Llew O'Brien (Wide Bay, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Noosa is a world-class destination with surf to rival Hawaii, beaches to rival Fiji and rainforests as beautiful and wondrous as the Amazon, but Noosa is a destination that is within reach to Australians right now. Australians have realised how much we have to offer, and they have put the Noosa region at the top of their post-lockdown bucket list. Tourism Noosa figures show visitor numbers booming since the borders reopened. Occupancy is either the same or above the record-breaking tourism year of 2019. For this month, occupancy is at 74 per cent, higher than peak season numbers of 70 per cent in January and December. Congratulations go to Noosa, who are celebrating a new win—Queensland's Top Tourism Town Award for 2021—recognising outstanding regional destinations. This acknowledges Noosa's outstanding natural beauty as well as our quality hospitality.

As much as some Noosa businesses have been jumping with travellers, operators are struggling to fill jobs with hundreds of cleaning jobs, housekeeping, kitchenhand or laundry jobs listed online within an hour's drive of Noosa. I urge jobseekers across Australia to grab this opportunity to work in one of the most beautiful places on earth, earn a good wage and help be part of our survival of the repercussions of COVID-19.

For businesses focused on international travel, such as Flashpackers Noosa and Defence Escapes, our closed national border continues— (Time expired)

See this speech in context