Ms O'CONNOR - Minister, the Parks and Wildlife Service is listed as a partner of the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania, along with Tourism Tasmania, State Growth and the TT Line. We've confirmed in GBE hearings that TT Line pays $90 000 a year to the TICT towards the tourism awards as part of their partnership. How much does the Parks and Wildlife Service pay to the TICT to be one of its partners?
Mr JAENSCH - I'll have to get some advice on that.
Ms O'CONNOR - I'm very curious to know why an agency that struggles to find the funds to do the things that we need it to do would be pumping money into the TICT, because arguably the PWS brand strengthens the TICT and they should be paying Government to be associated with you.
Mr JAENSCH - And we're stronger together. The Parks and Wildlife Service manages the parks and reserves that account for 50 per cent of Tasmania's land area. As we've discussed in my answer to Mr Wood's recent question, quite possibly the largest single tourism asset that the state has, is our reserve estate and the magnificent things in it.
Ms O'CONNOR - When are you people going to stop degrading it?
Mr JAENSCH - And we need to have Parks at the table with Tourism as a manager of a very important tourism asset for our state.
Ms O'CONNOR - Yes; but do we need to be paying tens of thousands of dollars a year to be at that table?
Mr JAENSCH - It's your assertion that we are.
Ms O'CONNOR - No; I'm asking how much it was. I’m telling you that in GBE hearings we had the TT Line confirm they pay $90 000 to be a partner.
Mr JAENSCH - Mrs Alexander, are you happy for me to invite Tory Ross, the Director of Tourism and Visitor Services to the table -
Ms O'CONNOR - Don't you know this number without -
Mr JAENSCH - to address the matters raised by Ms O'Connor? I'm doing my very best to get you answers to your questions today, Ms O'Connor.
Ms O'CONNOR - I also think you're doing a little bit of time-buying; but anyway.
Mr JAENSCH - I'm working hard for you.
CHAIR - Thank you, minister, yes, please.
Mr JAENSCH - Thank you.
Ms ROSS - The Parks and Wildlife Service has a memorandum of understanding with the Tourism Industry Council. That's approximately $25 000 this year. That includes membership of all of our national parks, which is normally a paid per operator fee, so we aggregate that up to an all park family membership. It also includes the opportunity for the TICT to co-host a nature-based tourism operator forum once annually, which allows us to give up dates on Parks strategic and tactical initiatives to nature-based tourism operators. That is funded and organised by the TICT. It also includes access to the key TICT events at which we can have representation including the sponsorship of one nature-based tourism award at the Tourism Awards annually.
Ms O'CONNOR - Thank you. So, the total contribution of parks to the TICT to be a partner is?
Ms ROSS - $25 000 annually, through a MoU. It goes up incrementally if membership fees increase, so that gives you approximately $25 000.