Tue 18 Nov, 2008

A Queensland tourism organisation says authorities have assured Fraser Island and Rainbow Beach businesses any storm evacuations will be better handled this season.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service evacuated thousands of campers from Fraser Island, Inskip Point and Rainbow Beach, off the state's south-east coast, last December, because of bad weather.

The Rainbow Beach Tourism Association says some businesses lost 20 per cent of their yearly income because the evacuations were bungled.

The manager of Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism, Damien Massingham, says emergency and communication plans have been improved.

"Queensland Parks and Wildlife have certainly dramatically improved their website so that this summer if there is weather conditions that force restrictions on Fraser Island, that there'll be more very up-to-date information on the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] website," he said.