Cash for tourism tops list
Industry looks to budget
CASH to help lure more international tourists to the Far North is on city leaders’ federal budget wishlists for Tuesday night, after money for a new CQUniversity campus and a Cairns marine precinct upgrade was announced earlier this month.
Labor’s $50m CQU Cairns campus commitment was confirmed by Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development minister Catherine King last Wednesday, along with $150m funding towards a Cairns marine precinct upgrade.
Advance Cairns CEO Jacinta Reddan said she would be keeping an eye out for when the money for the “gamechanging” projects would flow through.
“The important element of the two major projects is just how quickly the funds flow through so they can be shovelready and we can actually see the benefits flow on immediately (through initial construction jobs),” she said.
Ms Reddan said Far North tourism leaders wanted to see $15m in international recovery funds to help attract overseas tourists back to the Cairns region.
“The numbers are well below pre-Covid levels, with a low Australian dollar and a lot of pent-up global demand for travel, this is the time we don’t want to waste,” Ms Reddan said.
“It’s the international tourists that spend more.”
Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen said with just over seven per cent of the 2019 international visitor market, the industry wasn’t only expecting to see $15m confirmed, it was relying on it.
“Tropical North Queensland has been one of the most successful international tourism regions in Australia, generating more than $1bn a year in visitor spend in our regional economy,” he said.
“International tourism supported over 5500 full-time jobs in our region in 2019 and without that funding we will see hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs lost over the coming year as the domestic market starts to travel internationally again in 2023.”
CQUniversity promised its city campus will deliver a range of allied and specialist health degrees after hearing industry pleas for more occupational therapists, physiotherapists and podiatrists, while a marine precinct upgrade is set to increase capabilities and create jobs.
One major regional project yet to be confirmed was the $210m Kuranda Range Rd upgrade but Labor senator Nita Green said the federal government was finalising its funding for this proposal.
“It’s a very complex project but it’s one that needs addressing by state and federal government … it does require funding to explore that thoroughly,”