“As we create a policy environment that welcomes foreign investment to drive development in the North, more opportunity for Indigenous Australia will result, and not just in tourism and resources and energy,” he said.

“It will occur across all of the investment sectors such as agriculture, agribusiness, aquaculture, water infrastructure, and all of the infrastructure and services that will support these developments.”

Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree executive officer Tara Bennett also said northern Australia, including the Douglas and Mossman area, had a bright future in tourism. 

“All of Northern Australia, from Broome over to us, is very well positioned to grow its tourism market,” Ms Bennett said. 

“Here in Douglas we are fortunate enough to have great tourism pioneers such as John Morris that are continually re-inventing our product and keeping it fresh. 

“In addition to that, factors such as increasing aviation access will be essential to grow the tourism market - for example, if the Aquis resort goes ahead, that’s obviously going to be targeting the Eastern market and increasing visitation numbers from that area but it’s also going to provide avenues to increase aviation access for our western visitors as well.”