Latest news with #GreatBarrierReef
ABC News
a day ago
- Business
- ABC News
Queensland government unveils long-term tourism strategy Destination 2045
The Queensland government has launched an ambitious 20-year tourism plan but won't say how much the new strategy will cost. The Destination 2045 campaign aims to make the Sunshine State the events capital of Australia, support 45 new eco-tourism experiences, and rejuvenate the Great Barrier Reef islands. The government also wants to attract more visitors through targeted marketing and create a fund to secure new direct flights, including from India, as well as enhance connections to regional Queensland. The strategy aims to double the annual total visitor expenditure to $84 billion and add almost 40,000 new tourism industry jobs by 2045. Premier David Crisafulli said the plan is something "industry has been crying out for". "We are determined to make sure that Queensland's tourism offering goes to the next level," he said. "We unashamedly want to be the events capital of the country. We want to have connections from throughout the globe coming here." "We want to have 45 new eco-tourism products by 2045. It's big, it's bold, it's ambitious, but it has to happen." When pressed on the total funding for the strategy, Mr Crisafulli couldn't provide a dollar amount, and instead pointed to the government's first budget due to be delivered later this month. "There will be significant funding in the budget and beyond," he said. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has lent his support to the strategy, saying the "Gold Coast is here to help". While only a handful of Gold Coast projects are currently outlined in the tourism plan, Mr Tate is confident more opportunities for the city will "slip in" as the strategy is rolled out across the next two decades. "There will be an ongoing conversation to say, 'have a look at this one you haven't looked at yet'," he said. Mr Tate noted a direct connection between Australia and India was "paramount" for tourism and investment in south-east Queensland, but was agnostic about which airport flights from the subcontinent would arrive. "For me, whether tourists from India land in Brisbane or the Gold Coast, it makes no difference, it's the same destination. It really is team Queensland," Mr Tate said. Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Natassia Wheeler commended the government's partnership with the industry, with more than 1,500 stakeholders involved in the formation of the strategy. "To see a plan today come to life that listens to industry, backs industry, and has a plan that doesn't address what we need 20 years from now, but addresses the challenges on the ground today that industry are facing, is absolutely critical." Tourism and Events Queensland chief executive Craig Davidson pointed to the exclusive Brisbane shows of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2026 as evidence of the pull of the state in the events sphere. "They are here because of a team Queensland approach. They're not here because we have the biggest chequebook," he said. "They're here because they met with all of us in one room, and we can make decisions quickly on the spot. That's why the Military Tattoo is here, and that's the approach we need to take if we're going to win in that event space."
ABC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
New warning over Great Barrier Reef
Earlier this week UNESCO'S World Heritage Centre - the committee charged with protecting the world's most precious and natural sites - sounded a dire warning to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The centre's announced if the federal and Queensland governments don't take drastic measures to protect the site, it would be at risk of falling onto the 'in danger' list, after multiple bleaching events in the past decade.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Marine rescuers call for improved radio coverage in large blackspot
Nestled on the Great Barrier Reef between two of Australia's most popular boating destinations, the Keppel Islands and Whitsundays, is a dangerous radio blackspot zone leaving boaties with no communication for days on end. The sprawling Clara Islands Group near Shoalwater Bay, about 100 kilometres north of Yeppoon on the Capricorn Coast, is a boating paradise, with crystal-clear waters and picturesque tropical isles that dot the coastline. But the popular offshore fishing haven and safe anchorage location for ocean commuters can be deadly when the weather turns, with no phone or radio communication coverage. Coast Guard volunteer Darryl Prizeman said the area had been a serious concern for a long time. "The area effectively north of Yeppoon to Mackay is probably the most remote in the state," he said. "We have had [boating] disasters up there and for comfort and for families, time is critical in those situations." In November, a 67-year-old sailor was winched to safety after his trimaran ran aground on South Barron Island near Shoalwater Bay. He had activated an emergency beacon to raise the alarm. In bad weather, if mariners are forced to take shelter, the blackspot can also mean loved ones panic and volunteers' lives are put at