❓ Question regarding the McGowan government's efforts to attract more visitors to Rottnest Island and improve the visitor experience, contrasting it with the previous government's performance. The Minister details the launch of Seafood Saturday and new businesses on the island.
AnsweredQoN 1028Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROTTNEST ISLAND —
TOURISM
1028. Ms E. HAMILTON to the Minister for Tourism:
I refer to the McGowan government's
unprecedented commitment to growing the state's tourism industry and
creating jobs in the sector. Can the minister update the house on how this
government is attracting more visitors to Rottnest Island and improving the
visitor experience, something the previous Liberal–National government
failed to deliver in eight and a half years?
TOURISM
1028. Ms E. HAMILTON to the Minister for Tourism:
I refer to the McGowan government's
unprecedented commitment to growing the state's tourism industry and
creating jobs in the sector. Can the minister update the house on how this
government is attracting more visitors to Rottnest Island and improving the
visitor experience, something the previous Liberal–National government
failed to deliver in eight and a half years?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her interest
in tourism and her support of this important sector. Last Saturday, I was
fortunate enough to go to Rottnest Island and attend the inaugural Seafood
Saturday festival. It was an extraordinary event that coincided with the launch
of the summer season.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : That's
right; you were holding up a crayfish!
The SPEAKER : Member for
Dawesville, you might be able to hold crayfish because you might be going home
early. I call you to order for the first time.
Mr P.C. Tinley interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Housing, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr
P. PAPALIA : We also
coincidentally launched the summer season, but that first-ever event drew 3 000
visitors to the island on the day.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse!
Mr P. PAPALIA : There was a mix
of ticketed events and free activities. Not surprisingly, there was plenty of
seafood on the menus of island businesses, including, Mr Speaker, Albany
oysters, local fish, octopus, squid and the iconic western rock lobster. The
event included catch-and-cook crayfish boat tours; fishing clinics with the
Minister for Fisheries, who was a big drawcard—apparently, there was
some former footballer called Mark LeCras there as well, but I think the
minister was the drawcard!—a seafood degustation dinner; a seafood
beach barbecue; sunset tours; long-table lunches; a beach bonfire with
Aboriginal storytelling and live music; and a live cooking station. I want to
congratulate the Rottnest Island Authority, the executive and all the
businesses, including the ferry operators, that supported Seafood Saturday.
During the event—this was really exciting—as the Minister for
Small Business, I also took the opportunity to launch eight new small
businesses on the island.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
The SPEAKER : You will be
going somewhere in a minute.
Mr P. PAPALIA : There was an
extraordinary amount of activity on the island. It has not escaped anyone's
observation that nothing much happened on Rottnest Island for a long time.
Whilst we were out there, I took the opportunity to have a quick look at Pinky's
Beach Eco Village resort, the first infrastructure development on Rottnest
Island in 30 years. After waiting for four years for approval from the former
government, it was approved only when we took office. We had a quick look
around the hotel, because that will become a resort next year. That project has
been waiting for seven years for approval.
The eight businesses that we
launched will add to the excitement of, and opportunity for, a diversity of
activity on the island. They are all in keeping with the ethos of Rottnest
Island. That thing that people love about Rottnest is still there; it is just
being added to and improved.
Ms S.F. McGurk interjected.
Mr P. PAPALIA : The local
member was invited, but she had something else to do!
Visitors to Rottnest will now be
able to enjoy a catch-and-cook crayfish tour aboard Rottnest cruises;
glass-bottom kayaks with Inspiration Outdoors; sunset eco and whale-watching
tours with Charter 1; boat hire with Boating West; subsea scooter hire from
Seabob; undersea helmet walks, scuba dives and snorkel tours with Ningaloo Reef
Dreaming; and a new food van called Lexi's on Rotto at Wadjemup
lighthouse. For the first time ever, when people get out to the west end of the
island on their pushie, they will be able to stop and have a coffee or a drink
and some good food from a gourmet van. There is also a business that hires
shade and beach accessories, so people do not have to take a bucket and spade
for their kids; they can hire everything at the Basin. These new offerings will
suit a range of visitor preferences and budgets. They cover the lot, from the
low end all the way to the high end for people who want to pay a little more
for a bigger experience. They will enhance the visitor experience during what
we predict will be the island's biggest ever summer.
