina and plans for “the Kings Park of the north” at Yellalonga Regional Park.

“It (Ocean Reef Marina) will bring a new marina, a new experience and coupled with residential it will create a new iconic site for tourists in WA — a great generator of jobs and opportunities for local people,” she said.

“It really will become an incredible place to promote and to support those day trips for those visitors that are coming to the state.”

The ocean pool which will be constructed at the Ocean Reef Marina was another talking point for Ms Saffioti, which she said would create another tourism attraction in the area.

The city’s 17km of coastline will benefit from a different feeling at Yellalonga Regional Park, according to Ms Saffioti, with $8.5m spent on new boardwalks and playgrounds at the lakeside location as well as supporting a heritage-listed winery.

“The Luisini Winery is a major tourism product here in the northern suburbs with such a rich history and very much an iconic project that is unique to the northern suburbs,” she said.

Ms Saffioti also earmarked the need for greater public transport for special events to support businesses and attendees.

“My job as Minister of Tourism is to attract the mass-participation events, because when you get hundreds of people to coming to participate in an event you bring their families and you create a lot of activity for businesses in the area and across the State, not just the city,” she said.