Minister misses boat in wrong turn on reef
THE state’s Environment Minister has been left redfaced after flying to the wrong part of the Great Barrier Reef for a funding announcement.
In a scene reminiscent of a Yes Minister skit, Steven Miles told the Cairns Post he thought he was travelling to Cairns yesterday to announce funding for a new reef boat.
But that boat is to be stationed in the southern Great Barrier Reef, closer to Bundaberg.
Instead, at a press conference at the Cairns Aquarium site, Mr Miles announced $1.3 million for “Far North ecotourism”.
He said the funding would build infrastructure such as a new viewing platform in Rinyirru National Park.
Cairns Aquarium in January issued a public plea for government funding.
But Mr Miles offered no details on further financial support for the project, despite visiting the site yesterday.
Nor was he drawn on whether the department would help fund the aquarium’s scientific research centre.
“There are lots of reef research projects and we welcome them to apply for funding,” he said.
“There are important links with the reef and the aquarium and there are opportunities to work together.”
Cairns Aquarium general manager Julie Cullen said she welcomed “any investment that delivers positive economic impact for the Cairns region”.
“Within Cairns Aquarium there are still several visitor journey enhancements and additional staff who’s hiring we would like to bring forward and we are working with both the state and federal government to facilitate investment in our region prior to, and after, opening,” she said.
Ms Cullen had invited the minister to tour the site to “demonstrate the role Cairns Aquarium could play in generating awareness for the issues facing the reef”.
A spokeswoman for the minister said Mr Miles chose to speak at the Cairns Aquarium site because his announcement “related to FNQ tourism attractions in national parks ... and (the aquarium) is an iconic new tourism drawcard for FNQ”.
The spokeswoman said Mr Miles had other engagements in the region, including meetings in Pormpuraaw.
It is understood Member for Barron River Craig Crawford took the opportunity to show Mr Miles Earl Hill at Trinity Beach, which he is trying to protect from development.
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