Industry Advisory Committee

Tourism East Industry Advisory Committee

As part of the transition to the new Tourism East organisation an Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) was established in 2026.

The Committee is comprised of four Board members, the CEO and 18 tourism industry representatives.

The key role of the Industry Advisory Committee is to be a forum to assist the Board with the development and implementation of its strategic plan, by keeping partners informed of the work of the Board and enabling members of the Industry Advisory Committee to provide feedback and propose ideas for the Board to pursue.

The Industry Advisory Committee is advisory in nature and can only make recommendations to the Board.

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2026 Meetings

The first meeting of the IAC took place on Wednesday 11 February 2026, with strong and constructive contributions from those in attendance.

Download Summary Of The Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 20 May 2026.

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The Committee’s purpose is to:

• Provide advice that assists with the development of tourism strategies that relate to the core priority areas of Tourism East, such as the Strategic Plan and Destination Management Plan.
• Provide advice on regional visitor economy related issues that also have an impact on the wider community.
• Act as a primary conduit for representation of local tourism industry operators to the Board.
• Act as an ambassador for Tourism East throughout the regional tourism industry.

The committee’s primary purpose is to act as a regional strategic advisory body rather than determine day to day operations of the organisation.

A review of the Industry Advisory Committee will occur after 12 months of the Committee being established.

The initial appointment for committee members will be for up to 2 years and may be eligible for re appointment.

The Tourism East Board will invite applications for membership of the advisory committee through media and local government publications.

Applicants seeking to nominate for membership of the Committee should demonstrate that they meet the following selection criteria:

• Reside and/or work within the Local Government areas of Yarra Ranges, Nillumbik and/or Cardinia Shire.
• Have experience in and an understanding of the tourism industry.
• Are interested to further advance the tourism industry within the region.
• Be able to work as part of a team, be respected by others and able to influence in constructive and positive ways.

It is also preferable that applicants demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Demonstrated capability as an existing or emerging leader.
• An understanding of the principles of sound governance for community and business groups.
• Strong communication and engagement skills.
• A willingness and ability to commit for the required term of 2 years.

Role of Committee Members:

• Attendance and active participation in meetings with a total of 4 meetings per year.
• It is expected that each member will attend a minimum of 75% of all meetings, unless valid reasons are provided to the chairperson.
• Take an active role in communicating the views of business and organisations to the committee.

All committee members have an advisory role and do not hold any authority to make decisions or commitments on behalf of Tourism East.

Please fill in the form below to express your interest in joining the Tourism East Industry Advisory Committee. Applications close 17 October 2025.

Tourism East Industry Advisory Committee - Terms of Reference

Tourism East is the newly formed Visitor Economy Partnership (VEP) for the local government areas of Yarra Ranges, Nillumbik and Cardinia Shires. The organisation has been established as part of the Victorian Government's Visitor Economy Recovery and Reform plan. VEPs have been established throughout Victoria to act as the leading bodies for all visitor economy related matters, fostering statewide collaboration and strategic planning.

Transition to a VEP aims to enhance the functions of previously existing regional tourism boards, in this instance Yarra Ranges Tourism Limited, to optimise marketing expenditure, facilitate and implement actions in the region’s Destination Management Plan (DMP), and fortify the tourism offerings of the region to build a resilient sector that supports sustainable growth. This includes the development of new experiences, products and infrastructure to attract more international, interstate and intrastate visitors while balancing the needs of local communities.

Read the full Terms of Reference