James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator Birmingham. Can the minister advise the Senate on how the Liberal-National government is supporting tourism businesses, particularly in regional areas?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McGrath for his question. Senator McGrath is a relentless champion of small businesses, particularly small businesses up and down the coast and inland across the great state of Queensland operating in the tourism sector.

As senators should be aware, on 27 September the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr McCormack, and I announced the opening of round 3 of the $200 million Building Better Regions Fund. For the first time under that fund, $45 million is specifically available through this round for tourism infrastructure projects. These projects will help to fund infrastructure across regional Australia to drive tourism and ensure that our record numbers of holiday visitors occurring across Australia continue to grow, especially in our regional areas. Indeed, this announcement was welcomed by Regional Development Australia, who said at the time that those projects will 'help stimulate local economies by investing in the tourism sector'. This sector is vital for our regional and remote communities—creating jobs, stimulating new business and sustaining long-term economic growth. That is a fact that is well known by those across Queensland who have long celebrated and contributed so much to our national tourism economy and those businesses.

Latest national visitor survey results show more Australians are choosing to holiday in their own backyard as well, which is great news, with visitor spending soaring to $67.5 billion across Australia—an increase of eight per cent—and Australians taking a record $100-plus million domestic overnight trips during the year ending 2018. This high visitor spend and the record numbers of domestic and overseas trips, as well as strong positioning in terms of our international sector, all provide great opportunities for regional and remote tourism businesses that will only be strengthened by the Liberal-National government's investment through the Building Better Regions Fund.

The PRESIDEN T: Senator McGrath, a supplementary question.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What are some of the advantages of incorporating tourism grant funding into the Building Better Regions Fund?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I indicated, $45 million has been allocated specifically to tourism projects—an effective doubling of available infrastructure investment that was previously dedicated and targeted towards tourism infrastructure investment. Applicants will not only have access to greater funds in terms of investment in that tourism infrastructure but enjoy a better process, one that applies consistently across the whole nation rather than different state-by-state processes, and an assessment against consistent merit criteria. Applicants will not be limited by predetermined state funding allocations. The BBRF will provide more flexibility and will support the best projects that will drive tourism growth and create jobs in regional Australia, without the constraints of those state or regional borders. For those applicants who might be dreaming big, the maximum funding grant available is some $10 million—a significant increase on what applicants could receive under previous programs. And there's strong potential to support major infrastructure works that would not otherwise be possible—infrastructure works that can only continue to help our tourism sector to grow into the future.

Th e PRESIDENT: Senator McGrath, a final supplementary question.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How can tourism businesses take advantage of the new tourism component of the Building Better Regions Fund?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is just another example of our Liberal-National government backing Australia's small and medium-sized businesses, as we do through lower taxes and support for their employment of record numbers of Australians. For those in the tourism sector who wish to take advantage of the Building Better Regions Fund and can do so, applications are now open. I encourage them to visit business.gov.au to look at the details and applications for the Building Better Regions Fund, which close on 15 November this year. Applicants need to be working with a not-for-profit organisation. I encourage tourism small businesses to partner with local councils or other community organisations to be eligible to maximise the potential benefits to regional Australia to access these funds, because this investment, alongside our other investments, our lower taxes and our better investment environment will help spur more jobs and more opportunities for people living and working across regional Australia.