Kingborough Council approves tourist tax for Bruny Island

HOWLS of protest have greeted moves to impose a visitor tax on Bruny Island, including strong opposition from Premier and Tourism Minister Will Hodgman.

Visitors queuing for the Bruny Island ferry.

HOWLS of protest have greeted moves to impose a visitor tax on Bruny Island, including strong opposition from Premier and Tourism Minister Will Hodgman.

Mr Hodgman said he was very aware of increasing pressure on infrastructure across Tasmania but the State Government would not support a tax.

He said his intention was to make sure that “wonderful places like Bruny Island are not loved to death”.

“But we will not be penalising tourists or doing anything that will stop the rapid growth in that industry that's supporting jobs and economic growth,” Mr Hodgman said.

Kingborough Council passed a resolution calling for the tourist tax on Monday and will now meet with Mr Hodgman and Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding.

Kingborough Mayor Steve Wass said the tax could be a small charge included with other possible fee changes to the upcoming 2018 ferry contract.

“If we were to have a landing fee — now is the time,” he said.

But the Government can knock it back as it prepares to draft the new ferry contract.

Franklin Labor MP Lara Giddings said if the State Government was going to knock back the tax, it needed to come up with money for infrastructure, including much needed toilets.

“It is not good enough to argue against a proposition by a council and offer no alternative,” Ms Giddings said.

An aerial view of the Bruny Island lighthouse. Picture: ROGER LOVELL

Bruny Island Cheese Company’s Nick Haddow said a tourist tax was “a flawed argument”.

“If the aim is to reduce the number of tourists coming to Bruny Island than it’s a great idea,” Mr Haddow said.

MORE: BRUNY LANDING FEE ‘JUST PLAIN SILLY’

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania CEO Luke Martin said the proposed “tourist tax” represented a false economy.

He said visitors to Bruny Island were already subsidised to the tune of $640,000, which the State Government paid the Bruny Island Ferry service.

“It would make more sense if the council was calling on the Government to lift the ferry subsidy and redirect those funds into infrastructure on the island,” Mr Martin said.

Tourism operator Rob Pennicott said he was against the levy, and said it would be similar to charging a road toll to visit small towns.

Mr Wass said 110,000 international and interstate visitors — plus 80,000 mainland Tasmanians — visited the island in 2016.

He said there was “a level of expectation” that came with the large number of visitors, especially in regard to toilets.

“The facilities on Bruny are not able to cope,” he said.

“When you have to go from Cape Bruny to Lunawanna for a toilet, that’s a long way to go to see a long line — it sends a wrong message.

“If we don’t put infrastructure in, international and interstate interest will drop off because of word of mouth.”

The Premier and Mr Hidding need to “crunch the numbers” to see the benefit of the tax, he said.

“If we were to charge $5 that would be $500,000 for another toilet block.”

He insists the levy would be for visitors only and there would be local consultation before a levy was introduced.

Most of the Mercury’s online and Facebook readers opposed the tax.