Cathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

As a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia I had the privilege to travel across northern Australia, including the territories of Cocos (Keeling) and Christmas islands, to experience firsthand the challenges that communities are facing in developing tourism and employment opportunities for our First Nations people and local residents. Our committee talked with and listened to a wide range of community members, including First Nations people, business owners and industry and community groups, in order to deliver the final report—Northern horizons: unleashing our tourism potential.

Very quickly it became very obvious to me that, regardless of the location, the issues across northern Australia were very similar. Further growth in development is dependent upon investment in vital infrastructure that will encourage and deliver growth opportunities for all. It is no exaggeration to say that northern Australia has a significant role to play in the further development of our growth in and connection with the Asia-Pacific region. This is not only in the area of tourism. Our community-based services and agricultural, health, education and tourism industries all create opportunities for imports and exports, which in turn make a significant contribution to the nation's economy. Developing northern Australia across a diverse range of industries and sectors will also create numerous secure, quality and well-paid jobs for local communities, including apprenticeships and traineeships for our young people, including our First Nations youth. It will also open up a diverse range of business opportunities for First Nations people and other community members.

At Nitmiluk—which is the traditional owners', the Jawoyn people's, name for Katherine Gorge—I saw firsthand an inspirational collaboration between the Territory government, national parks and the Jawoyn people in a professional and diverse tourism operation that is creating local jobs for First Nations people and other community members. The challenges and barriers to developing tourism in northern Australia are clearly evident. But in my view they are not unsurmountable, which is evident in the Northern horizons: unleashing our tourism potential report. As a North Queenslander, I take an enormous amount of pride in northern Australia and its enormous potential. But I also acknowledge that success, and a fair go for all, in northern Australia will require a collaborative approach across the jurisdictions of Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. We will be much more successful if we leverage off each other rather than compete with each other.

The report on the inquiry into opportunities and methods of stimulating the tourism industry in northern Australia demonstrates the clear need for the government to prioritise policy development and expenditure in the north, as clearly identified in the 33 recommendations. The single most significant issue that I noted at every hearing that I attended, regardless of the location, was access to timely, reliable and affordable flights. The release of this report is quite timely for North Queensland as this week a delegation of 90 political, business and community leaders from the north have arrived in Canberra to showcase our wonderful part of the country. They are here to have their voices heard and to network with the nation's politicians to discuss the priorities that we believe we need to move forward in our region.

Mayors from Townsville, Charters Towers, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island and the Burdekin are joining representatives from a range of business sectors, including the tourism sector, to discuss infrastructure projects that are vital for the north to grow and thrive into the future. The Townsville Enterprise Ltd Northern Queensland delegation has prepared a thoughtful list of priorities that have been agreed to across the northern region. Many of the identified priorities on the list will not be a surprise to the Turnbull government. It will be no surprise to the Turnbull government that the list of priorities for Townsville includes the following infrastructure projects. It includes $75 million for the Townsville port expansion and a long-term water security solution. We need the government to match Labor's commitment of $100 million for stage 2 of the Burdekin pipeline. On energy infrastructure, we also need the Turnbull government to match Labor's commitment of $200 million to develop hydro energy on the Burdekin Falls Dam.

Federal Labor understands that Townsville is the largest city in northern Australia, with a capacity and willingness to play a central role in the development of northern Australia. But we need real funding and vital infrastructure, not only in my community but across northern Australia. Infrastructure such as I have mentioned will boost Townsville's economy, increase business confidence and expand our connections in the Asia-Pacific, all of which will create secure local jobs.

To date, the Turnbull government has refused to invest one single cent into the infrastructure projects I have mentioned, which is simply unacceptable. The Northern horizons: unleashing our tourism potential report is now a catalyst for the Turnbull government to get behind the development of northern Australia and start allocating infrastructure funds to the northern Australia regions. The future of our region and northern Australia must not be used as a political football, because developing the northern part of this country is far too important. Northern Australia needs real investment—and we need it now, not just at election time.

The tourism industry already makes a significant contribution to employment and the economy in the north. In 2014-15, over 17 million tourists visited Australia and spent over $9.9 billion. However, northern Australia only attracts a small portion of overall visits to Australia. In 2013-14, approximately 9.3 per cent of international overnight stays and 12.7 percent of domestic overnight stays were in northern Australia. This only suggests that there are opportunities to expand the tourism industry to support increased visitation and expenditure across the north.

In order to stimulate tourism growth in northern Australia the committee identified a need to increase visitor awareness of northern Australia tourism destinations; to improve access to the north and between major tourism attractions; and to support the tourism industry to develop products, experiences and attractions on the ground that tourists will want to take the time to visit and, more importantly, to come back to again. The committee has made 33 recommendations, as I said, which focus on marketing, coordination, upgrading transport and telecommunications infrastructure, streamlining regulatory processes for tourism businesses, and enhancing and planning the coordination of tourism destinations and attractions across the north. I'm proud to say that Labor has committed $1 billion from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility to the Northern Australia Tourism Infrastructure Fund to ensure that we have the much-needed investment to grow tourism in northern Australia.

I was born, raised, educated and married in Townsville. It is where my husband and I have raised our children. I have called Townsville home my entire life, apart from 3.5 years when I moved overseas and south for further studies. Many years ago Townsville was a tourism hub. We were the Mecca for tourists to visit, stay and play. However, due to lack of investment and vision, Townsville's tourism goldmine has been relocated to our neighbour's regions around Cairns. There is an untapped potential for Townsville's tourism market. We have the Great Barrier Reef on our front doorstep. Magnetic Island, one of Australia's top 15 islands, is located only minutes away. We have the cultural history—a significant cultural history—of our First Nations people on Palm Island, and we have the numerous garrison sites around our town. Why would you not invest in growing and expanding tourism in Townsville?

The Townsville port expansion project is a no-brainer project and is absolutely essential for our tourism industry to grow. At present, Townsville can only dock cruise ships carrying 1,500 people. If the port widening project went ahead our city would be able to accept larger ships carrying over 3,000 passengers. This would only further benefit our tourism industry, not to mention increasing income for our accommodation and hospitality businesses. Cruise tourism is the world's fastest growing tourism sector, which is why Townsville must play a role and have our port expanded. To do this we need the Turnbull government to match Labor's commitment of $75 million to the port expansion project.

In conclusion, I would like to say that I hope that the government takes seriously the report Northern Horizons—unleashing our tourism potential that has just been produced, because this will give northern Australia the infrastructure that is vital to the growth and further development of our regions.

Debate adjourned.

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