risk. "We can have family ring up from all over the country and say … 'We haven't been able to contact them,'" Mr Prizeman said. Mr Prizeman, based at Keppel Sands, has been a member of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association for more than 30 years. He said his squadron was frequently required to locate "overdue" or potentially missing vessels because crews were unable to log off with marine rescue authorities. From Yeppoon, where the nearest marine rescue base is located, it is a five-hour return boat trip to reach the Clara Group — if the weather is good. It can take much longer. "We're always concerned that we're putting our volunteers potentially at risk to get up there and find out they're just sheltering from the bad weather, sitting on their back deck and they're sipping their chardonnays," Mr Prizeman said. The Squadron Commodore is helping to lead a new project to improve VHF [Very High Frequency] radio coverage in the large blackspot zone. The group, along with Queensland's Water Police, is lobbying for a new VHF working channel, with repeaters strategically located to better access the blackspots and sheltered anchorages. Sergeant Shaun Halson, from Yeppoon Water Police, believed the new channel, 78, recently approved by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), would help prevent potential tragedies at sea. "A lot of these tragic incidents happen very quickly," Sergeant Halson said. "They're lucky to grab their safety equipment and valuables, let alone grab their EPIRB [Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon] to put out a mayday call, whereas quite often the VHF radio is right there on the console to get a call out." Since 1966, the land surrounding Shoalwater Bay has been under the ownership of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), for the purpose of military training exercises. Sergeant Halson said the ADF was collaborating with the group on the site chosen in the area for the repeater station. He said the necessary government approvals and processes had also been supported and endorsed to date. One of the main barriers is the establishment of the new VHF repeater infrastructure on Clara Group, just east of Island Head Creek, due to its remote location. A repeater is a stand-alone receiver and transmitter and in essence acts as a ranger extender, like a home internet booster. The site can only be accessed by helicopter and Sergeant Halson said the project also came at a cost. More than $100,000 of funding has been committed but there is a shortfall of about $150,000. "This project is vital," Sergeant Halson said. "Search and rescue is our responsibility, and until we can prove that boaties are safe and well, we have to act as if the situation may not be. "We're heading into a busy time now with yachties or luxury boats heading north to the Whitsundays and further and then vice versa at the end of the winter period they're heading back south." This is not a new concept. A similar project on Penrith Island, off the coast of Mackay, for VHF channel 83 has produced successful outcomes. "We know the solution. We know what we want. We know the how, the where, the when," Sergeant Halson said. "It's just a matter of actually getting the funds to finally make it happen."
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Daily Mail
How solo female travellers are embarking on trips of a lifetime to bucket-list destinations - from Antarctica to Uluru
Are you craving adventure beyond the tourist trail, but have no one to travel with? You're not alone. For many women, the idea of solo travel is exciting, but the reality can be overwhelming. Between the daunting task of planning an itinerary, safety concerns, and a fear of feeling lonely, that dream trip often stays just that: a dream. But a boutique travel company is redefining the way women explore the world, curating women-only journeys to awe-inspiring, bucket-list destinations, far from the crowds and the same old tourist traps. From camping in Uluru, swimming with Manta Rays in the Great Barrier Reef, or journeying to Antarctica for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, OceanZen Travel is making dreams a reality for Australian women. The best Bucket List Trips with OceanZen Travel Antarctica Set foot on the seventh continent, taking in the breathtaking frozen landscape, braving a polar plunge in the icy ocean, and witnessing majestic wildlife in their natural habitat. The Antarctica Expedition is a rare opportunity to experience the untouched beauty and mystery of this magical part of the world. Ready for a once in a lifetime adventure? Find out more here. Dive into the mesmerising marine wonderland on a getaway to Lady Elliott Island in the Great Barrier Reef. The most popular of OceanZen Travel's expeditions, the tour includes a fully guided diving experience swimming with Manta Rays. Ready to escape winter with an island paradise escape to reconnect with nature? Find out more here. Tonga Five days of snorkelling and swimming with pods, mums and calves, or lone males singing for a mate makes for an unforgettable experience. The Tonga expedition takes place in September, when whales seek warmer waters