Thirty one people representing visitor information centres throughout Somerset Regional Council (SRC)  recently participated in a Family bus  Tour of the northern area of the Somerset Region. After a browse through the Photo Gallery and Historical Museum at the Jimna Visitor Information Centre and morning tea, the party set off on a guided tour of the former timber town, followed by an on site inspection of the Jimna Fire Tower and an invigorating  walk through the Peach Trees Camping Grounds. Feed back from the visit has been extremely positive with participants highly supportive of the tourism potential of the region and in particular the magnificent Jimna Fire Tower. The Jimna Fire Tower Action Group (JFTAG)  remains optimistic that the ever increasing public  call for a tourism attraction/destination feasibility study, to be carried out on the tower, may inspire one of  our Government bodies or Tourism agencies  into taking the driver’s seat on this issue.

In preparation for promised consultation with current owners, Forestry Plantation Queensland (FPQ),  regarding future ownership of the Tower, JFTAG  has requested Somerset Regional Council to facilitate a meeting with JFTAG for the purpose of putting relevant information and material before councillors and council  officers. JFTAG  is of the opinion  that  the viability of preserving this Heritage Listed Australian Icon not only  deserves  to be thoroughly investigated, but that it’s evaluation needs to be driven  by Local Government.