Mayor says she has been "misrepresented" despite her tourism-tax speech being up online
Shire Council
The Douglas Shire Mayor has claimed Newsport has “misrepresented what was actually said during the meeting” in relation to her backing of a tourist levy being introduced to the region, despite her full speech in the council chambers last week being available online for everyone to watch.
SEE THE SPEECH HERE FROM THE 11 MINUTE 40 SECOND MARK
Mayor Lisa Scomazzon posted on Facebook on Saturday a statement saying “parts of that report were false” in relation to a Newsport story which accurately reflects a speech she made in last week's council meeting, directly quoting the speech at length. She gave no examples of what was "false" in the report.
VIEW THE NEWSPORT STORY SHE IS TALKING ABOUT HERE
“What’s most disappointing is that the reporter attended the meeting, yet chose to publish information that doesn’t accurately reflect the discussion or the intent of Council’s motion,” Mayor Scomazzon wrote.
“It’s disheartening to see misinformation used in a way that has led to hurtful and bullying comments directed towards myself and councillors and it certainly doesn’t serve our community well.”
She gave no examples of any "misinformation" in the Newsport report.
She then went on to talk about a separate side topic about a council report tabled in last week’s council meeting entitled “Sustainable tourism funding”, but did not give any examples of “what was actually said” by her in her speech in the council chambers that had been “misrepresented”.
What Mayor Scomazzon actually said during the meeting, however, was directly and accurately quoted at length throughout the Newsport report.
Here are the quotes:
“I will keep advocating for this levy to be introduced into our Shire.
“No, this will not be the end of our tourism, as many destinations across the globe have introduced tourism levies or visitor taxes to help fund the infrastructure.
“These charges ensure that those that enjoy their destinations also contribute to its upkeep, reducing the burden on local ratepayers.
“I’ve already begun advocating strongly with both the State Government and Opposition but unfortunately it appears this will be a long road ahead.
“At this stage there has been no commitment to support the project despite the fact that it would significantly reduce the financial burden on our ratepayers.
“The solution is not putting up rates and charges to accommodate visitors to our Shire.
“The purpose for these tourist levies for countries around the globe are to generate dedicated revenue for local governments to invest in infrastructure and public services, address an impact of over-tourism on communities, and support environmental sustainability and preservation of cultural heritage.”
Was what was actually said misrepresented by Newsport?
You be the judge.
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