Not all bad for Queenstown!!

An article from yesterday. Seems like there is still hope for the old town. Go Queenstown!!

Queenstown’s future looks bright, Luke Sayer reports

AFTER years of struggling, the iconic West Coast mining town of Queenstown is beginning to sparkle again.
Nobody can put a finger on a single reason for the revival — but it is agreed the future looks bright.

Evans Festival Supermarket owner Phil Evans says the three high school students who work part-time for him have embraced the opportunity of apprenticeships with local firms.

“They recently had interviews and all look like they will be successful,” Mr Evans said.

“It is the first time in a decade there have been opportunities like this for youth.

“And that’s great, because they don’t have to look at leaving the area.”

West Coast Mayor Darryl Gerrity says another positive for Queenstown is the decision to offer Year 11 and 12 classes at the town’s TAFE centre.

“This is a substantial asset for people deciding the future of their families,” Councillor Gerrity said.

“It has been a huge barrier for families with children and now a lot can think about staying in the town.”

For many years the town has ridden on the back of the success of the Mt Lyell copper mine.

The mine is still an important part of the town and its current good fortune has brought residents benefits.

Copper Mines of Tasmania general manager Neal Valk said the mine was running well.

“We have no major capital expenditure planned at the moment, but we are still spending on normal operations and mining as well as we can,” Mr Valk said.

“The mine is still the backbone of the town and supporting the community is important.”

The copper price is strong and expected to hold its position for some time, which will be a major advantage for Queenstown.

But Queenstown does not have all its eggs in one basket. These days the town does not rely totally on the mine.

Tourism is an important part of the local economy.

Some people come to the town to see the hills around Queenstown, many left bare from a century of mining, or the Queen River with its harsh colour, also tainted by mining.

But the Abt Railway is also building its reputation as a major attraction, linking Queenstown with the tourist hub of Strahan.

And other tourist drawcards are developing, including a tour of the copper mine.

Mr Evans says the vibe around Queenstown is really positive.

He should know, with a long family history in the town.

“Our family has been in retail here for 106 years and I’m a fourth-generation lunatic,” Mr Evans said.

“We’ve seen a lot of economic change in that time.”

He said there had been a lot of doomsday talk since the mid-1990s when the mine struggled and briefly closed.

But that had been reversed.

A fair indicator is the price of housing in Queenstown.

These days a home that would have fetched $30,000 a few years ago is going for about $70,000.

A well-kept weatherboard home with three bedrooms can reach as high as $90,000 because the demand for houses is great as people return to Queenstown.

Vacancies in rental homes are almost unheard of these days.

Mr Evans says the only way to overcome the shortage may be to build new houses, meaning new opportunities for the town.

The turnaround is also evident in Queenstown’s main street, with some long-vacant shops now attracting new tenants.

One of the landmark hotels in Orr St, Hunters, has recently been sold and Mr Evans said he had heard of plans for renovations and a reopening.

“It really is 180 degrees from where it was four to five years ago,” he said.

Cr Gerrity says it isn’t just a boom which will turn around in a few years but has signs of sustainability.

“That means people can plan their future with real confidence,” he said.

“The future of Queenstown is now looking better than ever and we need to keep the momentum.”