Tourism Minister Michael Healy promises more funding is on the way for FNQ tourism businesses

Queensland’s tourism minister has promised further funding is on the way after tourism businesses large and small have found themselves excluded from current support by stringent criteria.

Tourism Minister Michael Healy has promised more financial assistance to Far North businesses is on the way after some tourism operators found themselves excluded from current post-flood support packages.

Smaller businesses such as Jeremy Forward’s Cape Trib Connections have struggled to meet strict criteria required by the state government to access funding despite suffering severe financial loss.

Mr Forward said he couldn’t access funding because his business was not assessed as having suffered damage to infrastructure.

Mr Healy said his office had been in contact with tourism operators that had struggled to access funds.

Minister for Tourism and Sport Michael Healy. Picture: Liam Kidston

He said the state government had sponsored a new tourism recovery officer to work with the broader Far North tourism industry to ensure access to grants was maximised.

“I know a lot of businesses need assistance,” Mr Healy said.

“There are further announcements to be made … there is money coming.

“We’re going to pay for somebody to work with Tourism Tropical North Queensland to ensure those businesses have the right people to point them in the right direction.”

The federal and state governments have so far paid out $6.1m in hardship payments to 34,991 people in impacted areas.

Cape Trib Connections owner Jeremy Forward says he may be forced to walk away from his 20-year-old business after discovering he doesn't qualify for recent Queensland government disaster relief grants. Picture: Sam Davis

Almost $670,000 in small business grants under the state government’s extraordinary disaster assistance support package have been delivered to 58 applicants, including 34 small businesses, 22 primary producers and two NFPs.

The region’s larger tourism operators have, however, fallen outside funding criteria.

Mr Healy said future funding packages would “absolutely” wrap in larger operators.

“It’s about labour retention, which is absolutely fundamental,” he said.

“We haven’t announced the criteria for that specific package.

Roderic Rees, director of Cairns Adventure Group, said larger operators were still not sure if future support packages would wrap them in. Picture: Brendan Radke

“There are businesses out there that may not fill the criteria where the money is flowing. There is more money to come.”

On Monday Roderic Rees, owner of Cairns Adventure Group, said larger employers in town could not access state government’s Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant payments because eligibility was confined to businesses with 20 or less FTE employees.

“We still don’t have assurances,” Mr Rees said.

“We trust this government will hold true to comments made by the Tourism Minister (made on Wednesday) regarding support for larger tourism operators.”

Tropical Tourist North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen said it was important that businesses continued to communicate their needs to their relevant peak body. Picture: Bronwyn Farr

Mark Olsen, TTNQ’s CEO, said it was vital business owners who had felt the impacts of recent calamities communicate their needs to their relevant peak body.

‘We’re still waiting on the guidelines for the $10m business support package announced last Tuesday,” Mr Olsen said.

“Please articulate what support is needed and what impact has been felt so we can articulate this in our advocacy.

“Demonstrate precedent … the government is looking to replicate support that has worked before.

“We know there is more support needed and we’ve been told there is more support to come.”

Originally published as Tourism Minister Michael Healy promises more funding is on the way for FNQ tourism businesses