by Mat Churchill

Cook MP Jason O’Brien says the Bligh Labor Government’s 2010-11 Budget continues Queensland’s focus on rebuilding the tourism industry in the Far North, with $3 million promised to market the area.

“The Queensland Government will spend at least $3 million on its tourism campaigns aimed at marketing and development of the Tropics and Great Barrier Reef zones,” he said. “Port Douglas and Mossman will directly benefit from these campaigns.

“The money is from Tourism Queensland’s core budget and the election commitment to spend $36 million over three years on local tourism.”

Mark Davis, from the office of Jason O’Brien, said that it had yet to be decided how the $3 million in funding will be spent. “The marketing campaigns aren’t known at this stage but will probably be done in consultation with local tourism bodies.”

Doug Ryan from Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree (TPDD) welcomed the funding announcement and said he would expect to work closely with Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) and Tourism Queensland should TPDD be approached.

Aside from the $3 million for tourism, infrastructure for the area is set to see a funding boost.

Mr O’Brien said “Far North tourism will also benefit from the $24 million available for whole-of-state marketing. The decision to approve funding and land transfer for the Cairns Cultural Precinct will also have spin-off benefits for Port Douglas and Mossman tourism operators.”

“The Far North Budget emphasis is also on protecting jobs, businesses and families from the continuing effects of the Global Financial Crisis. Places like Mossman and Port Douglas continue to be hard hit by the GFC, and we have concentrated on trying to look after jobs and small businesses and improving living conditions,” he said.

Major spending in Mossman and Port Douglas includes:
•    $3.5 Million has been provided in 2010-11 for land acquisitions, which relates to a 2006 election commitment for the purchase of rainforest and green land. In 2006-07 the Government committed a total of $30 Million to this project.
•    $5225 to increase coordinator hours and enhance program preparation for the St Augustine's Mossman Outside School Hours Care service at a total cost of $15,675.
•    $8132 to assist Mossman’s Goobidi Bamanga Community Advancement Vacation Care to provide a vacation care service during school holidays at a total cost of $24,396.

Mr O’Brien said the Bligh Labor Government would continue to improve regional roads. This was increasingly important for the Port Douglas-based tourism industry as more and more tourists used the town as a base for road trips into Cape York.

“Cape York Peninsula roads are in the best condition ever,” he said. “We aim to keep them that way with more money for the key roads in the region, especially the Peninsula Developmental Road.”

Spending on Cape York roads includes:
•    $4.93 Million towards the construction of a bridge and approaches on the Peninsula Developmental Road at Carols Crossing, 25km north-west of Lakeland, with a total State Government contribution of $4.93 Million.
•    $2 Million towards the installation of a floodway on Peninsula Developmental Road, 2km south of Laura, with a total State Government contribution of $5.7 Million.

“We have also maintained our focus on the Captain Cook highway between Cairns and Mossman and Port Douglas.”

Spending on the highway includes:
•    $500,000 for the installation of roadside and surface delineation, on the Captain Cook Highway between Palm Cove and Craiglie, at a total cost of $2.5 Million.
•    $438,000 for the installation of roadside and surface delineation on the Captain Cook Highway, between Cairns and Mossman, at a total cost of $1.84 Million.

Funding allocated across Far North Queensland generally, including the Cook electorate, includes:

Community Infrastructure
•    $30.18 million across the Far North region to upgrade Remote Indigenous housing.
•    $951,000 towards the purchase of books for public libraries.
•    $835,000 to support Indigenous Knowledge Centres.
•    $510,000 towards the cost of construction of 13 Remote Indigenous housing dwellings completed in 2009-10, at a total cost of $5.13 million.
•    $435,431 towards an accommodation and support service for women and children escaping domestic and family violence, with a total State Government contribution of $1.31 Million.
•    $218,134 to meet the housing and support needs of homeless women and children by providing crisis accommodation to families experiencing domestic and family violence, with a total State Government contribution of $654,402.

Community Safety
•    $670,000 to assist remote Indigenous communities in Northern and Far Northern regions prepare for the impacts of extreme weather events which may result from climate change at a total cost of $2 million over three years, 2010-11 to 2012-13.

Health
•    $325,000 to construct new staff accommodation at a total cost of $1.37 million.

Environment
•    $7 Million to employ indigenous Wild Rivers rangers in Cape York Peninsula and the Gulf of Carpentaria to protect and promote the world-class natural values of Queensland's wild rivers.
•    $3.5 Million over three years commencing in 2010-11 to support the Government’s election commitment to carry out all necessary works to complete a declaration for an Area of International Conservation Significance and World Heritage nomination for Cape York Peninsula. It is envisaged that a World Heritage declaration will provide economic and employment opportunities through tourism and other community-based projects on Cape York Peninsula.

Education and Innovation
•    $8.2 million in 2010-11 to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority for the Marine Park’s Field Management Program.
•    $5.14 Million to provide assistance to low-skilled workers, those disadvantaged in the labor market and to support the Queensland Green Army strategy for a total cost of $21.37 Million.
•    $492,000 to provide assistance to low skilled workers, those disadvantaged in the labor market and to support the Queensland Green Army strategy for a total cost of $2.08 Million.
•    $295,685 to deliver a Reading to Children program for children under school age using volunteer readers, in particular older people and grandparents, within the areas of Cape York, Torres Strait and Far North Queensland at a total cost of $585,000.
•    $189,328 to assist the North Queensland Remote Area Family Services Program to provide families in rural and remote areas of Queensland access to child care at a total cost of $567,984.
•    $168,000 for the establishment and support of community libraries in partnership with Aboriginal and Island Councils.

Editors Comment: Is this the moment to survey the region and discover how the tourism operators and resident communities think this additional funding should be utilised like they did down in The Whitsundays recently?  What do you think?