AFTER significant protest from the Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC), the Federal Government has reversed its decision to cut funding for the long-running Survey of Tourist Accommodation statistics program.  

“This data is a vital business resource and without it we would not be able to gauge how accommodation businesses are performing. Abolition would have severely hampered the industry’s ability to learn, grow and realise its potential,” says VTIC Chief Executive Dianne Smith.

“In partnership with the Accommodation Association of Australia and the National Tourism Alliance, we called for the reinstatement of this crucial program and welcome this outcome.”

Ms Smith’s comments come after the Federal Government announced the continuation of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) Survey of Tourist Accommodation program – a reversal of a recent announcement of its abolition.

The announcement was made at the Coalition Friends of Tourism dinner in Canberra last night, attended by Ms Smith.

“The data provided over three decades is essential in informing policy and operational decisions across the tourism industry, as well as for building effective business cases for potential investors, both in the accommodation industry and the tourism sector more broadly,” says Ms Smith.

The Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) is the peak body for Victoria’s tourism and events industry, providing one united industry voice. Tourism and events are growth industries for Victoria and contribute $19.6 billion to the state economy each year and employ more than 200,000 people.

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VECCI Chief Executive Mark Stone said the organisation welcomed today’s red tape reduction measures announced by the Minister for Small Business, Bruce Billson MP, delivering an estimated $56 million reduction in compliance costs for eligible small businesses.

"The administrative changes will provide red tape relief to an estimated 372,500 small businesses nationally and answer one of VECCI’s 2013 Election priorities for cuts in red tape," Mr Stone said.

"Approximately 32,500 businesses with no GST reporting requirements will no longer have to lodge a business activity statement (BAS) while a further 340,000 businesses will no longer have to interact with the PAYG instalment system, freeing up time and saving on preparation and filing costs.

"These sort of practical measures save time and money and let small business women and men get on with building better businesses, serving more customers and providing jobs and wages to millions of Australians. 

"A continuing red tape reform agenda is vital to ensuring Victoria remains prosperous and competitive and Minister Billson and the Government are to be commended for these latest initiatives."

The Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) is the peak body for employers in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.

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THE AUSTRALIA Institute has outdone itself with an economic analysis of the Queensland resources sector that would embarrass the North Korean government.

‘TAI has produced some howlers in the past but today’s effort takes the cake,’ said Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Michael Roche.

‘The report details all manner of state government business expenditure but completely ignores the other side of the balance sheet.

‘Almost every capital project undertaken by government-owned businesses for resources sector power supply and distribution, water, rail and port capacity gets a headline.

‘Studiously and fraudulently avoided is acknowledgement that these projects were executed on a fully commercial basis, with resources companies entering into commercial contracts that underwrote the capital expenditure and provided commercial returns to government-owned businesses.

‘Not only were these projects undertaken at no cost or risk to taxpayers but their commercial returns were served up as government-owned business dividends in successive state budgets.’ 

In 2009-10 the then QR National coal freight business reported earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of $224 million. The associated coal network (track) business reported an EBIT of $277 million, with a dividend to the Queensland Government of $215 million.

A search of the document for the word ‘dividend’ will produce a nil return.

Mr Roche said the TIA report was remarkable for turning out an instant collection of howlers such as:

• A barge landing at Aurukun (there is no mine at Aurukun).
• The capital cost of expanding the Meandu coal mine (supplying Tarong Power Station) is being recovered through electricity charges. The government owns the mine and the power station.
• Rail infrastructure concessions totalling more than $1 billion over 2012-13 and 2013-14 were not for the benefit of resources companies (who pay full commercial rates for track use and freight services) but essentially a budget subsidy for passenger transport and unprofitable regional freight services.

‘Virtually the only accurate account of state government expenditure is that by the Mines Department, which is tiny compared with the royalties returned to the state government each year,’ Mr Roche said.

‘The current State Budget forecasts that royalties of worth some $15 billion will be collected from the Queensland resources sector over the next four years, but that’s only part of the equation.

‘Last financial year, resources sector companies spent almost $38 billion in Queensland on wages, goods and services and communities.

‘That direct spending injection is calculated to have generated total spending of $76 billion – one quarter of the state’s economy.’

Mr Roche said the latest TAI report comes as no surprise, given that the organisation’s executive director is a founding member of the anti-coal and gas movement trying to shut down Queensland’s leading export industries.

‘TAI is a sausage machine for reports that deliver the same answer every time, regardless of the question,’ Mr Roche said.

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UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee (WHC) has delivered a vote of confidence in Australia’s ongoing management of the iconic Great Barrier Reef (GBR). 

Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Michael Roche said all Australians would welcome the committee’s decision in Doha (Qatar) to reject activist calls to place the reef on the World Heritage ‘in-danger’ list.

‘We are pleased the committee is as focused on the future management of the Great Barrier Reef as we are here,’ Mr Roche said.

‘The decision is global acknowledgement that Australia is on track to deliver a long-term plan for conservation of the Great Barrier Reef’s outstanding universal value (OUV).

‘The federal and state governments’ progress on improving the reef’s management and health is evident from the recently released Queensland Ports Strategy and Reef Water Quality Report Card.’

Mr Roche said the report card confirmed science-based programs were improving reef water quality, which in turn, would play a role in reducing Crown-of-Thorn starfish outbreaks.

Storm damage, starfish outbreaks and coral bleaching were identified by the Australian Institute of Marine Science in 2012 as the major threats to reef health.

‘In relation to future port management, the Cumulative Impact Assessment prepared for the Abbot Point coal terminal expansion has created a new standard for informing government decision-makers.

‘The cumulative approach to environmental impacts gave the federal government and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority the scientific confidence they needed to approve the project subject to 142 conditions.

‘Maintaining the outstanding universal value of the Great Barrier Reef was the centrepiece of the assessment process, which has set a world class benchmark for marine precinct management.’

Port-related activities along the 2,300 kilometre-long Great Barrier Reef occupy less than one percent of the coastline and the areas set aside for sediment relocation represent less than 0.02 percent of the world heritage property area.

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