business tourism australia

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Business Customs

AnchorAnchorAnchorConducting business in Australia is relatively easy for American companies due to the similarities in language, cultural environment, business practices, and customer expectations. Australians pay attention to advance planning, promptness, follow-up, and are generally direct in their business dealings. They typically conduct business on a first-name basis and exchange business cards for information purposes, but without any special ceremony. Token gift exhange is not common; however, luncheon and breakfest meetings are common. Australians do not typically schedule business functions on weekends. Business attire is the norm for the cities, and rural areas are slightly more informal.

Travel Advisory

Please check the Australian Embassy in the U.S. for the latest information on entering Australia.  For further State Department Travel Advisory information on Australia, please visit the U.S. Department of State’s travel website . 

Website for the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, Australia is: U.S. Embassy in Australia

Visa Requirements

AnchorAnchorAmericans traveling to Australia for business and/or leisure must hold a valid U.S. passport and either a visa or an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). Information is available at 

https://usa.embassy.gov.au/travel-australia or immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/entering-australia/can-i-go-to-australia . For the location of the nearest Australian diplomatic facility, please refer to https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-locations/missions/our-embassies-and-consulates-overseas .

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service has extended the use of SmartGate to U.S. citizens on arrival in Australia. SmartGate is a simple way for eligible travelers arriving into Australia’s international airports to self-process through passport control. Further information is available on U.S. Customs Trusted Traveller Program website.

U.S. Companies that require travel of foreign business persons to the United States are advised that security evaluations are handled via an interagency process. For information, visa applicants should go to the following link(s):  State Department Visa Website

Australia’s local currency is the Australian Dollar.  Credit cards are accepted throughout the country and ATM’s are readily available.  Additional currency information is availabe on the australia.com website.

Telecommunications/Electronics

Australia’s telecommunications infrastructure is well developed.  Cell phone network coverage is available across Australia, however coverage may be limited in some remote areas.  Australian telecommunications providers include: Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone. All the cell phone carriers run 4G networks. Telstra, Optus and Vodafone have started to activitate 5G networks in limited areas around the country and will continue widespread expansion.  You will need to make prior arrangements with your communications carrier or service provider to ensure you are able to use your cellular phone in Australia. Power voltage is 240 volts/50Hz.

Australia and New Zealand use power terminals that differ from those used in the United States. Adaptors can be purchased at airports or specific electronic stores.

Internet access is widely available at hotels, internet cafés and libraries. There are many Wi-Fi hotspots in the central business districts (CBDs) of the biggest cities.

Transportation

It is a 14-hour non-stop flight from the West Coast of the United States (San Francisco or Los Angeles) to the East Coast of Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane).

Several international airlines service the trans-pacific route including Air New Zealand, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Jetstar, Qantas Airways, and United Airlines with flights departing from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York  and Honolulu to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.  Please refer to airlines’ websites for updated flight options, availability and information.

Most flights depart from the United States late in the evening and arrive in Australia early morning, with a day lost at the International Date Line. Travel to or from Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South America, and South Africa from Australia is also convenient.

Australians drive on the left side of the road. Major U.S. and Australian car rental agencies operate throughout the country. Reservations are available through airports, hotels, travel agents, or directly, using a credit card and a U.S. or international driver’s license.

Public transportation is well-developed throughout urban areas. Convenient bus, rail, and air services are available between cities and country towns.

Air Travel Times Within Australia

Sydney to Melbourne - 1 hour

Sydney to Brisbane - 1 hour

Sydney to Perth - 4 hours

Sydney to Canberra - 35 minutes

Sydney to Adelaide – 2 hours

Melbourne to Brisbane - 2 hours

Melbourne to Perth - 4 hours

Brisbane to Perth - 6 hours

Australia is an English-speaking country.

AnchorAnchorAnchorAnchorAnchorAustralia has no notable health risks and public tap water is safe to drink. There are active campaigns to encourage the population to protect themselves from exposure to Australia’s strong sun and to use sunscreen.  Medical and dental services, and all types of health facilities, are comparable with those in the United States. Visitors can easily receive medical attention, but may be required to pay for services immediately, either by cash or credit card.

Local Time, Business Hours & Holidays

Australia has three time zones: Eastern, Central, and Western. Not all Australian states observe daylight savings time and the dates for the switch to and from daylight savings time varies.

Office business hours are generally between 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. Most shops in major city centers are open on Saturday and Sunday and at least one night a week for evening trading. Banks are open to the public from 9:00am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday, with 24/7 ATM service. Restaurants and convenience stores are typically open for extended hours.

