TTF Media Release
Tuesday 22 June 2021
NSW FUTUREPROOFING OF TOURISM & TRANSPORT WILL PAY DIVIDEDS OVER LONG HAUL
The Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) said today’s NSW Budget provides a solid foundation for the State’s tourism and transport sectors to continue to reboot and recover from COVID in the short term and secure the long-term sustainability of the visitor economy.
TTF Chief Executive Margy Osmond said the significant capital injection of $373 million to support the NSW tourism industry combined with the necessarily larger scale $71.5 billion in investment in transformative transport projects and infrastructure across the State over the next four years would set it up for success in the decades ahead.
“TTF has long called for a significant suite of support measures for each state to adopt to help reboot their respective visitor economies, as it is the long-term, sustainable industries of tourism, transport and aviation that if supported now, will pay dividends over many decades to come,” Margy Osmond said today.
“Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet together with Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres, Transport Minister Andrew Constance and Environment Minister Matt Kean have heeded this call loud and clear with a future facing budget that is committed to the future of our sectors and the ongoing jobs and businesses growth they provide.
“Tourism-wise, a major new $200 million State Significant Event Fund over four years to be administered by Destination NSW as well as $53 million for a new COVID-19 tourism response package over the next year which includes funding for marketing and business events, get two big ticks, as does more support for cultural institutions.
“On aviation related infrastructure, an additional $585 million for the Sydney Gateway project to improve transport connectivity around Sydney Airport and $943 million in capital expenditure for the planning and construction for the NSW and Federally funded Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport Rail Link are two further ticks.
“Transport projects were also another big winner, with support for existing and new projects including further $3.1 billion to continue Sydney Metro City and Southwest, $2.9 billion to progress Sydney Metro West, $627 million for Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 and $30 million to prepare for the construction of Stage 2 will all transform public transport connectivity across Sydney.
“Likewise, there is $45 million to continue planning for the Fast Rail program to deliver faster connections between Sydney, Canberra, Bomaderry, Newcastle, the Central Coast, Central West and other initial works on the South Coast.
“Together with $80 million for new iconic multi-day walks across NSW national parks, these collaborative investments in tourism and transport will supply the necessary infrastructure as well as the first-class product to enable the visitor economy to recover across regional NSW.
“This budget confirms that as NSW continues to lead by example by successfully managing the immediate impacts of COVID-19, it is also casting its eye firmly to the future in what will be a fiercely competitive domestic and international market.
“It is making the necessary strategic and long-term investments right now to enable the visitor economy to charge ahead, which would be further improved by a framework from the Federal Government to safely reopen international borders.”
Ends
Contact: TTF Manager Policy, Media & Government Relations and Media Lindsay Hermes lhermes@ttf.org.au 0418 948 447