Page 281 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 31 May 1989
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should certainly cater, I think the concept of a tourism industry should be looked at from the point of view of planning requirements. I think it is very, very important that the ACT does not go the way of other tourist meccas throughout Australia - I can think particularly of the Gold Coast - where the whole city is devoted to chasing the tourist dollar. I would hate to see that sort of situation arise in the ACT.
The special requirements and nature of the capital of Australia should be maintained. I think the people out there in the electorate believe that, too. Whilst they recognise the need for tourism, they would hate to see this town become a flashing light and neon covered city catering to that type of tourist. That is all I wanted to add. I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed by all the previous speakers, but I just wanted to bring that to the attention of the Assembly.
MR HUMPHRIES (11.22): I would like, first of all, to confirm Dr Kinloch's impression that the 17 members of this Assembly are indeed tourist attractions. Yesterday my colleagues in the Liberal Party and I were having lunch in a notable restaurant in these environs and were fortunate enough to be approached by a member of the public - no doubt a tourist - who sought the autograph of my learned leader, which he was very pleased to give. I am sure this is only the beginning of much better things to come.
Mr Speaker, there is no argument from this side of the chamber that tourism is of colossal importance to Canberra, not merely to maintaining the economic viability of this Territory but also to ensuring the future diversification of this Territory. Both the Minister and our spokesman on tourism, Robyn Nolan, have shown very clearly the potential for the ACT that flows from this industry. I hope that the imagination of such people, and of others who work in this area, will not cease to be active and that we will constantly explore ways of ensuring that the ACT's potential here is developed further and better.
The motion refers to sensible measures to ensure the promotion of the ACT as a tourist destination. It is not terribly specific about that but, as I said, I hope that good minds are being put to this question all the time. There is no doubt that this kind of attention is urgently needed. I think, to some extent, it is true to say that the ACT has, in some ways, coasted along on the question of tourism in the past. My view is that there has not been as much dynamism as there could have been in the promotion of the ACT, not just as a city littered with national monuments but also as a community with exciting and vibrant aspects which are attractive to people who might care to visit us.
A previous speaker referred to the importance of our planning system not emulating the sorts of goals that are pursued by tourist destinations such as the Gold Coast, and
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