to mate and birth their calves. Can you imagine swimming alongside a magnificent humpback whale? Find out how you can join this trip here. Uluru The Northern Territory's sacred centre is a must-visit destination. Uluru is more than one of the world's most iconic landmarks, it is the spiritual heart of Australia. Sleep around a campfire while gazing at a starlit sky, hearing the stories of the Anangu people, hike the Kings Canyon Rim Walk and dine under a canopy of stars at the famed sounds of silence dinner. Dream of a soul stirring journey to the Red Centre? Find out more here. OceanZen Travel was Founded by Steph Gabriel in 2017. The entrepreneur owned a swimwear company and while in Tonga in 2016 for a campaign shoot, she shared videos swimming with whales on social media. Followers responded asking how they could have the same experience, and the idea for a travel company was born. 'Seeing the profound impact that these soul-stirring experiences has on the women that come away, lights my soul up,' Steph told Empower Her. 'It's so important for women to step outside their comfort zone and travel the world... and discover a new version of you that you didn't even know existed. Other incredible trips include a ski tour in New Zealand, a 4WD adventure on Fraser Island, and a Northern Lights expedition to Greenland. Facebook reviews recommending the company are simply gushing, praising the quality of the service and the 'magical' sense of community the trips cultivate. 'The OceanZen retreats are an unforgettable experience- once you've been on one you'll realise that one isn't enough!' one past traveller wrote on Facebook. 'To be surrounded by incredible, supportive and like-minded girls for a weekend is so soul nourishing, and you'll come back feeling so fulfilled - and with the amazing trip locations which help too! 'To share these experiences with people who are just as stoked to be there as you are creates lifelong friends and memories. Facebook reviews recommending the company praise the 'magical' sense of community the trips cultivate 'Steph is amazing, and truly cares about each and every one of the girls on the trip. There's no one else I'd want to go on a trip with!' Another client raved: 'Hands down best travel agency ever. Steph is amazing and really makes sure you have the best time possible on your trip. It is such a great experience and being able to go to these incredible and breathtaking places is such a blessing. 'If you have ever considered solo travelling and don't know where to start don't look further than OceanZen, trust me you will not regret it. So thankful to have met Steph and gone on a trip with her; I'm already booking my next trip and can't wait to go.' 'It's so important for women to step outside their comfort zone and travel the world... and discover a new version of you that you didn't even know existed,' Steph says of the trips 'I cannot recommend travelling with OceanZen enough! I recently went on a retreat to Lady Elliot Island and it was simply amazing,' another traveller commented. 'Steph organises everything to perfection. You don't have to lift a finger the whole time and it was just such a fun experience. 'Steph makes you feel so welcome from the get go, and it was great meeting the other ladies who were also on the trip. I truly can't wait until I can go on another retreat with Steph. I promise you won't regret travelling with OceanZen Travel!'
ABC News
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Anohni mourns the Great Barrier Reef in her Sydney Opera House shows
Anohni Hegarty first sang on Australian stages almost 20 years ago, when her band — then called Antony and the Johnsons — played theatre shows that left audiences enraptured. This month, the band — now Anohni and the Johnsons — will play their final Australian shows, as their leader reckons with the environmental impact that comes with her profession. "The reason I don't intend to travel anymore to Australia with large groups of musicians is because it's just not environmentally tenable," Anohni says. "The footprint is too abhorrent. The amount of carbon that I burned to get here … it's football fields full of forests for me to come here with a group." Australian audiences are lucky to even see them here for this last tour, which takes in two nights at the Sydney Opera House at the end of the month. "I was going to cancel this show, honestly. But my intention in the past has been to try turning the opportunity into something that can be of service to Australian people." Previously, this has seen the singer spend time with the Martu people in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, returning years later to march in opposition to a now-scrapped proposal to build a uranium mine close to Indigenous communities in the area. This time, Anohni is focused on the Great Barrier Reef, where she has spent time investigating and documenting its destruction. "I put all the money or the proceeds from the concert into this project, Mourning the Great Barrier Reef, which has been my focus for the last month," she says. "I've been in Queensland filming at Lizard Island with a group of marine biologists and filmmakers, documenting the state of