Australians generally take annual vacation in December and January, combining Christmas/New Year with the school summer vacation period. Consequently, business slows down and it may be difficult to schedule business appointments during this time. Business travelers should ascertain whether their contacts are available during this period before scheduling trips to Australia.

A list of Public Holidays in Australia can be found on the Australian Government website.

Temporary Entry of Materials or Personal Belongings

Certain goods may be brought into Australia on a temporary basis for a period of up to 12 months without the payment of duty or taxes. These goods are referred to as temporary imports.  Approval for temporary imports is granted under Section 162 or Section 162A of the Customs Act 1901.

Goods that qualify as temporary imports may also be imported under carnet, where a security is lodged with a carnet issuing body overseas, or under security, where a security is lodged with the Australian Customs Service (Customs) at the time of import. The nature of the goods, what they will be used for while they are in Australia, and who is importing the goods will determine whether or not the goods will qualify.

There are conditions placed on temporary imports.  The most important condition is that you export the goods within the time limits approved.  If the goods are not exported within the time limit you will have to pay to customs an amount equal to the duty and taxes that would have been payable if when you first imported the goods, the goods had not been treated as temporary imports.

For further information, please visit https://www.abf.gov.au/importing-exporting-and-manufacturing/temporary-imports

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BUSINESS EVENTS AUSTRALIA

Tourism Australia’s dedicated business events unit, Business Events Australia, delivers marketing communications, industry partnerships and a trade distribution program to raise international awareness and consideration of Australia as a business events destination.

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Under the Business Events Australia brand, Tourism Australia undertakes activity in key international markets to ensure Australia’s business events offering is communicated to media, business events planners and decision makers. 

Tourism Australia targets business events planners and decision makers with a focus on core international markets which represent the greatest return on investment. These core markets include Greater China, New Zealand, North America, South South East Asia, United Kingdom and Europe.

Business events planners

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Tourism Australia works closely with the Australian business events industry, delivering insights partnerships and opportunities to meet and do business with international business events planners and media. 

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Business Events Australia can provide media with the latest product and destination news, finished copy, interview opportunities with key Australian business events representatives,  images  and video. For regular product updates media can subscribe to our  PR newsletter , find us on  LinkedIn  or follow us on Instagram through  @australia .

Latest News & Ideas

Visit our business events australia website for the latest news and ideas..

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We acknowledge the Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Owners of the land, sea and waters of the Australian continent, and recognise their custodianship of culture and Country for over 60,000 years.

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The Voice of Australian Tourism

About the Australian Tourism Industry Council

Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC) is the national representative body of Australia’s various state and territory Tourism Industry Councils. As a leading voice for the Australian tourism industry, ATIC represents over 9,000 tourism business operators from across the country.

The role of ATIC is to provide leadership and industry representation through a national voice for tourism, advocate for the industry across important and relevant issues, and to manage national industry development programs.

Additionally, ATIC is the owner and licensor of the Quality Tourism Framework, its programs and Brandmark. Some of these programs include the Quality Tourism accreditation program, Sustainable Tourism accreditation program and the Accessible Tourism program. These are just a selection of the suite of programs offered to support Australian tourism businesses to develop and grow.

About the Quality Tourism Framework

Following more than 20 successful years of recognising high-quality tourism businesses, the Australian tourism accreditation and awards have been re-branded to better promote your business.

The new Quality Tourism Framework combines multiple tourism accreditation, business development and awards programs into a single, user-friendly online tool to develop your business and grow your market, paired with new, modern branding to promote your status as a Quality Tourism Accredited Business.

The Quality Tourism Framework enables you to develop your business from start-up through to niche markets and international trade channels, in order to develop a sustainable tourism business that can compete and prosper.

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Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Travel and tourism industry in Australia - statistics & facts

Inbound tourism: the road to recovery, outbound tourism: top destinations and interests, domestic tourism: exploring their own backyard, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by country of residence

Number of outbound tourists from Australia FY 2023, by destination

Direct tourism GDP growth rate Australia FY 2006-2023

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of visitors at Sydney Airport Australia Feb 2019-Dec 2023, by passenger type

Breakdown of hotels Sydney Australia 2023, by category

Number of domestic visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by type of trip

Further recommended statistics

• Premium Statistic Share of the GDP of the tourism sector in Australia 2013-2028
• Basic Statistic Direct tourism GDP Australia FY 2006-2023
• Basic Statistic Direct tourism GDP growth rate Australia FY 2006-2023
• Basic Statistic Tourism contribution Australia FY 2023, by industry
• Premium Statistic Tourism contribution Australia FY 2023, by state
• Premium Statistic Number of tourism businesses Australia 2023, by type
• Premium Statistic Tourism sector employment Australia FY 2023, by state and type

