Wimmera Mallee Tourism leaders say a new digital innovation project centering around the Silo Art Trail sends an important message about the region to visitors and potential residents.
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The body launched its $245,000 Digital Innovation Project in Sea Lake on Friday afternoon.
Executive officer Lauren McBriarty said a new website and a free app would give visitors to the silos an experience not available anywhere else in the world.
"The silos are the backdrop and everything else comes to life through it," she said. "You can see tractors and farm animals around the silos through the phone app.
"At Sheep Hills, Wergaia elder Ron Marks does a welcome to country in the native indigenous language native and in English, and you'll see a campfire with smoke going up into the sky where you'll see the constellations.
"The website has all the attractions on a digital map so visitors can create their own road trip. It will highlight what you want and you can take the route to see the attractions you want to. It also has the cafes and the accommodation services you'll need as you go through the region."
The art trail currently comprises of six enormous murals painted on decommissioned grain silos across the Yarriambiack Shire since 2015, at Brim, Sheep Hills, Rupanyup, Patchewollock, Rosebery and Lascelles.
The Digital Innovation Project was developed in conjunction with technology company Plattar, funded by Wimmera Mallee Tourism, state government and council contributions.
"We want to improve the technology that's available in regional areas," Ms McBriarty said.
"The latest estimates from Tourism Australia suggest 500 people visit the trail every month, adding $25,000 to the economy, but we want to take it to the next step and make it more popular for the people who do road trips throughout our region."
Ms McBriarty said the aim of the new project was to better track visitor data to see which towns needed more physical or digital infrastructure.
"We can then divert our council and Wimmera Mallee Tourism money to those areas for the long-term," she said.
Helen Ballentine, Yarriambiack Shire Council's representative for Wimmera-Mallee Tourism, said the project had the potential to indirectly drive a bigger passion for technology in the shire.
"Utilising the trail to maximise digital technology in the region shows we care about technology and we're up to date with it," she said.
"We need people to know how to use QR codes and apps. Indirectly this could satisfy the interests of our younger people and make Yarriambiack a more exciting place to live.
"Our tourism also needs to be as digitally advanced as our farmers - who are using very high-tech equipment - as it affects the impression of the region statewide."
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Alexander Darling
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
