Federal Labor will establish a local advisory panel to provide expert advice on the delivery of a Shorten Labor Government’s $1 billion Northern Australia Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

Labor’s local advisory panel will include representatives from major regional tourism centres – like Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Darwin and Broome.

The panel will consist of community leaders, business owners, tourism operators and other important stakeholders – to help determine what local projects should receive support under the Fund.

It will be established in the next few months so that it can start providing advice and recommendations to Labor this year – and funds can start being delivered as soon as possible in government.

Labor is committed to injecting $1 billion to help build new tourism infrastructure in Northern Australia – including throughout Queensland.

Northern Australia sits on the doorstep of the world’s fastest growing middle class in Asia. By 2030, there will be three billion middle class consumers just to our north.

Labor wants them go to Northern Australia for their holidays.

Tourism employs around 225,000 Queenslanders both directly and indirectly. The Great Barrier Reef alone supports 64,000 jobs.

Tourism attractions like the Great Barrier Reef have unlimited potential – but communities which rely on tourism for local jobs are being let down by ageing infrastructure which is not keeping up with the needs of the market.

Labor wants to kick-start a tourism infrastructure boom – and a jobs boom for Northern Australia.

That’s why we will invest $1 billion in upgrading airports, tourist trails and ports to make it as easy as possible for tourists to enjoy all Australia has to offer.

Since announcing our $1 billion Tourism Infrastructure Fund nearly six months ago, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Tourism, Anthony Albanese, and Shadow Minister for Northern Australia, Jason Clare, have been consulting with industry and local communities on the priorities for the fund.

One thing is clear – locals know what their communities need, and Labor wants to listen and learn from local experts.

The local advisory panel will advise on issues such as:

• Building regional airport capacity;
• Developing cruise ship infrastructure;
• Identifying required road infrastructure;
• Attracting international tourists and international airlines into regional centres;
• Attracting tourists from Asia;
• Developing new experiences and attractions;
• Job-creation opportunities in tourism.

Locals who wish to be considered for the panel are encouraged to write to [email protected] to express interest.

The Northern Australia Tourism Infrastructure Fund will be fully offset by the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility – which is yet to invest a single dollar or create a single local job in Queensland.