Mrs MILLER - 2005-08-18
The Chief Minister has announced a new $500 000 six-month marketing campaign to be launched next week to boost off-peak travel to the Northern Territory. You are well aware that there are limited airline flights into the Territory. What have you done to ensure there will be airline services to complement this new campaign?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine for her question. Aviation capacity has been an ongoing concern for this government since - I can tell you the exact date - 14 September 2001, because I was Minister for Tourism when, three days after 11 September, our own Ansett went under and we had an almighty problem on our hands in just shifting people, freight and business around the Northern Territory.
It continues to remain an issue, more in some parts of the Northern Territory than others. Virgin Blue, of course, came in and have not been, perhaps, as steady and reliable in sustaining the services they initially introduced. Talks between the Tourist Commission, government and airlines occur on an ongoing basis - indeed, airport owners are in those discussions as well.
I do not have in front of me – and perhaps they are areas you do not go to – the areas of just who is putting what on the table at any one time. I understand what the member for Katherine is saying. We are continuing to improve air services and to build the capacity beyond what existed originally when we there were two major airlines. It is the case we now have better capacity across the board in all of our centres, with the possible exception of Alice Springs, which is about the same as it used to be. However, we would like to see that continue to build as well.
The Tourist Commission has benefited from the $27.5m this government put into its budget. It was a dramatic enhancement to the commission’s promotion and publicity budget for selling the Northern Territory than it had to that stage. We have seen the results of that. We have seen buoyant tourism over the past two years, and it continues to travel very well.
This $500 000 strategic spend will, again, increase visitation to the Northern Territory. I say to the member for Katherine: it is one of those areas that is never fixed. You never sit back and say: ‘Beauty! We have all the capacity we need’. It is an ongoing battle to convince airlines to come to the Northern Territory and bring people here.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine for her question. Aviation capacity has been an ongoing concern for this government since - I can tell you the exact date - 14 September 2001, because I was Minister for Tourism when, three days after 11 September, our own Ansett went under and we had an almighty problem on our hands in just shifting people, freight and business around the Northern Territory.
It continues to remain an issue, more in some parts of the Northern Territory than others. Virgin Blue, of course, came in and have not been, perhaps, as steady and reliable in sustaining the services they initially introduced. Talks between the Tourist Commission, government and airlines occur on an ongoing basis - indeed, airport owners are in those discussions as well.
I do not have in front of me – and perhaps they are areas you do not go to – the areas of just who is putting what on the table at any one time. I understand what the member for Katherine is saying. We are continuing to improve air services and to build the capacity beyond what existed originally when we there were two major airlines. It is the case we now have better capacity across the board in all of our centres, with the possible exception of Alice Springs, which is about the same as it used to be. However, we would like to see that continue to build as well.
The Tourist Commission has benefited from the $27.5m this government put into its budget. It was a dramatic enhancement to the commission’s promotion and publicity budget for selling the Northern Territory than it had to that stage. We have seen the results of that. We have seen buoyant tourism over the past two years, and it continues to travel very well.
This $500 000 strategic spend will, again, increase visitation to the Northern Territory. I say to the member for Katherine: it is one of those areas that is never fixed. You never sit back and say: ‘Beauty! We have all the capacity we need’. It is an ongoing battle to convince airlines to come to the Northern Territory and bring people here.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016