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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 03 Hansard (Thursday, 11 March 2004) . . Page.. 1237 ..

larger proportion of women and smaller sized people were involved than was originally estimated in this pre purchased order. Supplementary funding was sought and was approved on the 19^th February. Orders have now been placed to fit out any of the 14 members from each group, who did not receive a uniform initially, and are expected to arrive by 31^st March.

(4) As at the 21^st February the Kambah unit was issued with all available personal protective gear that was held in stock at that time. The remaining uniforms not available have been ordered with funds made available on the 19^th February and are expected to arrive by the end of March, supplier dependant.

(5) All personal protective uniforms for the Kambah unit were not available in the A.C.T. procurement system as at 21^st February. As explained in question 3 uniforms were pre purchased on average sizes in order to expedite the introduction of the units into service. Supplementary funding was sought when it was found that certain sizes were not held in stock. A delay in approval of this funding led to the delay in ordering and therefore supply of the uniforms.

Tourism—promotion
(Question No 1376)

Mr Smyth asked the Minister for Economic Development, Business and Tourism, upon notice, on 10 March 2004 in relation to tourists visiting the ACT.

What is the Minister for Economic Development, Business and Tourism doing to ensure interstate tourism bodies are not bad mouthing and discouraging tourists to visit the ACT, given he has acknowledged, in the Legislative Assembly on 2 March 2004, that German backpackers told him they were advised by a tourism body in Sydney not to visit Canberra.

Mr Quinlan: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

First of all, I must point out to the Leader of the Opposition that my comment regarding the German backpackers as reported in the Hansard of Tuesday, 2 March 2004 has been incorrectly interpreted. The backpackers were told not to visit Canberra by ‘tourism operators in Sydney’ and not by an interstate tourism body. The tourism operator I referred to was a concierge in a hotel and his comments demonstrated a lack of awareness of the Canberra tourism product.

We are confident that with the introduction of the new brand for Canberra, we will be able to achieve over time, a fundamental shift in how Australians perceive their capital by creating a positive feeling and an emotional link with their national capital.

In addition to the launch of the new brand for Canberra, Australian Capital Tourism, at the commencement of the last financial year embarked on a comprehensive program to educate and support interstate tourism operators in key target markets. The tourism operators included travel agents, inbound tour operators, regional tourist information centres and transport providers. The program encompassed:

• leveraging the marketing efforts of key industry partners by implementing familiarisation programs

• undertaking targeted consumer and trade show promotions

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