North Stradbroke Island tourism funds not being spent on basic things to enhance visitor experience, locals say

Tourism operators on North Stradbroke Island off Brisbane say a $36 million tourism fund should be spent on practical things like new toilet blocks, beach showers and footpaths, not on controversial projects like the “Whale on the Hill” attraction.

The Economic Transition Strategy (ETS), renamed the Minjerribah Futures Program, was meant to transition the island from an economic reliance on resources, to cultural and eco-tourism, after sandmining ended on the island in…