Tourism Industry WA Boardroom Luncheon – Perth

Introduction

When I spoke at the WA Tourism Conference last year, I said our tourism industry sells the best of Australia.

It is led by some of the best entrepreneurs and most passionate people in our country.

It is wonderful to see many of you here.

Development of Perth and Western Australia

Western Australia is rising on the Australian and global tourism stage. You are doing an extraordinary job selling the best of the West Coast to the world. I know the pandemic threw a lot of challenges your way. It was a devastating time for everyone in the tourism industry.

I am in awe of the patience and resilience you showed. I know the pain isn’t over yet. But with borders open and travellers returning, I am incredibly optimistic for what the future holds.

The Prime Minister feels the same way. He was a long-serving Shadow Minister for Tourism and is a good friend of Western Australia. He understands the importance of investing in the visitor economy and the high-quality infrastructure that tourists want to see. Infrastructure is one of Prime Minister Albanese’s biggest passions. Bridges, roads, rail – he lives for this stuff! And he needed no encouragement to be here in Perth to open the METRONET Airport Line last October.

There was a lot to be excited about. The first new train line in Perth since 2007. An extra 8.5 kilometres onto Perth’s rail network. And the only train service in Australia that takes commuters to and from the airport at the regular passenger fare. Construction created 2,000 jobs, so it was good news on the employment front, too. The State Government invested $1.37 billion in the project. The Commonwealth contributed $490 million – part of our commitment to a number of METRONET projects that are transforming how Perth operates. Because how we move is changing.

I am one of the federal MPs who drives an electric car. So, I am also delighted we’re partnering with the State Government to deliver an electric bus network for Perth. We are committed to rolling out an electric car national highway, too. Ensuring electric vehicles can get from Bundaberg to Broome, and Penrith to Perth. We are also helping establish a National EV Charging Network. I am hoping, in the not too distant future, that we will even see a procession of grey nomads coming down the Great Northern Highway in electric campervans!

Perth Airport is undergoing a significant redevelopment, as well. And in the past couple of months it has secured new international services, with flights to Bali, Jakarta and Tokyo. As well as the return of direct flights to Rome. These are big steps forward in rebuilding international aviation connections.

And they will bring thousands of tourists and other travellers to Western Australia.

The Government is also continuing to deliver on the $1.66 billion of investment in Perth.

Some of the projects being supported include:

• a new city campus for Edith Cowan University – the first comprehensive university to be situated within the Perth CBD,
• the redevelopment of the Perth Concert Hall,
• a world-class Aboriginal Cultural Centre, which I’ll talk about a bit later, and,
• a new CBD Transport Plan – which will make Perth even more liveable and tourist friendly.

In the recent Budget, we also announced two new urban development programs. The new Thriving Suburbs Program will provide more than $210 million in grants for community infrastructure in urban areas. The Urban Precincts and Partnerships Program will invest almost $160 million in the place-based priorities of urban communities. Providing significant opportunities for places like Perth.

Attracting domestic and international visitors

Perth has so many drawcards. From Kings Park and Cottesloe Beach to the WA Museum Boola Bardip and Rottnest Island. And Western Australia is one of the most diverse and beautiful places on earth. With Ningaloo Reef, the Pinnacles and Bungle Bungles just a few of our extraordinary natural wonders.

It is no wonder, then, that visitors are coming back. We know there’s pent-up demand for travel and we’re seeing confidence in travel increasing. Recent data from Tourism Research Australia shows that, in April, there were 9 per cent more domestic overnight trips spent in Western Australia than in April 2019. As well as a 39 per cent increase in expenditure on those trips. Tourism Australia’s Come and Say G’Day campaign is continuing to attract international holiday makers back to Australia, too.

International visitors haven’t quite reached pre-pandemic levels yet. But the signs are very encouraging. With WA welcoming around 80 per cent of the number of international visitors in the first five months of 2023 compared to the same period pre-pandemic. While not all of those will be tourists, the trend is reassuring. And I am sure it will only accelerate, driven in part by the recent launch of the campaign in China.

