Mr BONSON - 2003-05-28
Nature-based tourism is of critical importance to the Territory tourism industry, and we all enjoy the wonderful parks throughout the Northern Territory. How will the government’s commitment to parks and infrastructure support the tourism industry?
ANSWER
I welcome the member’s question. Indeed, nature-based tourism is an essential element of the strategic plan for the further development of tourism in the Northern Territory. We have wonderful natural assets here, and our parks are part of that. This particular budget announces some very important initiatives in further infrastructure developments in our parks: $1.8m in new infrastructure allocated to our most popular attractions - $500 000 for Litchfield Park, $500 for Wangi Falls …
Mr Dunham: $500!
Dr BURNS: … and $500 000 for Casuarina Coastal Reserve …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: … very important. Well, the members opposite can burr up about this, but these are three premier attractions. In fact …
Mr Dunham: $500!
Dr BURNS: … the Casuarina Coastal Reserve, as the member for Macdonnell well knows, is …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: There are some real attractions there for him. However, there are a lot of people who go to the Casuarina Coastal Reserve. There is $1.5m funding on infrastructure within those particular areas.
Another $300 000 is set aside for the management of the new Owens Springs Reserve, another important development of our natural assets by this government. We are putting money in to support infrastructure development.
Some other projects in this particular area include: $100 000 safety upgrade of Kings Canyon ring walk - very important; $50 000 for Buley Rockhole and Florence Falls walk tracks; improvements in interpretive signing; $60 000 for Gregory National Park boardwalk and retaining walls; and $90 000 for boundary fencing protecting parks. I would say, all very substantial spends by this government in the area of our parks.
However, the spending in the budget for getting people to those parks is also significant. In toto we have spent about $14m on Territory roads, $14m on national highway network - all important arterial routes for people to get to national parks and to view our wonderful, natural scenery in the Territory.
I was interested to hear the member for Araluen, the shadow minister, say to Fred McCue this morning: ‘In leaked various parts of the budget, there was no mention of tourism’. She was talking about the weeks leading up to the budget. Well, I can remember quite clearly, when we were in Alice Springs some weeks ago, making a major announcement about the Mereenie Loop Road - $3m - something the tourism industry in Central Australia have been wanting for some time, and this government is doing. That is a total spend over 10 years of over $30m - very significant.
By contrast, it is very unfortunate that the federal government, at a time when the tourism industry is in trouble and having difficulty, is being quite counter-productive in what they are doing regarding parks. As most people would be aware, they are about to jack up the entry fees to both Uluru and Kakadu from $16 to $25 per person.
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: I have put the case to both ministers Kemp and Hocking. I challenged the member for Araluen on radio this morning, through Fred McCue: ‘Well, what are you doing about it?’. Here was the response:
Well, no, I have left phone messages …
This is for Tollner and Senator Scullion:
… I have left phone messages, but they are sitting. So I would expect to hear from one or other of them today.
This is about the best that the shadow minister for tourism can do to put forward the interests of the Territory and be an advocate for the Territory. Given the state of the other two, I doubt if they are awake enough to return the phone calls.
Mr Reed: You have approved the Nitmiluk Gorge to introduce fees!
Dr BURNS: Well, maybe we need someone back like Grant Tambling who actually stood up for the Territory and got his legs cut out from underneath him about it.
Finally, in relation to the tourism budget, I also noticed, with some amusement, that the shadow minister said - quoting from Fred McCue’s program again:
Funding to the Tourist Commission has been cut by almost $1m in real terms from this budget compared to the last one.
Well, member for Araluen, I will direct you to Budget Paper No 3, page 263, the 2002-03 estimate: $26.058m compared to 2003-04 budget of $27.202m, which according to this, is a variation of plus $1.144m. So, member for Araluen, learn to count. I also notice statements by the member for Katherine along the same vein. I am looking forward to the Estimates Committee so we can talk about this.
ANSWER
I welcome the member’s question. Indeed, nature-based tourism is an essential element of the strategic plan for the further development of tourism in the Northern Territory. We have wonderful natural assets here, and our parks are part of that. This particular budget announces some very important initiatives in further infrastructure developments in our parks: $1.8m in new infrastructure allocated to our most popular attractions - $500 000 for Litchfield Park, $500 for Wangi Falls …
Mr Dunham: $500!
Dr BURNS: … and $500 000 for Casuarina Coastal Reserve …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: … very important. Well, the members opposite can burr up about this, but these are three premier attractions. In fact …
Mr Dunham: $500!
Dr BURNS: … the Casuarina Coastal Reserve, as the member for Macdonnell well knows, is …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: There are some real attractions there for him. However, there are a lot of people who go to the Casuarina Coastal Reserve. There is $1.5m funding on infrastructure within those particular areas.
Another $300 000 is set aside for the management of the new Owens Springs Reserve, another important development of our natural assets by this government. We are putting money in to support infrastructure development.
Some other projects in this particular area include: $100 000 safety upgrade of Kings Canyon ring walk - very important; $50 000 for Buley Rockhole and Florence Falls walk tracks; improvements in interpretive signing; $60 000 for Gregory National Park boardwalk and retaining walls; and $90 000 for boundary fencing protecting parks. I would say, all very substantial spends by this government in the area of our parks.
However, the spending in the budget for getting people to those parks is also significant. In toto we have spent about $14m on Territory roads, $14m on national highway network - all important arterial routes for people to get to national parks and to view our wonderful, natural scenery in the Territory.
I was interested to hear the member for Araluen, the shadow minister, say to Fred McCue this morning: ‘In leaked various parts of the budget, there was no mention of tourism’. She was talking about the weeks leading up to the budget. Well, I can remember quite clearly, when we were in Alice Springs some weeks ago, making a major announcement about the Mereenie Loop Road - $3m - something the tourism industry in Central Australia have been wanting for some time, and this government is doing. That is a total spend over 10 years of over $30m - very significant.
By contrast, it is very unfortunate that the federal government, at a time when the tourism industry is in trouble and having difficulty, is being quite counter-productive in what they are doing regarding parks. As most people would be aware, they are about to jack up the entry fees to both Uluru and Kakadu from $16 to $25 per person.
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: I have put the case to both ministers Kemp and Hocking. I challenged the member for Araluen on radio this morning, through Fred McCue: ‘Well, what are you doing about it?’. Here was the response:
Well, no, I have left phone messages …
This is for Tollner and Senator Scullion:
… I have left phone messages, but they are sitting. So I would expect to hear from one or other of them today.
This is about the best that the shadow minister for tourism can do to put forward the interests of the Territory and be an advocate for the Territory. Given the state of the other two, I doubt if they are awake enough to return the phone calls.
Mr Reed: You have approved the Nitmiluk Gorge to introduce fees!
Dr BURNS: Well, maybe we need someone back like Grant Tambling who actually stood up for the Territory and got his legs cut out from underneath him about it.
Finally, in relation to the tourism budget, I also noticed, with some amusement, that the shadow minister said - quoting from Fred McCue’s program again:
Funding to the Tourist Commission has been cut by almost $1m in real terms from this budget compared to the last one.
Well, member for Araluen, I will direct you to Budget Paper No 3, page 263, the 2002-03 estimate: $26.058m compared to 2003-04 budget of $27.202m, which according to this, is a variation of plus $1.144m. So, member for Araluen, learn to count. I also notice statements by the member for Katherine along the same vein. I am looking forward to the Estimates Committee so we can talk about this.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016