Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tasmania has many picturesque landmarks, but there's one that has become the envy of the world: Cradle Mountain. Many in this place would have been among the 280,000 visitors who travel to the mountain each year. If you've not, I'm sure you've at least seen photographs or postcards of Cradle. You might have seen Dove Lake, with its iconic historic boatshed in the foreground, or the brilliant red-orange leaves of the Tasmanian deciduous tree, fagus, which draws hundreds of pilgrims every year to witness the leaves change with the seasons. Or maybe you've seen the mountain itself, with its distinctive cradle-shaped peak. Cradle Mountain is also a favourite destination of the much-loved Australian celebrity family the Irwins. Robert Irwin recently shared his love of Cradle Mountain with his millions of social media followers.

To get into Cradle Mountain there's only one road in and one road out. To access many of the world-class bushwalks or the newly constructed viewing shelter at Dove Lake, you must get there via a shuttle bus. Due to the access and location of Cradle Mountain, you would assume that it would be considered remote when considering any services. I can tell you, that's not always the case. Under the provisions of the 417 working holiday visa, Cradle Mountain is not listed as one of the Tasmanian locations approved for hospitality and tourism work. For the Department of Home Affairs, Cradle Mountain is not remote enough. This has disadvantaged many of the tourism and hospitality businesses that operate in the area to provide services and experiences to the hundreds of thousands of people who flock from Australia and around the globe. Unable to find workers, particularly during peak seasons, these businesses rely on migrants and working visa holders to fill positions, due to the remoteness.

To not allow businesses in the area access to these visa holders denies them a workforce who are ready, willing and able to work. I believe this situation is overdue for revision and urge the minister to consider adding Cradle Mountain's postcode to the approved postcodes for the 417 visa.