Share of the GDP of the tourism sector in Australia 2013-2028

Share of the GDP of the tourism sector in Australia from 2013 to 2028

Direct tourism GDP Australia FY 2006-2023

Direct tourism gross domestic product (GDP) in Australia from financial year 2006 to 2023 (in billion Australian dollars)

Growth of direct tourism gross domestic product (GDP) in Australia from financial year 2006 to 2023

Tourism contribution Australia FY 2023, by industry

Gross value added (GVA) of tourism in Australia in financial year 2023, by tourism related industry (in billion Australian dollars)

Tourism contribution Australia FY 2023, by state

Gross value added (GVA) of tourism in Australia in financial year 2023, by state (in billion Australian dollars)

Number of tourism businesses Australia 2023, by type

Number of businesses in the tourism sector in Australia as of June 2023, by type (in 1,000s)

Tourism sector employment Australia FY 2023, by state and type

Number of employees in the tourism sector in Australia in financial year 2023, by state and type (in 1,000s)

Inbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2010-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by country of residence
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by age group
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by state visited
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by purpose of visit
• Premium Statistic International visitor trip expenditure Australia FY 2010-2023
• Premium Statistic International visitor trip expenditure Australia FY 2023, by country of residence

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2010-2023

Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from financial year 2010 to 2023 (in millions)

Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia in financial year 2023, by country of residence (in 1,000s)

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by age group

Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia in financial year 2023, by age group (in 1,000s)

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by state visited

Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia in financial year 2023, by state visited (in 1,000s)

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by purpose of visit

Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia in financial year 2023, by purpose of visit (in 1,000s)

International visitor trip expenditure Australia FY 2010-2023

Total trip expenditure of international visitors in Australia from financial year 2010 to 2023 (in billion Australian dollars)

International visitor trip expenditure Australia FY 2023, by country of residence

Trip expenditure of international visitors to Australia in financial year 2023, by country of residence (in million Australian dollars)

Outbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of outbound tourists from Australia FY 2006-2023
• Basic Statistic Number of outbound tourists from Australia 2017-2024, by state of residence
• Premium Statistic Number of outbound tourists from Australia FY 2023, by destination
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourist trip expenditure FY 2019-2023
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourist trip expenditure Australia FY 2023, by destination
• Premium Statistic Leading tourism experience interests among outbound travelers Australia 2022
• Premium Statistic Leading sport tourism experience interests of outbound travelers Australia 2022

Number of outbound tourists from Australia FY 2006-2023

Number of overseas departures of Australian residents from Australia from financial year 2006 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of outbound tourists from Australia 2017-2024, by state of residence

Number of outbound tourists from Australia from January 2017 to January 2024, by state of residence

Number of outbound tourists from Australia in financial year 2023, by destination (in thousands)

Outbound tourist trip expenditure FY 2019-2023

Trip expenditure of Australian outbound travelers from financial year 2019 to 2023 (in billion Australian dollars)

Outbound tourist trip expenditure Australia FY 2023, by destination

Trip expenditure of Australian outbound travelers in financial year 2023, by destination (in million Australian dollars)

Leading tourism experience interests among outbound travelers Australia 2022

Leading tourism experience interests among outbound travelers from Australia in 2022

Leading sport tourism experience interests of outbound travelers Australia 2022

Leading sport tourism experience interests among outbound travelers from Australia in 2022

Domestic tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023, by state visited
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023, by purpose of visit
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight tourist trip expenditure Australia FY 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight tourist trip expenditure Australia 2023, by state or territory
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic day visitors Australia 2023, by state visited
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic day visitors Australia 2023, by purpose of visit

Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2014-2023

Number of domestic overnight visitors in Australia from 2014 to 2023 (in millions)

Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023, by state visited

Number of domestic overnight visitors in Australia in 2023, by state visited (in millions)

Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023, by purpose of visit

Number of domestic overnight visitors in Australia in 2023, by purpose of visit (in millions)

Domestic overnight tourist trip expenditure Australia FY 2014-2023

Trip expenditure of domestic overnight visitors in Australia from financial year 2014 to 2023 (in billion Australian dollars)

Domestic overnight tourist trip expenditure Australia 2023, by state or territory

Trip expenditure of domestic overnight visitors in Australia in 2023, by state visited (in billion Australian dollars)

Number of domestic day visitors Australia 2023, by state visited

Number of domestic day visitors in Australia in 2023, by state visited (in millions)

Number of domestic day visitors Australia 2023, by purpose of visit

Number of domestic day visitors in Australia in 2023, by purpose of visit (in millions)

Further reports

Get the best reports to understand your industry.

