Queensland government to contact Google over inflating times between outback businesses

It boasts some of Australia’s most beautiful spots but thousands of tourists are skipping Queensland’s outback — and businesses say it’s Google’s fault.

The Queensland government is urging Google to urgently fix its Maps app over claims inflated travel times are deterring tourists to the outback.

Acting premier Cameron Dick said he would send a letter to the head of Google Australia and New Zealand, Mel Silva, asking her to fast-track amendments of the travel times, which outback businesses say add up to six hours to journeys.

One particular drastic example was the trip from Birdsville, on the Queensland border, up to the Western Star Hotel in Windorah.

Google Maps first had the trip, a 380km journey, listed as taking close to 11 hours.

After the company was contacted about the inflated hours, Google dropped the travel time to seven hours, 49 minutes.

While less extreme, the quoted travel time would still leave the driver doing around 50km/h the entire trip.

Local businesses say distances in outback Queensland have been inflated. Picture: Google Maps

“We are so dependant on those apps now to get us around cities, to get us around towns, and to get us around big states like Queensland and we need to ensure those apps and the information they are providing are as accurate as possible,” Acting premier Cameron Dick told ABC radio today.

Google has already updated some travel times at the request of outback businesses, but even updated journey times are still not accurate.

Outback Queensland Tourism Association General Manager Peter Homan said those planning an outback trip should steer clear of Google Maps until the problem is fixed, and head straight to the source of local knowledge.

“Every shire has a Visitor Information Centre, with the best information about travel times, what’s going on in the local area, distances, the best watering holes, where to catch fish,” Mr Homan told AAP.

“They can just give them a call, and they’re also full of local characters so they’ll have a good yarn, too.”

Mr Homan said tourism was crucial for outback towns struggling with drought, which is entering its eighth year in some regions.

“It’s incredibly important; it’s the industry that’s keeping a lot of the local communities together,” he said.

“It’s more than money coming into their towns, it gives retailers an opportunity to sell their products, it’s giving people pride in their towns.”

Drivers are avoiding Queensland’s outback.

General manager of the Eromanga Natural History Museum Robyn Mackenzie told the ABC people were bypassing the region because they weren’t confident in the maps.

“We’re developing a major tourist attraction in outback Australia,” Ms Mackenzie said.

“It’s in a remote part of Australia, so mapping, and accurate mapping, is key. People just simply don’t come to these areas because the travel times are incorrect.

“That puts fear in people, people will get frightened of travelling in the outback because they don’t have any confidence in the mapping.”

The state government last year announced it would pump $10 million into 15 new outback tourism projects including glamping, luxury artesian baths, a glass-floored bridge across Cobbold Gorge and a new home for Australia’s biggest fossil, Cooper the dinosaur.

Cobbold Gorge is getting a glass-floored bridge. Picture: Drew Hopper