Tim Holding was visiting Bendigo yesterday to re-launch a Goldfields Region tourism marketing campaign, put on hold after the Black Saturday bushfires.

“The Department of Defence has said it is going to dispose of the property and is in discussions with the City of Greater Bendigo and the State Government about what the possibilities are,” he said.

“Time will tell as to what happens to that iconic property.”

Earlier this month, The Advertiser reported that the Department of Defence expected to complete its investigations into the historic mansion by late June.

Mr Holding said tourism had become a vital industry in regional Victoria, especially in the current financial climate.

“Tourism is very important for regional economies.

“We know that tourism is one of the few industries creating new jobs, and in regional towns those jobs are very, very important.

“We are seeing potentially fewer visitors arriving from overseas, but we are also seeing more Australians taking a holiday within our shores - and not flying overseas as they have done in the past couple of years.

“So we’re really seeing an opportunity for Victoria to steal a march on the other states.”

Mr Holding said it was difficult to gauge what sort of difference the $630,000 marketing campaign would make to the Bendigo economy.

“You can’t put a dollar figure on how many new jobs or how much economic activity will be generated from one marketing campaign alone.

“But we do know that tourism continues to be one of the strongest sources of new jobs in regional Victoria.

“We also know it is one of the greatest drivers of economic activity.

“And we know that in these difficult economic times it’s more important than ever that our State Government, in partnership with local councils, continues to put money into tourism marketing to lure visitors to Victoria from interstate.”