When it comes to international students, we are doing even better now than before the pandemic. Some 16 per cent more international students arrived in WA in the first five months of this year than in the same period pre-pandemic. So the outlook is promising. But there is still a lot of work to do.

One immediate challenge is processing the backlog of visa applications. I am so pleased we’re making strong progress on this. Last financial year, the Department of Home Affairs finalised more than 7.7 million temporary visa applications. Including for about 4.3 million visitors, nearly 700,000 students and over 200,000 working holiday makers. This is a 213 per cent increase compared to the previous financial year.

Visa processing times have also improved significantly. As at June 2023, the median processing time for a working holiday visa was less than one day, a visitor visa just one day and a student visa just 10 days. This is practical, meaningful improvement. It is bringing more tourists and students to Australia, and supporting mobility for international workers. This is vital for easing skills shortages, including in the tourism sector. We are also attracting more students by increasing how many hours they can work while studying compared to the pre-pandemic cap. And allowing certain visa holders to work in Australia for another two years after they’ve graduated. This is so important for revitalising Australia’s economy in the wake of the pandemic.

Supporting Indigenous Tourism and Reconciliation

We are fortunate that Premier Roger Cook, Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti and the WA Government is working so hard to revitalise the tourism sector in Western Australia. Last year, Premier Cook – who was Tourism Minister at the time – said Aboriginal culture is the beating heart of WA’s tourism strategy. He is exactly right. Aboriginal culture is such an important part of WA’s history, and we should be celebrating and learning from the world’s oldest living culture.

I was so pleased that Perth hosted the World Indigenous Tourism Summit in March. Some 550 delegates from around the world discussed how Indigenous values and wisdom can help build a better kind of tourism. One more suited to caring for the land and maintaining a connection with culture. This is so important for all of us. As you know, Jina – the WA Aboriginal Tourism Action Plan – sets a vision for WA to become the premier Aboriginal tourism destination in Australia. I know we can do this.

It will mean building the capacity for Aboriginal people to enter the tourism sector. And growing the number of sustainable Aboriginal tourism businesses. As well as facilitating the development of authentic Aboriginal cultural experiences. Across WA, there are over 12,000 First Nations people living in remote communities. Especially in the Kimberley, Pilbara, Goldfields and Mid-West Gascoyne. Aboriginal-owned or led tourism experiences can bring a wealth of learning and knowledge to people from across Australia and around the world.

Earlier, I mentioned the Aboriginal Cultural Centre being built here in Perth. The centre will be located on the banks of the Swan River, Derbarl Yerrigan – the traditional lands of the Whadjuk people. It will tell the story of Western Australia’s unique Aboriginal culture. And promote a deeper understanding for visitors from across the country and the globe. It is a project that could be WA’s answer to the Sydney Opera House. Something that everyone who comes to Australia not only wants to see but knows they have to see if they are truly to have experienced Australia.

Western Australia has a proud history of Aboriginal achievement. And this gives me hope that we will, as a state, also support recognition of the First Peoples of Australia in the Constitution through a Voice. As I said during NAIDOC Week, I’m proud that the Australian Government has held firm in our commitment to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Recognising and paying respect to 65,000 years of culture and tradition. Ensuring First Nations voices across Australia are heard and listened to. Delivering better policies in areas like health, education, jobs and housing. And, ultimately, improving lives.

The idea for a Voice comes from First Nations people themselves through the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It represents decades of work towards recognition. And the referendum later this year gives us a chance to become reconciled with our past and move to a better future. I am confident that when Australians find themselves making this decision, their generosity of spirit will get this constitutional change up.  

Conclusion

Thank you again for the opportunity to be here with you today. I leave you with the assurance that the Government is committed to Australia’s visitor economy, and to doing everything we can to support Western Australia as a world-class tourist destination. Investing in a better future for tourism is investing in a better future for Australia. I look forward to working with you all. Thank you.