Texas Visitor Information Centre moves temporarily into the Memorial Hall

The Texas Visitor Information Centre (VIC) will temporarily move into the front office space of the Texas Memorial Hall.

Goondiwindi Regional Council is working with Texas Queensland Inc. to seek local feedback on their preferred long-term location for the VIC after a change of ownership of its former premises.

The Texas VIC was formerly located within the privately-owned Texas Newsagency for a number of years.

The VIC will have a temporary home in the front room of the Texas Memorial Hall until a more permanent location is organised.

Council is working with Texas Queensland Inc. (TQI) on the matter to get the best results for the community. TQI will now work with Council to co-ordinate community consultation to gather feedback from residents about the location of the VIC going forward. More information will be available shortly.

Mayor of the Goondiwindi Region the Honourable Cr Lawrence Springborg AM extended his thanks to Texas local and former TQI president Les Cox during his monthly visit to Texas on Tuesday [14 September].

“On behalf of the Texas community, I want to say a very genuine thank you to Les and his wife Beryl for their invaluable contribution of allowing the VIC to operate from the Texas Newsagency for so many years, at no cost to the ratepayer,” Cr Springborg said.

“Texas has seen a surge in visitor popularity during that time, and Les and TQI have done a fantastic job of promoting Texas and the Goondiwindi Region to visitors - from the Rabbit Works and Texas Country Music Festival to the popular free camp at the Dumaresq River Rest Area.”

TQI has traditionally managed the promotion of the tourism sector in Texas, and Council supports the group through its Community Grants Program.

Cr Springborg said that Council will now consider how it can best make use of existing assets to house the Texas VIC going forward.

“There just isn’t any additional budget currently allocated for a private lease arrangement, so the options that will be tabled will consider existing Council assets and how we can best make use of them to serve Texas visitors,” he said.

“Council will, however, invest in additional signage as well as some new and improved displays once we have confirmed the VIC’s new home.”

The most recent available data shows more than 216,000 visitors came to the Goondiwindi Region in 2018-19 and the Goondiwindi Region’s visitor economy was worth $50.7 million in 2019-20. The region’s tourism sector employs about 300 people directly, and indirectly employs about a further 130 people.