Call to access $5 billion fund to help tourism

UP to $5 billion sitting idle in the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility fund could be used to help cash-strapped business impacted by coronavirus stay afloat.

Under the plan, NAIF funds would be used to stimulate a Far North Queensland tourism sector shut down by international restrictions, interstate travel bans and social distancing regulations.

Labor Northern Australia spokesman Senator Murray Watt said many parts of Northern Australia had already suffered from above-average unemployment and now had been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis.

“At a time when our north is hurting, the government must take every action possible to support the region’s workers and businesses,” Mr Watts said.

“With the collapse in tourism, retail and other industries, we are seeing regional centres across Northern Australia among the hardest hit.

“Places like Cairns, which normally has a thriving tourism industry, are seeing businesses closing and hundreds of jobs lost. It needs support urgently.

“This funding for Northern Australia has been locked up for far too long.”

Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said some NAIF projects had been stalled because of the virus outbreak and the claim that $5 billion was sitting around doing nothing was untrue

“It’s typical of someone like Senator Watt, raiding every cookie jar to try and make himself relevant,” he said.

Rather than pulling funds from NAIF, Mr Entsch said he would support a Northern Queensland COVID-19 recovery fund.

“(And) change what people need to do to apply (for NAIF) and let’s use it for a Northern Australia business recovery,” Mr Entsch said.

“(Mr Watt’s proposal) is not offering any solutions … and I would have thought now is not the time for this sort of bullsh*t. Now is the time to (identify) gaps in support for our businesses up here and address them as best we can.”

PLACES LIKE CAIRNS ... IT NEEDS SUPPORT URGENTLY