• Travel accommodation in Australia
• Travel and tourism in New Zealand
• Domestic tourism in Australia
• Camping and caravanning in Australia

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Tourism Businesses in Australia

This report estimates the number of businesses in Australia’s tourism industry.

Main content

Each year, Tourism Research Australia (TRA) publishes a summary of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ counts of tourism businesses in Australia. The TRA summary categorises tourism businesses by:

• industry sector
• ­employment size­
• organisational structure
• business turnover
• states, territories, and tourism regions.

Download the report

Tourism Businesses in Australia June 2018 to 2023

Key findings

The report reveals one in 7 Australian businesses (14%) is directly connected to tourism. There were 355,570 tourism businesses operating nationwide at 30 June 2023. This is 1.5% or 5,262 fewer businesses than in June 2022.

The decline in the number of tourism businesses in the year to June 2023 is a reversal of a trend of strong growth in the previous 4 years (2018 to 2022). It is also in contrast to the growth trend for business numbers in all industry sectors taken together (+0.8% between June 2022 and June 2023).

Most of the decline in business numbers in 2022-23 occurred in 2 industry sectors:

• taxi transport (including ride sharing services): down by 8% or 2,909 businesses
• retail trade: down by 1.4% or 2,211 businesses.

Approximately 95% of tourism businesses in Australia are small businesses. Of all tourism businesses in June 2023:

• 49% or 172,642 had no employees other than the owner
• 46% or 164,727 were micro or small businesses, with 1 to 19 employees.

There were 7.7% or 8,598 fewer micro tourism businesses (those that employ between 1 and 4 people) at 30 June 2023 when compared with June 2022. This was the only business size category that saw a decline over the course of the year.

As at June 2023, 82% of tourism businesses were in New South Wales (116,693), Victoria (109,595) and Queensland (64,432). Between June 2022 and June 2023, only 3 jurisdictions (Western Australia, the ACT and Queensland) saw an increase in the number of tourism businesses, while all other jurisdictions saw a decrease. 

Data tables

Find out more about tourism businesses in our data tables.

Industry and employment size data

Organisational structure and turnover data

Geographic data

Contact TRA

mail   tourism.research@tra.gov.au

Related content

Tourism businesses in australia: june 2015 to 2020.

Tourism Businesses in Australia: June 2016 to 2021

Tourism businesses in Australia 2017-2022

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Business Events Australia Bid Fund Program

Managed by Tourism Australia’s specialist unit, Business Events Australia, the Business Events Bid Fund Program (BFP) is designed to increase the conversion of bids for new international business events for Australia through the offer of financial support at the critical bidding stage.

The BFP is designed to deliver conversion of new business in situations where Australia is bidding against international competitors for the right to host the business event.

Applications are currently open for the BFP until 30 June 2024. Please note, the BFP is only available to support bids where a decision is made by 30 June 2024 and where the event is being held by 31 December 2029.

What can the Business Events Bid Fund Program be used for?

The provision of funds via the BFP is designed to ensure a material difference to event costs in Australia. This can include, but is not limited to costs for accommodation, venue hire, transport etc. The BFP does not subsidise administrative, logistics or marketing costs for international bids, for example for overseas travel for client meetings or marketing materials.

ELIGIBILITY AND MANDATORY CRITERIA

The BFP supports:

• business events in the critical bidding stage where Australia is competing against other international destinations
• international association events and exhibitions that attract a minimum 400 international visitors
• international incentive events that attract 700 international visitors and/or bring an economic value of more than A$3 million to Australia
• bids where a decision will be made by 30 June 2024 and the event will travel before 31 December 2029.

FUNDING REQUIREMENTS

• Submissions must be for a minimum of A$50,000 (excluding GST)
• Applicants need to match Tourism Australia’s investment with an equal direct financial contribution

How do I apply for the Business Events Bid Fund Program?

Download the prospectus  and factsheet for further information on the program and apply online .

Discover more

Research and Insights

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Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Owners of the land, sea and waters of the Australian continent, and recognise their custodianship of culture and Country for over 60,000 years.

