WARWICK Tourism and Events is set to stay where it is for the meantime after one councillor's plan to disband the organisation was given the thumbs down during the Southern Downs Regional Council meeting yesterday .

Councillor Jamie Mackenzie put in a notice of motion asking the council to expand Granite Belt Wine and Tourism to cover all of the Southern Downs and close Warwick Tourism and Events.

"Warwick Tourism and Events do a great job but they only cover Warwick," Cr Mackenzie said.

"It doesn't do anything for Killarney or Allora, we need to form a Southern Downs Events group that covers the whole region."

Not one councillor was impressed with Cr Mackenzie's plan, which failed to gain any support or spark a discussion.

But Cr Mackenzie's proposal was not the only tourism-based item on yesterday's agenda, with the council voting on how to proceed with the next step of the tourism strategy.

They were presented with three options.

The first option of forming a voluntary tourism transition board with 12 people, who would in turn report to the CEO to implement the strategy adopted in August of last year proved to be the most popular.

It was a close vote with councillors Jo McNally, Glyn Rees, and Mackenzie all against the decision.

This was the most cost-effective option, with $40,000 worth of funding for the implementation of the strategy already set aside in this year's council budget.

And while Cr Mackenzie's proposal to disband Warwick Tourism and Events did not go through yesterday, it does not mean it will not go ahead in the future.

Part of the tourism strategy adopted by the council recommended forming one tourism group to cover the whole area.

This is the strategy the new tourism transition board will be working to implement.

The meeting was chaired by deputy mayor Ross Bartley as Mayor Peter Blundell left the room due to a conflict of interest.

Tourism timeline

August 2012: SDRC adopt the Team Tourism Strategy and agree to form a 12-person advisory panel.

October 2012: Council adopt a confidential report containing feedback from key stakeholders on the new tourism strategy.

March 2013: The council agree to establish a 12-person voluntary board to establish a new tourism entity that would cover the whole region