Mr WETTENHALL (Tuesday 9 March 2010) (12.54 pm): The Bligh government is fully committed to supporting growth in the drive tourism market. That is why we committed $37.8 million last March to support tourism in the state through our three-year Tourism Action Plan to 2012, which included $1.8 million for the development of minor infrastructure on Queensland's strategic drive tourism routes. An important part of this plan is building the lucrative drive tourism market throughout regional Queensland.

Drive tourism is all about holiday-makers and overseas travellers who get in their cars, campervans and motorhomes to experience Queensland regions, and in turn boost the economies of our towns and communities. It is a huge money-spinner, with drive tourism worth more than $4 billion and accounting for around 70 per cent of the overnight leisure market.

To meet the expectations of our tourists and encourage more to come, we know that we have to improve our facilities and infrastructure such as toilets, roadside picnic areas, rubbish bins, walkways, and signage and information sites.

The government's Minor Tourism Infrastructure Grants Scheme is working to attract and encourage tourists to stay longer in our regions by offering grants of up to $50,000 to communities for local infrastructure projects.

Last year the scheme provided more than $580,000 for 15 projects in regional Queensland. These projects included the installation of a viewing platform and stairs for tourists to visit the dinosaur footprints at the Mount Morgan mine site on the Matilda Highway; the construction of shade,
shelter and picnic settings at the front of the Queensland Heritage Park complex in Biloela; and the construction and installation of an ecofriendly toilet on the Bedourie-Windorah road at the truck stop, and placement of refuse points at tourist stops in that shire.

The visitor experience in the Burke and Doomadgee shires will be improved by the development and installation of 20 directional signs and interpretive signage. Existing facilities and infrastructure on our strategic drive tourism routes can often be many kilometres apart-something that can be frustrating for both motorists and tour operators alike. That is why this program targets regions that are popular for driving holidays and special interest experiences.

Last week in Cairns we announced the opening of round 2 of this program, which closes on 30 April. Up to $600,000 in grants will be available this year to local government authorities and regional tourism, development and community organisations to improve facilities in their regions. The program will further enhance Queensland's reputation with travellers and support more jobs throughout the state.

I know there is significant interest in upgrading and building new roadside infrastructure right across the targeted routes, so I urge as many organisations as possible to apply for the grants. These sorts of improvements not only make a very positive impact on the drive tourism market and further enhance Queensland's reputation with travellers but also lead to more jobs in regional towns.

In tropical North Queensland the Great Tropical Drive between Cooktown and Townsville is an identified route, and we know that previous marketing of this route has been a great success. Other routes include The Adventure Way between St George and the South Australian border; the Great Inland Way between Charters Towers and Dirranbandi; the Capricorn Highway between Rockhampton and Barcaldine; the Leichhardt Highway between Theodore and Goondiwindi; and the Warrego Highway between Dalby and Charleville.

As well as trying to improve the drive tourism market, the Bligh government is also committed to luring the international market back, particularly to the tropical north. Aviation will be the key to this recovery in 2010. Over the past few weeks the region has welcomed an increased number of Chinese
visitors as a result of additional China Southern Airlines charter flights over the Chinese new year period.

In the year ahead the local tourism industry can also look forward to the introduction of a new Virgin Blue group international service between Auckland and Cairns. The Pacific Blue flights will operate twiceweekly
services, representing a 79 per cent increase in available seats on the route.

In addition, Continental Airlines will operate a daily service from Guam to Cairns from 17 March to 6 April to meet an increased demand from Japan and Guam. In April the tropical north will see the arrival of 17 new flights per
week from Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth, adding just over 3,000 weekly seats. April arrivals will also include resumed direct flights between Osaka, Japan and Cairns. The four-weekly Jetstar flights will add up to 1,200 seats for the region per week, which equates to approximately 63,000 seats per year.

The Bligh government along with Tourism Queensland will continue to work together to ensure the future of Queensland's tourism industry grows strongly.