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*Disclaimer:  Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator’s website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD). Tourism Australia makes no representations whatsoever about any other websites which you may access through this website. Some websites which are linked to the Tourism Australia website are independent from Tourism Australia and are not under the control of Tourism Australia. Tourism Australia does not endorse or accept any responsibility for the use of websites which are owned or operated by third parties and makes no representation or warranty in relation to the standard, class or fitness for purpose of any services, nor does it endorse or in any respect warrant any products or services by virtue of any information, material or content linked from or to this site.

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Fifth Freedom Flights: The Newest Travel Hack For Cheap Business Class Seats In Australia

Looking for a premium cabin at an affordable price? Fifth-freedom flights could be the answer.

Image: Conde Nast

Fifth-freedom flights could be the easiest way to nab a cheap business-class seat that most Australians have never heard of.

Put simply, a fifth-freedom flight is a fight between countries A and B operated by an airline not from either country. For example, Qantas flying between Auckland and New York . Because travellers gravitate towards national carriers, fifth-freedom flights can be keenly priced from a cash and points perspective.

This article covers some of the well-known and not-so-well-known fifth-freedom flights to and from Australia…

RELATED: Travel Hacker Reveals How Much Business Class Flyers Actually Earn

Emirates First Class To Christchurch

The big daddy of Australia’s fifth-freedom flights is the daily return Emirates A380-800 service between Sydney and Auckland. Why such a big deal? Besides the fact that it’s an A380, which for some reason continues to get some people all hot under the collar, Emirates has a knockout business and  first-class cabin on this aircraft type.

At 64,500 Qantas points (plus AUD186 in fees and taxes), this is one of the more affordable ways to wriggle your way into Emirates first class. Unfortunately, because people like me promote this redemption sweet spot, first-class redemptions are increasingly hard to come by. 

But business class redemptions (which are available) on the sector cost 43,800 points (plus AUD186 in fees and taxes). Frankly, when the alternative is Qantas B737-800 business class or all-economy Airbus narrowbodies on Air New Zealand or Jetstar, I know which I’d choose.  

China Airlines’ Fifth Freedom A350 Flights Between Brisbane And Auckland

Taiwan’s China Airlines operates an A350-900 between Brisbane and Auckland every day except Monday and Wednesday. The flight has a civilised lunchtime pushback from Brisbane and an early evening departure out of Auckland. Qantas, Air New Zealand, and Jetstar also fly the route. 

The China Airlines A350 has a striking 32-seat business class cabin in a 1-2-1 layout, with wide seats, great pitch, unrestricted footwells, lie-flat seats, and a walk-up bar. 

China Airlines is a SkyTeam member, Australia’s least popular airline alliance. However, China Airlines has a codeshare arrangement with Qantas, allowing QFF members to pay as little as 43,500 points (plus AUD164 in fees and taxes) for a one-way trans-Tasman flight. This is roughly 700 points more than a redemption on the evening Qantas B737 service out of Brisbane or 3,000 points less than the morning Qantas A330 flight.

But why would you want to fly on either of those when there is an A350-900 available?

Dodgy Fifth-Freedom Flights To Avoid

Emirates also has a daily fifth freedom flight between Melbourne and Singapore, which DMARGE cannot recommend because it pushes back at Tullamarine at 2.30 a.m., and the 2-3-2 business class seat layout is a premium cabin horror show despite the best efforts of the lovely Emirate flight attendants.

The flight down to Melbourne is a more interesting option. Despite the lousy J cabin layout, it is a daytime flight, and these can be hard to come by between Asia and Australia. You can redeem QFF for these Emirates flights, and this may be a case where an economy class redemption (30,200 points plus AUD329 in fees and taxes) easily trumps the business class redemption price of 75,200 points plus a staggering AUD1,226 in fees and taxes. No thanks.

British Airways has an equivalent daily fifth-freedom service running between Sydney and Singapore, right down to the subpar B787-9 business-class cabin. That may change later this year when BA will probably swap out the Dreamliner for the B777-300ER with its up-to-the-minute business suites.

However, in the meantime, the superior Qantas and Singapore Airlines premium cabin products are available and better.

Big Savings On Fifth Freedom Flight From Perth

Out of Perth, Batik Air flies a B737-800 four times per week to and from Auckland. It’s not the greatest business-class product on the market, but the alternative, Air New Zealand’s B787-9’s product isn’t so flash either.

The Batik Air business class proposition gets traction because it is roughly half the price (AUD2,000 return) of the Air New Zealand fare (circa AUD4,000 return). The tradeoff is you get a domestic business class recliner instead of a lie-flat bed, but for the saving, that is a tradeoff many people may be happy to make.

