WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU
THE State government is promising the Gold Coast will ride a new tourism wave after the Commonwealth Games on the back of Budget initiatives aimed at attracting more direct flights and new tourist projects.
Treasurer Jackie Trad yesterday announced a record $180 million tourism spend as Queensland prepares to host up to 24 million domestic and international tourists in the coming year.
However there was no specific mention in Budget papers of funds for a planned dive site off the Gold Coast.
“It (tourism) is a $25 billion industry to our economy. It is critical,” Ms Trad told the Bulletin. “... This Budget commits $94.6 million to keep on growing our tourism industry.”
Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones predicted the Gold Coast would benefit more than most other regions from the $48.6 million Attracting Tourism Fund and the $46 million Regional Tourism Infrastructure and Experience Development Program.
The funding is aimed at smaller tourism operators gaining help from the Government to develop a business plan to launch products.
While the dive site failed to get a mention, sources close to the Minister insisted the funds would be sourced from the tourism infrastructure fund.
The Government is also encouraging eco-tourism projects in the Hinterland to give tourists a unique experience.
Lamington National Park is to receive $8.4 million of road and disaster relief funding along with $713,000 in infrastructure revitalisation. Springbrook gets an $800,000 upgrade.
“This investment is a game changer for Queensland’s tourism industry,” Ms Jones said. “We’re focused on partnering with operators to deliver new tourism infra-structure for Queensland.”
The Government aims to build on partnering with airlines to get more flights to the Coast.
“We’ve got the runs on the board – we’ve secured more than two million additional airline seats into Queensland since February 2015, injecting an estimated $1.7 billion in additional overnight visitor expenditure into the Queensland economy,” Ms Jones said.
The key Budget expenditure for the Coast includes:
● $680 million for infrastructure creating an estimated 2300 jobs.
● Almost $1.5 million for health with upgrades planned at Robina Hospital.
● Almost $82 million for education, with the focus on providing more classrooms in the city’s fast growing north.
● $50 million for Screen Queensland including $20 million additional funding across two years to attract major screen productions.
The Budget papers outline the start of almost a $1 billion spend for the upgrade to the Pacific Motorway.
Light rail stage 3A from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads is to receive $2 million to help progress its business case.
Coast heavy rail is to benefit from a $733 million spend in the north for the Cross River Rail project in Brisbane, which will see a 10.2km rail line from Dutton Park to Bowen Hills ease congestion into Brisbane city.
The Budget papers reveal the closing down of Commonwealth Games organising body GOLDOC, which is due to finish up on December 31.
Commercial revenue projections show that for 2017-18 it will just be short of forecasts of sponsorship targets at 96 per cent.
“Given the Games has now passed, engagement can now be measured by the number of tickets sold (over 1.2 million, 98 per cent of all tickets), social media engagement (over 1.5 million followers) and spectator experience with the Games – 92 per cent of spectators stated their overall experience was good or very good,” the Budget papers said.
Work had begun on converting the former Athletes Village into a mixed-use residential, retail and commercial development.
About $3 million from a $29.4 million total spend will be outlayed in the next 12 months to develop the 9ha health and knowledge precinct in the Parklands area.
Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon said Coast tourism operators had a chance to cash in following the State Budget, with the Government tipping more funds into grants for regional attractions.
The Assistant Tourism Industry Development Minister said attracting new direct flights and partnering with operators to provide grants for new tourism infrastructure were priorities.
“Securing new direct flights into Gold Coast Airport is an important part of our strategy to grow tourism on the Coast,” she said.
“Following the great exposure the Coast has received during the Commonwealth Games, funding for new flights is crucial to ensuring we continue to attract more visitors to the Coast.
“We’re also looking closely at eco-tourism options that will allow us to show off the Coast’s beaches and Hinterland in new ways.”
Treasurer Jackie Trad in her speech described Labor’s fourth Budget as “no surprises, no excuses” with the priority on jobs as the Government embarked on its biggest capital works program since the 2011 flood recovery.
A $3 billion increase in infrastructure projects would support 38,000 jobs this year alone, she said.
WE’RE FOCUSED ON PARTNERING WITH OPERATORS TO DELIVER NEW TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE TOURISM INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT MINISTER KATE JONES