TOTAL
SOLAR ECLIPSE
894. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the minister representing the
Minister for Tourism:
I
refer to the funding allocated by the McGowan government to support towns in
the Pilbara, Gascoyne, Murchison, Kimberley and midwest regions for the
upcoming total solar eclipse event in April 2023.
(1) Will the
minister please table a list of legacy projects in each town to which funding
has been provided, detailing whether the
projects are capital infrastructure projects, social events or
capacity-building projects through workforce or cultural development?
(2) What funding is being provided to capacity
building within local organisations in each of the affected towns?
(3) Will the
minister meet directly with local governments to discuss concerns about the
capacity of the towns to accommodate the expected influx of tourists and media?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the
question. I am sure he shares our excitement about this fantastic opportunity
for regional Western Australia. The following information has been provided by
the Minister for Tourism.
(1) We are providing $21.1 million in funding for the
total solar eclipse, including the following commitments: $8.2 million
to Main Roads Western Australia for road infrastructure in line with previous
experience in managing large volumes of
event traffic; $5.4 million to the Department of Primary Industries and
Regional Development to increase the capacity of the region's
telecommunications infrastructure; $6.4 million to the Department of Jobs,
Tourism, Science and Innovation for event management; and $1.1 million to the
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions for event and waste
management costs.
(2) A total of $1 641 500 has been approved to go to
local shires through financial assistance agreements being managed by
JTSI. This is part of the overall event management listed above. In addition, a
local capability fund round has been
released to regional businesses that will be affected by the total solar
eclipse to address increased demand concerns and build capacity for the
event.
(3) The Minister
for Tourism will soon visit the region to meet with key stakeholders regarding
the total solar eclipse.