The Queensland government has announced a $7.5 million package to lure workers to take up tourism jobs in regional Queensland.
Key points:
- The incentives will offered for jobs stretching north from Mackay to regions west of Toowoomba
- Regional tourism agencies have welcomed the initiative
- The state government has invested about $800 million into the tourism industry through the pandemic
From July 1, job seekers would be offered a $1,500 incentive to relocate, as well as $250 in travel vouchers in the year-long "Work in Paradise" campaign.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said there's strong demand for workers across the state, from bartenders and deckhands to tour guides, as the industry rebuilds after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the setbacks, Ms Palaszczuk said the sector is bouncing back, now featuring thousands of unfilled positions amid an influx of domestic visitors.
The incentives will be on offer for jobs in a region stretching north from Mackay as well as inland regions west of Toowoomba.
"We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world," she said.
"This campaign will give Queenslanders and other Australians even more reasons to come to work in paradise."
Staff shortages 'a big issue' for regions
CEO of Tourism Port Douglas Tara Bennett said the move was welcomed by local tourism operators who were struggling with major staff shortages.
"We are delighted that we've been heard, we've been having conversations about the staffing shortage since November last year," Ms Bennett said.
"We've been blessed to see fantastic growth in tourism numbers, we already had a permanent workforce here, but we do rely on working holidaymakers every year to come up and supplement our work and they're just not in Australia right now.
"Some restaurants in Port Douglas are operating at 80 per cent, they're closing one or two days a week just so they can look after their permanent workforce.
"Nothing is going to fix the situation entirely but every initiative I hope will help make the situation better both for visitors and businesses.
"We just got the figures in for April, our occupancy sat at 79 per cent whereas in 2019 it was 59 per cent, so that is a huge jump and just so welcomed."
Chief Executive of Tourism Tropical North Queensland Mark Olsen said he hoped the package would help fill more than 300 tourism jobs sitting vacant in Far North Queensland.
Housing shortage a 'road block'
Alan Smith from Outback Aussie Tours in Longreach said housing shortages could be a "road block" to the program's success.
He suggested homeowners looking to sell their houses take them off the market and instead rent them out to seasonal workers.
"I do notice in the real estate shops in town a lot of places for sale," Mr Smith said.
"A lot of those places are not for rent. There are empty homes out there that maybe we need to re-look at and again build a profile of how we could use those assets."
Chair of the Outback Queensland Tourism Association Andrew Martin was more optimistic.
"If we've got to get some donga accommodation, if we've got to get some mining camp accommodation — and that's a bit like [pulling] hens' teeth as well — where there's a will, there is a way. I've got a perfectly good set of shearers' quarters."
Tourism Minister Sterling Hinchliffe said the state government had invested more than $800 million into the tourism industry through the pandemic.
"Work in Paradise is designed to help ease the workforce shortage facing many tourism hotspots, while delivering jobs for Queenslanders and Australians," he said.
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2021-05-19 19:50:36Z
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