For information, despite some of the
negativity members may have heard around booking systems and the opportunistic
claptrap that was stated about some of the issues around that unfortunate
incident at the jetty, there was record visitation to the island every month of
the low season. July, August and September had double-digit growth above the
figure from 12 months earlier. In October, it was 9.5 per cent or something
like that. They are extraordinary numbers. We have grown visitor numbers in the
last 12 months. From June to June, visitor numbers to Rottnest grew by 14 per
cent. Despite all the negativity on the other side of the chamber and despite
the Liberal Party talking down Rottnest and tourism, we grew visitor numbers to
Rottnest by 14 per cent. It is not just locals. About 15 per cent of the
visitors to Rottnest are international visitors. Actually, I do not think that
is accurate. I think it is a larger proportion based on the number I saw on the
boat the other day. I urge all Western Australians who have not been to
Rottnest recently to have another look. If they have not been there for a long
time, it has changed. Things are happening on Rottnest. It is exciting; it is
everything people have ever loved and more.
in tourism and her support of this important sector. Last Saturday, I was
fortunate enough to go to Rottnest Island and attend the inaugural Seafood
Saturday festival. It was an extraordinary event that coincided with the launch
of the summer season.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : That's
right; you were holding up a crayfish!
The SPEAKER : Member for
Dawesville, you might be able to hold crayfish because you might be going home
early. I call you to order for the first time.
Mr P.C. Tinley interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Housing, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr
P. PAPALIA : We also
coincidentally launched the summer season, but that first-ever event drew 3 000
visitors to the island on the day.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse!
Mr P. PAPALIA : There was a mix
of ticketed events and free activities. Not surprisingly, there was plenty of
seafood on the menus of island businesses, including, Mr Speaker, Albany
oysters, local fish, octopus, squid and the iconic western rock lobster. The
event included catch-and-cook crayfish boat tours; fishing clinics with the
Minister for Fisheries, who was a big drawcard—apparently, there was
some former footballer called Mark LeCras there as well, but I think the
minister was the drawcard!—a seafood degustation dinner; a seafood
beach barbecue; sunset tours; long-table lunches; a beach bonfire with
Aboriginal storytelling and live music; and a live cooking station. I want to
congratulate the Rottnest Island Authority, the executive and all the
businesses, including the ferry operators, that supported Seafood Saturday.
During the event—this was really exciting—as the Minister for
Small Business, I also took the opportunity to launch eight new small
businesses on the island.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
The SPEAKER : You will be
going somewhere in a minute.
Mr P. PAPALIA : There was an
extraordinary amount of activity on the island. It has not escaped anyone's
observation that nothing much happened on Rottnest Island for a long time.
Whilst we were out there, I took the opportunity to have a quick look at Pinky's
Beach Eco Village resort, the first infrastructure development on Rottnest
Island in 30 years. After waiting for four years for approval from the former
government, it was approved only when we took office. We had a quick look
around the hotel, because that will become a resort next year. That project has
been waiting for seven years for approval.
The eight businesses that we
launched will add to the excitement of, and opportunity for, a diversity of
activity on the island. They are all in keeping with the ethos of Rottnest
Island. That thing that people love about Rottnest is still there; it is just
being added to and improved.
Ms S.F. McGurk interjected.
Mr P. PAPALIA : The local
member was invited, but she had something else to do!
Visitors to Rottnest will now be
able to enjoy a catch-and-cook crayfish tour aboard Rottnest cruises;
glass-bottom kayaks with Inspiration Outdoors; sunset eco and whale-watching
tours with Charter 1; boat hire with Boating West; subsea scooter hire from
Seabob; undersea helmet walks, scuba dives and snorkel tours with Ningaloo Reef
Dreaming; and a new food van called Lexi's on Rotto at Wadjemup
lighthouse. For the first time ever, when people get out to the west end of the
island on their pushie, they will be able to stop and have a coffee or a drink
and some good food from a gourmet van. There is also a business that hires
shade and beach accessories, so people do not have to take a bucket and spade
for their kids; they can hire everything at the Basin. These new offerings will
suit a range of visitor preferences and budgets. They cover the lot, from the
low end all the way to the high end for people who want to pay a little more
for a bigger experience. They will enhance the visitor experience during what
we predict will be the island's biggest ever summer.
For information, despite some of the
negativity members may have heard around booking systems and the opportunistic
claptrap that was stated about some of the issues around that unfortunate
incident at the jetty, there was record visitation to the island every month of
the low season. July, August and September had double-digit growth above the
figure from 12 months earlier. In October, it was 9.5 per cent or something
like that. They are extraordinary numbers. We have grown visitor numbers in the
last 12 months. From June to June, visitor numbers to Rottnest grew by 14 per
cent. Despite all the negativity on the other side of the chamber and despite
the Liberal Party talking down Rottnest and tourism, we grew visitor numbers to
Rottnest by 14 per cent. It is not just locals. About 15 per cent of the
visitors to Rottnest are international visitors. Actually, I do not think that
is accurate. I think it is a larger proportion based on the number I saw on the
boat the other day. I urge all Western Australians who have not been to
Rottnest recently to have another look. If they have not been there for a long
time, it has changed. Things are happening on Rottnest. It is exciting; it is
everything people have ever loved and more.
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