Red Centre Way
Developing opportunities for economic growth and development along Central Australia’s Red Centre Way.
The Red Centre Way creates a new tourist experience connecting Alice Springs, through the West MacDonnell Ranges, to Uluru. The NT Government is making significant investment in road infrastructure and tourism marketing to attract more visitors to the region and to stimulate private investment in new business opportunities.
The Red Centre Way is a new road network that includes existing roads such as the Mereenie Loop, Namatjira Drive and the Lasseter Highway.
The project can provide business opportunities and jobs at a local level, boosting employment, training and economic activity in the region.
Strategies under the Red Centre Way project include:
- Investment Attraction
- Infrastructure Development
- Visitor Attraction and Product Development
- Indigenous Business Development.
How it will happen
- Completing the sealing of Larapinta and Namatjira Drives to make the area accessible to all motorists.
- Encouraging interested Indigenous people to form enterprises on their land along the route.
- Development of 4WD tracks to enhance the visitor experience for the adventurous traveller while protecting the fragile environment.
- Nominating the West MacDonnell National Park for World Heritage listing to enhance its status as a park of international significance.
- Developing a Visitor Experience Plan and pursue recommendations from the Visitor Experience Strategy.
- Constructing a new Red Centre Way Visitor Centre.
- Investigate joint venture opportunities for Indigenous business.
What it will mean
For residents
- More jobs and a stronger, more diverse economy.
- Better access to local environmental and recreational areas.
For business
- Opportunities for new businesses and investment along the length of the Red Centre Way.
- Enhanced visitor experience will bring more tourists to Alice Springs.
- Increased stay in Central Australia by tourists who previously only visited Uluru.
What we already doing
- Road sealing progressing – inner loop planned to be sealed by June 2008.
- Latest section - $13.2m for Namatjira Drive let in December 2006.
- Larapinta Drive from Hermannsburg to Ipolera currently under design.
- Shelters being built along the Larapinta Trail.
- $1million for upgrade of visitor infrastructure in the West MacDonnell National Park.
- Initial water resource assessment complete.
- Red Centre Way Visitor Centre undergoing concept development.
- Red Centre has been announced as Australia’s first National Landscape.
- Visitor Experience Strategy completed.
- Hermannsburg – Western Aranda tourism plan developed.
- Marketing “Destination Alice Springs” in progress.
- World Heritage Listing in progress.
What will happen next
- Strategies to be developed to determine infrastructure needs along the route, attract more visitors, support Indigenous business development and attract private investment.
- Work with the community and stakeholders to seek input into planning and development.
- Investigate and develop joint venture opportunities with Indigenous business enterprises.
For more information
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