Investing in Launceston’s events potential and making Cradle Mountain the premier national park in Australia are two of the state’s peak tourism body’s priorities for the forthcoming federal election.
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The Tourism Industry Council announced its Five Point Plan for Keeping Tasmanian Tourism Ahead of the Pack, which listed its top five infrastructure and policy priorities on Sunday.
The council’s chief executive Luke Martin said each of the projects are “critically” important to the future of the regions’ tourism industries and growing visitor economies.
Five critical priorities across all regions of the State have been identified, Mr Martin said, with all designed to encourage further sustainable growth and development in the industry, and all requiring direct Federal Government support.
The northern projects include:
- Supporting the state government and TasWater to fast track investments in infrastructure at Freycinet National Park.
- Honouring the current bi-partisan commitment of a $30 million Australian Government contribution to the Cradle Mountain Master Plan.
- Investing in Northern Tasmania’s potential as a major destination for Australian participatory events, and support to upgrade the region’s ageing sporting infrastructure, including the Elphin Sports Stadium.
- Keeping Bass Strait passenger transport affordable in the lead-up to the new Spirit of Tasmania Ships in 2021 and committing not change the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme
Hobart’s waterfront reimagining is also a priority.
Mr Martin said he expected tourism to again feature as a priority policy area for the federal election because of its significance to regional areas.
“The Australian Government has an important role in the Tasmanian tourism industry by making strait passenger transport affordable, while investing in infrastructure such as the Three Capes Track and extending the Hobart Airport Runway to foster growth across our visitor economy,” he said.
“Over recent federal elections we’ve had a number of major tourism announcements made – some expected, some not so expected – and we felt it was important we made our industry priorities known.”
Mr Martin said the projects were high-profile public infrastructure projects that would instill confidence in the private sector to continue to invest and create opportunities. The tourism body will provide a list of the projects to all current senators and MPs, and brief senior Canberra representatives.
A federal election is expected to be held in 2019.