CITY BUBBLE BID

TOWNSVILLE has put its hand up to be part of a new Auckland travel bubble to help pull the region out of the economic doldrums brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Townsville Enterprise is leading the charge with tourism and events director Lisa Woolfe welcoming the New Zealand Government preferencing Queensland as one of two Australian states for trans-tasman travel.

The organisation will reach out to all governments to push the opportunity.

TOWNSVILLE has put its hand up to be part of a new Auckland travel bubble to help pull the region out of the economic doldrums brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Townsville Enterprise is leading the charge with tourism and events director Lisa Woolfe welcoming New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters’s comments preferencing Queensland as one of two Australian states for the trans-tasman travel bubble.

The organisation will be reaching out to the Queensland, Australian and New Zealand governments to discuss the opportunity.

Ms Woolfe said it wasn’t a concern that Townsville didn’t previously have a direct flight to New Zealand because the Townsville International Airport was more than capable of catering for the route.

“Furthermore, it’s an encouraging sign that the deputy prime minister suggested the New Zealand Government would consider new destinations,” Ms Woolfe said.

“Townsville can be a top contender considering we haven’t recorded a positive COVID-19 case for more than 60 days.”

Ms Woolfe said TEL saw a government-supported New Zealand direct flight as a great potential stimulus for not just the North but the broader Queensland economy.

“Based on three direct New Zealand flights a week with an A320neo aircraft, there is potential to inject almost $12 million a year into our local economy,” Ms Woolfe said.

“This would support the more than 34,000 jobs across North Queensland that rely on a thriving tourism and hospitality sector.”

She said establishing a direct flight path from New Zealand to Townsville would be the ideal scenario, but TEL was also open to a partnership with northern ports through a New Zealand-cairns-townsville connection.

“Aviation must be a critical priority for the state’s recovery; frequent and affordable flights enable tourism but also support the business community,” Ms Woolfe said.

“It’s important to note that while a direct New Zealand route would be welcomed by our tourism industry and the local community, and this opportunity should not be overlooked, we must also remain focused on reestablishing affordable connectivity on our domestic routes.

“While we have seen some encouraging announcements from Qantas, we still need further increases in capacity between Townsville and Brisbane and government support to lower the costs of travel through either regulation or underwriting increased capacity.”

Ms Woolfe said 90 per cent of air traffic through Townsville Airport was derived from Brisbane.

“It is a significant direct connection for our region,” she said.