Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise this morning to speak on the Tourism Australia Amendment Bill 2007. I welcome the changes that will be brought about as a result of this bill’s passage. The changes to the governance of Tourism Australia are very important. Since much of the money that is appropriated to run Tourism Australia is obviously taxpayers’ money—up to 80 per cent of that money—it is important that we have good governance arrangements that are in line with best practice as identified by the Uhrig recommendations.

Tourism is a very important industry for Australia. I think we often talk of the more traditional industries such as education, agriculture and mining as being important to Australia. But so often we do not necessarily talk in the same way of the importance of tourism to the economy of Australia. It is a very important industry. In fact, in my own electorate and across many parts of regional Australia, tourism plays a significant part in generating jobs in those rural and regional communities. Tourism Australia I think has done a remarkable job. It is responsible for international and domestic marketing of Australia. Wherever you see those ads promoting Australia overseas, I am sure that those who see them see Australia as a great tourism destination. It is something to be commended.

It is a very competitive market out there internationally. We have to compete with the other countries of the world to gain those tourism dollars from those tourists who seek a holiday, business tourism or ecotourism destination. So the advertising done by Tourism Australia internationally is of vital importance. If we get that wrong—if Tourism Australia gets that wrong—it will certainly have an impact on the economy of Australia, given that it is now such an integral part of the economy overall in Australia.

I said a moment ago that tourism has many forms. We have ecotourism, business tourism and holiday tourism. In my own electorate a very important element of it is fly-drive tourism, particularly for those coming from overseas. I just want to place on the record the importance to my constituency of tourism in the outback. In central western Queensland they have an outback tourism association, made up of the local councils and representatives who are an integral part of this outback tourism destination region.

I often describe that part of my electorate as the cradle in which the national identity of Australia was born. There is no doubt, and I am sure, Mr Deputy Speaker, you would agree, that the song Waltzing Matilda is part of our national identity. I often describe it as our unofficial national anthem. I know that wherever Australians are, whether they are touring Australia or overseas, when a few bars of Waltzing Matilda are played you will see Australians from all walks of life gathering to join in the singing of Waltzing Matilda.

People who are seeking a tourism destination in the outback of Queensland can in fact go to Winton, which is the birthplace of Waltzing Matilda. It was not far from there, on the Diamantina, that Banjo Paterson was inspired to write that now famous song. Winton, with the Matilda Centre, is a great tourism destination. Of course, more recently there has been the discovery of the remains of dinosaurs, which is of fascination to people of all ages. That presents another opportunity for tourists to visit that region. They can hear the story of the dinosaurs and of many millions of years of history and what that can tell us about the times of this prehistoric creature.

Winton is where the very first board meeting of Qantas was held. Now we have the home of Qantas and the founders museum in Longreach, right at the airport. That includes the original hangar where they in fact made their own aircraft in those very early days. It is a great tourist attraction not just for Australians but also for people who are coming from overseas seeking a tourism destination. I would recommend that they visit places like Winton and Longreach. The Stockman’s Hall of Fame and the Royal Flying Doctor Service are iconic in terms of Australia’s outback and its early development. All of these can be seen out in central western Queensland.

I am sure of interest to you, Mr Deputy Speaker Adams, is the Australian Workers Heritage Centre in Barcaldine. It is a great tourist attraction. Unfortunately, we had some very irresponsible people, as yet unidentified, who poisoned this great iconic tree last year.

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