Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

The government is once again delivering for the Gold Coast. Yesterday I called Mayor Tom Tate to tell him that the government will make HMAS Darwin available by the end of the year to be sunk as a dive wreck. The ship is available right now. The opportunity is there for the Gold Coast right now. The government is delivering for the GC right now. I am here in parliament to urge the state government in Queensland to work with Mayor Tom Tate to make this project a reality. The council are on board. They're on board with serious money—in the millions of dollars. I now call on the Queensland state government to join us to make this great project a reality.

The diving industry is conservatively worth about $2.2 billion to the Australian economy. This is no chump change. This is a serious industry. Despite the fact that the Gold Coast has one of the nation's most active diving communities, the area has received little investment to date. Hence, the Gold Coast is an outstanding location to sink the mighty HMAS Darwin as a dive wreck. We are one of the great tourism hotspots of the country. We are ready to support, promote and service this attraction and the associated industries.

Previous wrecks have not always had the benefit of established full-time tourism industries to gain maximum benefit. That's not the case with the Gold Coast. We are ready, willing and able. Diving businesses are established and tourism businesses are well and truly established. There are over 300 days of sunshine. We have our own international airport. Brisbane is only an hour down the road. An ex-Navy warship will greatly increase the number of domestic and international tourists to the Gold Coast and increase their length of stay to dive this amazing wreck.

The Gold Coast is on board. The Gold Coast Tourism chair is on board. The diving industry is on board. The local council is on board. Local state MPs are on board. Federal MPs are well and truly there. This ship is now available. Let's go get it.

Previous Gold Coast city council modelling suggests that it would add $5.4 million in direct and indirect economic benefits to the city if the wreck were provided—circa $10 million, that is a 50 per cent ROI. It doesn't get any better than this. The council's modelling in 2016 suggested an immediate 73 full-time jobs, with the flow-on to create a further 81 positions and a further $6.1 million within three years. That doesn't take into account associated spending from other areas and other supporting industries. Numerous studies undertaken show that this will see at least 7,000 divers come each year. This will have flow-on effects to the economy. The HMAS Darwin dive wreck is a great opportunity for the Gold Coast to build on its international reputation. Come on, Queensland state government, let's get this done.

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