This was published 7 years ago
Eden-Monaro road trip: 'Forgotten' corner of electorate welcomes cash splash
A Merimbula oyster farmer is hoping tourism will take off in the coastal hamlet after an election cash splash, Katie Burgess reports.
Merimbula's Hugh Wheeler didn't start farming oysters because he enjoyed the taste.
In fact, with the exception of a few Kilpatrick style at Christmas, he doesn't eat them at all.
What he did want a bite of was Merimbula's growing tourism industry.
More than three decades ago, Mr Wheeler could see the potential of the coastal hamlet and the role the briny clams could play in bringing tourists to its pristine waters.
Hugh Wheeler, of Wheeler's Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Farm, is hoping tourism will really take off.Credit: Jay Cronan
Lagging infrastructure has held up his grand plans for his oyster farm and adjoining restaurant just a couple of hundred metres up the road from the Merimbula Airport, but the announcement of a $50 million upgrade to its runway and to the port of Eden could finally bring hordes of tourists to his door.
"People aren't going to be bothered to drive to Merimbula from Melbourne for an event but if there's a really good event on and there's really cheap airfares they can be like 'oh we'll just fly in for the weekend and go home again'," he said.
"Who knows how much opportunity will be created by that. Those two infrastructure projects are absolutely critical to the future of this whole area in my view."
But last month's cash splash, championed during a high-profile visit by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, NSW Premier Mike Baird and incumbent Liberal member Dr Peter Hendy, came after years of neglect, Mr Wheeler said.
Owner and manager of Wheeler's Seafood Restaurant Jacqui Smith.Credit: Jay Cronan
"It's the first time the Prime Minister has been here in a long, long time. I was shocked when I saw his plane fly over my head," he said with a grin.
"We've sort of been left in the forgotten corner if you like. From a voter's point of view there's nothing worse than feeling like you've been neglected, like somebody else is getting something you're not."
He said locals have been crying out for investment in the notorious Princes Highway and were frustrated their pleas had fallen on deaf ears for years.
"You're paying the same taxes as the guys in Ballina [situated in another marginal seat, Page] and they've got this magnificent new highway going past their door," Mr Wheeler said.
"The road that was there before has caused a lot of grief, there's been lots of car accidents but the road wasn't actually all that bad. Compared to this Princes Highway here it's an absolute paradise to drive that northern highway."
Even in this "forgotten corner" of the Eden-Monaro electorate, Mr Wheeler had trouble keeping tourists out of the rusty shed where they used to process the oysters for sale in Melbourne only.
Eventually, they stopped locking the gate and started serving coffee and chips, finally opening the restaurant next door, now owned and managed by Jacqui Smith.
Now that millions of dollars of new infrastructure could deliver cruise ships and plane-loads of tourists to Merimbula, Mr Wheeler said he's hoping tourism will really take off.
"We are starting to become more significant and people are taking notice at what's going on in Eden-Monaro, which is good from my point of view," he said.