Visitation to the peninsula to visit its attractions such as Wineglass Bay and Honeymoon Bay has exponentially increased over the past several years.

A relative shack community, the community of Coles Bay, as well as the people who work at the Freycinet National Park, have had to adapt to the increase in people who have flocked to the community and spend several days there looking at the sights.

An unfortunate by-product, identified in mid-2019 was the urgent need to upgrade the sewerage infrastructure at the national park and in the surrounding towns.

It might not be the sexiest of announcements but the announcement by the state government of immediate investment of $8.4 million to fund stage one of the sewerage treatment plant to be installed in the area will be significant news for the region.

A treatment plant doesn't sound like it would be the most exciting thing for the region to be gifted by the government but it will make a world of difference to those communities, as well as the tourists.

Stage one is expected to be completed by December and stage two, a pipeline from the Wineglass Bay trailhead to the plant, is scheduled to be completed by 2021.

Freycinet National Park is arguably one of Northern Tasmania's best tourist assets and it's puzzling that the issue of sewerage infrastructure has not been addressed until now. However, it is a welcome commitment and sign of good faith by the government that they are investing in this critical infrastructure upgrade.

Tourists are the goose that laid the golden egg for the government but the fact that the surrounding communities will also benefit from this infrastructure means there is peace of mind for the future.

The Freycinet master plan identified this as an issue six months ago but it was only one of many objectives that the plan aimed to address. As a vital tourism pillar, mindful management of the national park will be critical to maintaining its future viability so it can remain a jewel in the crown for both tourists and locals to enjoy.