Mr WETTENHALL (Tuesday 23 March 2010) (10.12 pm): Savannah Guides is a network of professional tour guides with a collective knowledge of the natural and cultural assets of the tropical savannahs of Northern Australia, from Cairns to Broome. Queensland members include Undara Experience, Cobbold Gorge Tours, Wilderness Challenge, Outback Aussie Tours, Adel's Grove, Bedrock Village Tours, QR Traveltrain and Oz Tours Safaris.
Last week I had the great pleasure to attend and welcome a group of Savannah Guides at Undara Experience on the occasion of one their regular training schools.

The founders of Undara Experience-the Collins family-have had a long association with the guides, and 2010 is Undara's 20th year of operation as a tourism icon-an impressive milestone.

Training schools are conducted each year and feature experts in related fields including ecology, land management and tourism. I was particularly pleased that a number of officers from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service attended the school and indeed were present to formally recognise the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Department of
Environment and Resource Management and Savannah Guides.

The guides were established as a non-profit company in 1988 through the vision of John Courtenay at a time when the concept of ecotourism was in its infancy. Its original purpose was to provide access for tourists to unique natural features on private, leased or public property and in a manner which protected the region's natural and cultural assets.

Savannah Guides sites and stations have been developed by privately and publicly owned enterprises and feature nature and/or culture based interpretive activities, while mobile guides conduct tours throughout the region.

All Savannah Guides enterprises must incorporate natural or cultural interpretive activities as a central part of their business and show a commitment to conservation values. Members must meet strict standards of operation and abide by professional codes of conduct, ensuring a high-quality tourism product available across Northern Australia.

Amongst its many international, national and state awards, Savannah Guides was the winner of the Queensland Tourism Awards for industry training in the private sector and the Tropical North Queensland Tourism Awards 2007.

Tourism Queensland sponsors the guides under ‘Friends of Savannah Guides' arrangements and is also providing funding to help the Savannah Way with production of its regional travel guide, which helps operators connect with visitors.

Tourism Queensland is also working with Savannah Way Ltd and regional tourism organisations to promote drive tourism in this part of the world.

I commend the founders of Savannah Guides and all the members past and present who have done so much to preserve and share the treasures of the savannah region of Northern Australia.