New Fifth Freedom Flight To Palau

Nauru Airlines is another carrier that might not be top of your airline short-list. However, Nauru is starting a fifth-freedom B737 flight between Brisbane and Palau (Roror), a top-tier albeit under-visited destination for divers and people who simply want to tune out for a week. Flights start towards the end of May and run overnight, which isn’t ideal. On the plus side, Nauru Airlines does have a business class cabin, albeit in the domestic recliner style rather than lie-flat.

There are other fifth-freedom flights to and from Australia. They are typically, but not always, cheaper than the local airlines. It’s a pattern that’s repeated around the world. If you are looking for a premium cabin experience at an affordable price, fifth-freedom flights could be the answer.

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Papua New Guinea's 'trupla' leading Daily Newspaper Since 1969.The Post-Courier is proud of its record as the voice of PNG. We were there when the nation took its first bold steps towards independence. Since that time, we have fearlessly recorded the nation's progress.

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Time for a Pacific Business Travel Card

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BY STEPHEN HOWES AND ATHAULLA RASHEED

Pacific countries have long highlighted the difficulties involved in short-term business travel to Australia and New Zealand. APEC, the Asia-Pacific regional body that brings together some 21 economies from across the geopolitical spectrum, has successfully introduced the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC). In this article, we set out the case for a Pacific Business Travel Card (PBTC). The ABTC was launched in 1997. ABTC applicants apply to their home country government. If the application passes that stage of approval, it is circulated among all other governments listed in the nomination.

The applicant then receives their ABTC, which lists the countries the applicant has permission to travel to. The ABTC gives its holder the right to enter those countries successfully applied to for successive 60 to 90 day periods over a multi-year period. It is a visa for business visits, not employment. In 2015, the ABTC validity period was extended from 3 to 5 years, and in 2021, the physical ABTC card was replaced (in many countries) by a digital visa. Nineteen of APEC’s 21 economies participate in the ABTC. Canada and the United States do not. While those are big exceptions, the ABTC is nevertheless rightly regarded as a success. One important, positive indicator is simply the number of people who use it, which has grown from 137,000 in 2013 to 340,000 a decade later. The ABTC visa is primarily for businesspeople, but some in government and NGO leadership positions also use them. One of us has an ABTC card to travel from Australia to PNG and it has made a huge difference in terms of ease of travel. How would a Pacific Business Travel Card work? The natural champion and home for such a card would be the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). Applications for a PBTC would work the same way as application for an ABTC does. The most interest would be from Pacific island businesspeople wanting to visit Australia and New Zealand. Nearly all Pacific island countries already offer each other visa-free travel. However, some countries only allow short stays, say of 30 days, so the 60-to-90 day stay offered by the PBTC could be attractive. Plus, the PBTC would be a “no questions asked on arrival” visa. Once it was issued, you wouldn’t need a sponsorship letter or other supporting documents to show at immigration. In any case, the PBTC, like the ABTC, would allow applicants to focus on those countries of interest. The good news for Australia and New Zealand is that it would reserve the right of the two countries to decide who gets such a visa to enter either country. Australia seemed to be going down this route when then Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced (on the sidelines of the 2018 APEC meeting held in PNG, and perhaps inspired by that) that Australia would be introducing a “Pacific-Australia Card making it easier for politicians, business and sportspeople to visit Australia”. A 2019 update reassured readers that Australia was “rolling out the Pacific-Australia Card to streamline travel to Australia by Pacific leaders.” While a number of Pacific-Australia Cards have been issued, it is unclear how many, and it seems to be by invitation only. There is no public information about how to apply for the Pacific-Australia Card, or who can apply, or what it entitles one to. The fact that the 2019 update is the most recent information available suggests that the initiative has stalled or is deliberately being kept low-profile. Such unilateral initiatives are helpful, but should be promoted publicly and open to applications. Unlike the ABTC, the Pacific-Australia Card is nowhere to be found on the Home Affairs website. There are a number of advantages to a multilateral approach. It would include New Zealand. It would mean that applicants who want to travel to Australia (or anywhere else) are required first of all to be vouched for by their home government. It would mean that the Pacific gets a say in what sort of roles should make one eligible for the new visa (for example, church and non-government as well as private sector ones). And it would mean that progress could be monitored by the Pacific Islands Forum. In the end, unilateral and multilateral approaches should be mutually reinforcing. We encourage Australia to build on its Australia-Pacific Card initiative and we encourage the Forum to get behind a Pacific Business Travel Card. APEC introduced its ABTC more than a quarter of century ago. Why should the Pacific be left behind?

