A collectively funded $7 million Tourism Restoration and Resilience package deal is backing the State’s tourism business to construct again higher, cut back excessive climate disruption and defend our nice Queensland way of life.
Federal Minister for Emergency Administration Senator Murray Watt mentioned the help would assist Queensland tourism operators construct catastrophe resilience after the extraordinary flood and cyclone occasions of 2021-2022.
“Guaranteeing our tourism infrastructure is strong and prepared for the following inevitable catastrophe is important to the continued viability of the sector,” Minister Watt mentioned.
“The biggest part of the brand new $7 million Tourism Restoration and Resilience Bundle is a $5 million Constructing Resilient Tourism Infrastructure (BRTI) fund, opening for purposes from Friday 23 September 2022 and shutting on 28 October 2022.
“It will present funding for impacted tourism companies to construct their resilience and assist their response to future flooding and pure disasters via modern options, together with bespoke engineering options and improved enterprise response to disasters.”
The Tourism Restoration and Resilience Bundle is collectively funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments.
Grant funding from $20,000 as much as $150,000 will probably be thought of for eligible tourism enterprise resilience tasks in 37 declared affected native authorities areas following pure catastrophe occasions in 2021-22 together with:
- Central, Southern and Western Queensland rainfall and flooding
- Ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth
- South-East Queensland rainfall and flooding occasions.
Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe mentioned this system was designed to assist tourism operators affected by excessive climate in 2021- 22 to fast-track longer-term resilience and restoration.
“Queenslanders realize it’s not a matter of if excessive climate occasions happen, however when,” Mr Hinchliffe mentioned.
“From Friday, the Australian and Queensland Governments are placing $5 million on the desk to assist catastrophe affected tourism operators get again on their toes sooner.
“Small levees, pumps, hoists to cut back the inundation threat to invaluable gear and various energy provides are examples of resilience tasks we’re .
“Tasks might additionally embrace enhancements to present tourism infrastructure and resilience coaching for tourism enterprise employees.
“We all know these are measures that may make an enormous distinction to tourism enterprise sustainability and lowering the heartache of future excessive climate occasions.
“By serving to tourism operators to cut back enterprise downtime after excessive climate, we hope to see fewer reserving cancellations and fewer influence on customer economies.”
Mr Hinchliffe mentioned $2 million would even be invested in exploring alternatives to diversify customer experiences in areas prone to pure disasters.
“The twin challenges of the pandemic and excessive climate occasions have demonstrated the inbuilt resilience of Queensland tourism operators,” he mentioned.
“With the State’s home tourism restoration bouncing again higher than earlier than Covid-19, now is an ideal time to construct again higher and stronger to the meet future challenges and develop extra good, safe tourism jobs.”
The $7 million Tourism Restoration and Resilience initiative is funded by the Australian and Queensland Authorities’s Catastrophe Restoration Funding Preparations (DRFA) and is an element of a bigger $177 million Financial Restoration package deal.
Tasks below the Constructing Resilient Tourism Infrastructure (BRTI) fund want to begin inside three months of approval and be accomplished by 30 June 2024.
Purposes for eligible tourism operators open this Friday, 23 September at: www.dtis.qld.gov.au/tourism/funds/resilient-tourism-infrastructure
Declared affected native authorities areas might be discovered right here: https://www.qra.qld.gov.au/funding-programs/event-specific-exceptional-circumstances-assistance/2021-22-rainfall-and-flooding
