Mr BARRETT - 2015-11-19
Can you please outline how the Country Liberal government is delivering for Territorians generally, especially in the tourism industry?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I can tell the member for Blain that one thing we are not doing is wrapping criminals in cotton wool.
In regard to tourism, our performance is outstanding. I was fortunate enough to take over the Tourism portfolio from the member for Greatorex. He put in place a policy aimed at having a $2.2bn tourism economy by 2020.
We are at $1.9bn now in the tourism economy. We will far exceed that target of $2.2bn by 2020. We are back on track with our tourism targets. The only risk to achieving that tourism target is if a Labor government was to be elected. We have heard about performance today across a range of areas. We heard from the Deputy Chief Minister about the performance in a range of areas, including the live cattle industry. We heard from the Treasurer about coming back into surplus. We heard from the Minister for Infrastructure about all the building works, roadworks, and extra works in Palmerston and around the Territory. We heard from the Sport minister about everything happening in sport, including Richardson Park, motorsports, tennis and velodromes.
The Minister for Housing and Local Government has led the department to not only build houses across the Northern Territory, but also into the public and private sectors. She has also been working in the Local Government area putting in place a regional council, setting up the local authority structure and making sure it is fully funded, with an additional $5m.
The Minister for Business is ensuring businesses in the Northern Territory continue to be heard, expanding our modus operandi across Asia to ensure there is more investment and more job growth.
Tourism is another area where things continue to excel. Everybody knows tourist numbers are up across the Northern Territory in Uluru, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Nhulunbuy and Darwin. In this year’s budget we put aside $4.75m to help renew the tourism experience, putting money into redeveloping product and building new product. Some examples include a new kitchen at Ooraminna Station Homestead south of Alice Springs; a new sports hall of fame in the museum on the Tiwi Islands; a new water pipeline at the Lorella Springs Wilderness Park near Borroloola; upgrades to the butterfly house at Batchelor Butterfly Farm; a new grandstand at Katherine Outback Experience; and a new space observatory at Earth Sanctuary in Alice Springs.
Many things have been done and many more are still to come. The challenge for the tourism industry, like any other industry in the Northern Territory, is Labor. Labor does not have policies. Labor presents a risk to our economy and our way of life. The Northern Territory needs the Country Liberals.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I can tell the member for Blain that one thing we are not doing is wrapping criminals in cotton wool.
In regard to tourism, our performance is outstanding. I was fortunate enough to take over the Tourism portfolio from the member for Greatorex. He put in place a policy aimed at having a $2.2bn tourism economy by 2020.
We are at $1.9bn now in the tourism economy. We will far exceed that target of $2.2bn by 2020. We are back on track with our tourism targets. The only risk to achieving that tourism target is if a Labor government was to be elected. We have heard about performance today across a range of areas. We heard from the Deputy Chief Minister about the performance in a range of areas, including the live cattle industry. We heard from the Treasurer about coming back into surplus. We heard from the Minister for Infrastructure about all the building works, roadworks, and extra works in Palmerston and around the Territory. We heard from the Sport minister about everything happening in sport, including Richardson Park, motorsports, tennis and velodromes.
The Minister for Housing and Local Government has led the department to not only build houses across the Northern Territory, but also into the public and private sectors. She has also been working in the Local Government area putting in place a regional council, setting up the local authority structure and making sure it is fully funded, with an additional $5m.
The Minister for Business is ensuring businesses in the Northern Territory continue to be heard, expanding our modus operandi across Asia to ensure there is more investment and more job growth.
Tourism is another area where things continue to excel. Everybody knows tourist numbers are up across the Northern Territory in Uluru, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Nhulunbuy and Darwin. In this year’s budget we put aside $4.75m to help renew the tourism experience, putting money into redeveloping product and building new product. Some examples include a new kitchen at Ooraminna Station Homestead south of Alice Springs; a new sports hall of fame in the museum on the Tiwi Islands; a new water pipeline at the Lorella Springs Wilderness Park near Borroloola; upgrades to the butterfly house at Batchelor Butterfly Farm; a new grandstand at Katherine Outback Experience; and a new space observatory at Earth Sanctuary in Alice Springs.
Many things have been done and many more are still to come. The challenge for the tourism industry, like any other industry in the Northern Territory, is Labor. Labor does not have policies. Labor presents a risk to our economy and our way of life. The Northern Territory needs the Country Liberals.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016