27 May 2016

West Coast mayor decries low tourism funding

7:02 pm on 27 May 2016

A West Coast mayor is disappointed the government is only spending an extra $12 million to improve tourist facilities.

Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn said the West Coast did not have enough ratepayers to help pay for tourism facility improvements.

He said the region was struggling to cope and the $12m over the next four years announced in yesterday's budget was not enough.

"I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but $12m is good and it's a great start, but it needs a lot more than that.

"Tourism's the number-one game down here in the South Island so we really need to capture it, run with it, and enhance it."

Mr Kokshoorn said tourism would be more profitable for the government if it improved facilities.