Disclosure : This research was supported by the Pacific Research Program, with funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views are those of the authors only.

This article appeared first on Devpolicy Blog (devpolicy.org), from the Development Policy Centre at The Australian National University.

Stephen Howes is Director of the Development Policy Centre and Professor of Economics at the Crawford School of Public Policy at The Australian National University.

Athaulla Rasheed is a PhD candidate at the Department of Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University. His focus is on international relations, particularly on small island developing states, climate change and international politics and security. Athualla previously worked as a research officer at the

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Australian federal budget 2024: what we know so far and what to expect

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has promised more cost-of-living relief in his 14 May budget as well as spending for students and health

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On 14 May the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, will deliver his second full-year budget.

Chalmers has promised more cost-of-living relief in a budget that he says tackles inflation but sets Australia’s economy up for growth – neither scorched-earth nor a free-for-all of spending .

A second surplus is within reach, but that’s just speculation. Here’s what we know already about what is in the budget.

Tax cuts and cost of living

The biggest element of the cost-of-living relief in the budget is the changes to stage-three tax cuts, a $359bn 10-year tax cut package announced by Labor in January and legislated in February with opposition support.

The package means all Australian taxpayers (earning over the tax-free threshold of $18,200) get a tax cut, doubling the benefit for an average income earner compared with the Coalition’s original stage three proposal.

Labor says 84% of taxpayers are better off under its proposal, although those earning more than $146,486 would have received more under the Coalition’s model.

There will be other cost-of-living measures the government claims won’t add to inflation, which might point towards extending energy price relief .

Jim Chalmers has poured cold water on the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee’s call for jobseeker to rise to 90% of the age pension, although he and the finance minister, Katy Gallagher, have seemed more open on increasing rent assistance. Chalmers has confirmed there will be “additional steps” on poverty reduction and “new initiatives for housing”.

Education, skills and Hecs

The government will wipe $3bn from student debts by indexing Hecs and Help debts to the lower of the consumer price index or the wage price index, backdated to June 2023.

The government will also pay student teachers, nurses, midwives and social workers $320 a week during their mandatory work placements , starting from July 2025. These two measures are aspects of the government’s response to the Universities Accord, but there will be more in the budget.

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The government has announced $90.6m to boost the number of skilled workers in the construction and housing sector, creating 15,000 fee-free Tafe places and 5,000 places for pre-apprenticeships.

School funding will also rise as the federal government negotiates with the states to cover the 5% funding gap, most recently offering to lift its share of funding from 20% to 22.5%. This is estimated to cost $6bn over five years, although Chalmers has been coy about whether estimates will be reflected in the budget or only be added after education and health agreements are finalised.

There is no question childcare workers will be receiving a pay rise in this budget – the only questions are how much and how it will be distributed. With the industry in crisis due to staffing shortages, which have been exacerbated by staff leaving to work in aged care after that sector’s pay rise win , the government is expected to make wage increases for childcare workers a centre piece of the budget.

But it’s unclear whether the government will pull the trigger on scrapping the activity test, which sets a subsidy rate based on employment. It has indicated it wants to get rid of the measure as part of its plan to make childcare in Australia “universal”, though it’s not clear whether it will happen in this budget.

Health and aged care

Public hospitals are expected to get more funding, as the federal government works to finalise a new five-year agreement with the states to start in mid-2025. The commonwealth has reportedly offered to lift funding by an extra $4bn in 2025-26 and $13bn over the whole five years.

The government is also increasing funding for its medical research future fund over 13 years, with $1.1bn for existing projects plus $150m million to investigate rarely survived cancers, and $150m towards reducing inequalities in the health system. A further $500m will go to other research schemes.

The government is also yet to outline its response to March’s aged care taskforce report , which suggested new ways to pay for the system – including asking Australians with more wealth to pay more for the cost of their care.

The health minister, Mark Butler, also announced $49.1m would go toward offering longer consultations of 45 minutes or longer for endometriosis sufferers.

Among a total of $15.4bn in “unavoidable spending” to continue programs from the previous government is money set aside for palliative care, cancer supports, public health chronic conditions, and alcohol and other drug treatments.

Defence and foreign affairs

The budget will confirm that Australia’s defence spending will increase from 2.1% of Australia’s economic output next financial year to 2.4% by 2033-34, driven by a range of big-spending projects including the Aukus nuclear-powered submarines.

There will be some cuts to programs, however, with the government announcing last month that it would free up about $73bn over 10 years by cutting, delaying or changing the scope of some defence projects.

