Western suburbs tourism
Dr CUMMING (Western Metropolitan) (12:19): My question is for the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events in the other place. What is the minister doing to help promote tourism and international travellers to the west and other urban areas? My region has been hit the hardest by COVID. We have had the highest number of cases. Businesses are struggling. Last month we opened our borders to international travellers. But independent consultants are saying that the western region will struggle to rebound at the rate of other parts of the state. Unlike the CBD and other parts of Victoria, the west relies on people coming to visit family and friends, domestic businesses and international students, rather than traditional holiday tourism. We need free access for everyone. We need to drop all the barriers and make it easier—equality for everyone.
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (12:20): I thank Dr Cumming for her important question about a return of international visitors and the really important observation that she makes about the role of people visiting family and friends as part of that very, very big source of economic activity in the state. I am sure Minister Pakula will be very happy to provide her with advice about what the government has been doing and is doing for both interstate and intrastate visitors and of course, as Dr Cumming was particularly focused on, the return of international visitors.
Dr CUMMING (Western Metropolitan) (12:21): I thank the minister for their response. The executive officer of Western Melbourne Tourism, Mr Richard Ponsford, said:
We’re sort of in a no-man’s-land, we haven’t enjoyed … the same levels of support that the CBD and regional Victoria has.
He also said that the funnelling of funds to regional areas and the CBD was unfair. An independent analyst from Decisive Consulting, Mr Flowers, said:
The worst affected Australian industry by COVID has been the visitor economy and the worst affected area in Australia of this worst affected industry is central and western Melbourne.
Minister, are you able to use your influence to drop all mandates locally to encourage maximum patronage at sports events, local businesses and tourist destinations?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (12:22): I thank Dr Cumming for her question. The question of public health measures falls outside of the responsibilities of the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, so I would perhaps suggest Dr Cumming could pursue that with Minister Foley. But certainly, on the point that Dr Cumming made about the uneven nature of the impact of the pandemic for particular industries and indeed particular communities, I would reassure Dr Cumming that the government is absolutely cognisant of that. Just to give one example, Melbourne Money, which was a CBD initiative, is now being expanded statewide, and that is underway at the moment. But I will provide Dr Cumming’s interest and her question to Minister Pakula, and we will provide a written response.