Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday, 7 June, I had the honour of representing the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, the Hon. Warren Truss, in officially opening the Fitzgerald River National Park Improvement Project. Jointly funded by the federal and state governments, the $40 million, four-year improvement project has accomplished a number of great outcomes for the region. Forty kilometres of roads were sealed and another 40 kilometres of gravel roads were upgraded so that visitors could have reliable and safe access into the park. Many kilometres of walking trails throughout the park have been greatly improved, and the park's camp site facilities have been upgraded.

Popular with bushwalkers, recreational fishermen and campers, the Fitzgerald River National Park is a beautiful part of the world covering close to 330,000 hectares and offering a huge potential for tourism. It is one of Australia's environmentally richest and largest national parks. More than 40,000 visitors a year take advantage of the park's natural beauty. Thanks to the improvement project, we expect these numbers will continue to increase. By supporting the growth of tourism here, the upgrade creates opportunities for local businesses in the region. This project has already delivered employment opportunities to the tune of 80 full-time and 30 part-time jobs during its creation. I am looking forward to watching the tourism growth over the coming years. Congratulations to everyone involved for their efforts in delivering this key piece of infrastructure to support the community within this beautiful region. I would like to especially commend Main Roads WA for in-kind use of road equipment which contributed to the project completion.