bleaching and acidification that's currently playing out on those group of reefs." This footage will form part of Anohni's Sydney Opera House shows, as will interviews with experts like marine biologist Charlie Varon and filmmaker David Hannan. "Between the songs, there'll be moments of testimony with the different scientists speaking about their experience as stewards of the reef from what they've seen over the last 30 years. "It's really leaning on elder scientists in how they feel now about what they're seeing and where they feel this is headed." This month's trip was Anohni's first opportunity to see firsthand both the beauty and devastation of the natural icon. "It's very emotional. It looks like a war zone. It looks like a city that's been destroyed. It looks like a cemetery. Like, bones everywhere. "There are fish swimming around and they are confused. They make their homes in the architecture of the reef, and because the architecture is still standing, they're still colonising those spots, reproducing and taking shelter there. But those kinds of reefs, once they die, they disintegrate very quickly." Anohni's art is not just beautiful, it's imbued with rich meaning and unflinching commentary on matters of conflict and devastation. She insists she doesn't sing out of protest, she just sings her truth. "I honestly never thought of myself as making protest music," she says. "I just compulsively take advantage of any opportunity I have to say the thing I care the most about. "It's such a rare opportunity that a person like me would have a platform. I wasn't raised in a society or culture where I would ever have an expectation of having a chance to speak. "I grew up in a household where feelings were considered a second-class pursuit. Only women had feelings and that was grounds for their exclusion from conversations — you know, the hysteric woman. "Men supposedly didn't have feelings, but in fact they were just constantly expressing sublimated rage. Meanwhile, [women are] supposed to button our lips. So, I always sought refuge in art and creativity and self-expression and singing as a way of voicing things that we weren't allowed to voice in pedestrian culture." She's an acclaimed artist and an unflinching advocate for many groups, but Anohni doesn't claim any superiority. "I don't really believe in exceptionalism. I'm not any smarter than anyone else. I'm just a very normal person of my disposition, moving through the space trying to do the best I can in this situation." She moves while possessing a seriously impressive tool: her rich, tender, powerful, otherworldly voice. But Anohni downplays this matchless instrument too, claiming she is but a product of those who've come before her. "It's just an amalgamation of great voices," she contends. "I'm of British heritage. One of the great skills of a colonial nation is that they're really good at absorbing other people's cultures. "When black American music came to England in the 50s and 60s, all the kids went crazy for it because it set them free. It was giving them permission to have ecstatic experiences [in] a very, very depressed, miserable post-colonial hellhole that was most of working Britain. "The children were grabbing for dear life at joyful, ecstatic music that black Americans were bringing to their shores. Then, generations of young people copied those voices, and I'm like a third-generation iteration of that. "So, the knowledge that I carry in my voice comes from black singers. On the cover of Anohni and the Johnsons' latest album, 2023's My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross, is a portrait of Marsha P. Johnson, a legendary gender-non-conforming gay-rights activist for whom Anohni — a trans woman — named her band. "Marsha P. Johnson was a very exceptional person because she was living a very like 'Jesus as a girl' kind of life. She was giving everything, the shirt off her back. She wasn't going to leave anyone behind. Same with [American gay-liberation and trans-rights activist] Sylvia Rivera. "I am not that person. Like, I have a shirt on my back." One thing she doesn't have, and isn't interested in, is hope. "If we need hope that we're not going to die in order to find reason to live, then that's a catch 22 I don't need," she says. That doesn't mean she's not interested in a better future. She believes she knows what that looks like as well, and it's a long way from the androcentric ways of our past. "I believe that, if there is to be leadership that can lead us forward, it will be feminine leadership," she says. "Only circles of mothers, only circles of sisters can lead us out of this. "There's tonnes of beautiful men in the world but, collectively, men are constitutionally incapable of solving this problem. "I heard that Australia has like 57 per cent women in your new parliament, which is a really beautiful start. I would recommend to go to 80 or 85 per cent and then let's make it global, and then we can maybe have the beginning of a conversation about how to help and save ourselves. I don't think we'll be able to do it without that." Anohni and the Johnsons play Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House on Monday, May 26 and Tuesday, May 27.