Even after these cuts are taken into account, the government says it has committed a net increase of $50.3bn for defence over the next 10 years. This includes a net increase of $5.7bn over the immediate four-year budget cycle.

This immediate funding includes $1bn over the next four years for long-range strike, targeting and autonomous systems.

In foreign affairs, the government has promised $492m for the Asian Development Fund’s 2025-28 pledging round, to “help respond to the needs of the region and deliver transformative development projects across the Indo-Pacific”.

Infrastructure

So far, western Sydney is the biggest winner in infrastructure after the minister, Catherine King, announced $1.9bn in funding for 14 road and transport projects. Those include road upgrades, planning projects and extra money for a business case to extend the train line into the city’s south-west.

Cyclists will also get a boost with $100m being set aside to build and upgrade bicycle and walking lines in cities and regional centres.

Canberra will also get a $50m injection to extend its light rail line from the northern suburbs past Parliament House and into the city’s south.

The nation’s capital are getting a good deal because $249.7m has also been announced for Australian Institute of Sport as the 2032 Brisbane Olympics inches closer.

The quarter of a billion-dollar sum will go towards refreshing the ageing site with new accommodation, an all-weather sports dome and a new training centre.

Beyond Canberra, road safety data from the states and territories will also be better harmonised with a $21m funding announcement to set up a national data hub.

Future Made in Australia

The government has announced funding for a range of projects under its Future Made in Australia policy, which aims to directly support Australian industry and innovation, particularly in green energy. These commitments include:

$1bn for the Solar Sunshot production of solar panels in the Hunter

$1bn to PsiQuantum to build the world’s first fault tolerant quantum computer in Brisbane

$840m for Arafura’s rare earth metals production in the Northern Territory

An export agreement to sell armoured vehicles made by the German defence manufacturer Rheinmetall

$566m over 10 years for GeoScience Australia to map what is under Australia’s soil and seabed

$400m in new loans to Alpha HPA for Australia’s first high-purity alumina processing facility in Queensland; and

$185m to Renascor Resources to fast-track the development of stage one of its Siviour Graphite Project in South Australia; and

$100m to speed up environmental approvals, including assistance for business.

Gender equality

The government has committed $925m for the leaving violence payment, a payment of $5,000 to help meet the costs of leaving a relationship. The existing trial will be extended and the new permanent program available from mid-2025.

The government has also said that parents will receive 12% superannuation – or about $106 a week – on their publicly funded paid parental leave from July 2025, full costings for which will be in the budget.

Indigenous affairs

The government has not foreshadowed any new major spending commitments in the Indigenous affairs space, but the budget will contain details and funding for several large programs in that portfolio that were recently unveiled.

The Closing The Gap commitments from February, including a $700m remote jobs program, and March’s announcement of a $4bn remote housing program for the Northern Territory, are expected to be the major components of the Indigenous affairs portfolio. Most of the new commitments in Indigenous affairs are typically contained in February’s Closing The Gap document rather than the May budget.

Attorney General’s Department

The government has pledged $161.3m to establish the national firearms register , and $11m for an app alerting Australians in real time if somebody tries to use their data to commit fraud.

The government will invest $166.4m to implement reforms to Australia’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime.

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• Jim Chalmers (Australian politician)
• Cost of living crisis
• Labor party

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‘He was awesome’: Calm pilot praised for belly landing at Newcastle Airport

A pilot has been praised after a plane with a broken landing gear circling a major regional Australian airport landed safely.

Terrifying detail in plane’s ‘belly landing’

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Major airline enters voluntary liquidation

A plane with a malfunctioning landing gear has landed safely after circling a regional airport for almost four hours, with the pilot praised for his “wonderful job”.

In cloudy and drizzly conditions, the plane made a hard landing at Newcastle Airport in the NSW Hunter Region about 12.20pm on Monday.

Footage of the landing showed the plane skidding on the underside of the fuselage, as fire trucks rushed to the plane once it came to rest.

Speaking a little more than an hour after touchdown, NSW Police Superintendent Wayne Humphrey said Peter Schott, the 53-year-old Queensland man at the controls, was cool, calm and handled the situation perfectly.

“He made a textbook wheels-up landing, which I was very happy to see … it was a great result. Really well done by the pilot,” Superintendent Humphrey said, adding the pilot sounded calm on the radio.

Neither the pilot, 60-year-old passenger Michael Reynolds or his 65-year-old wife were injured.

Speaking to 9 News, Mr Schott walked through the manoeuvre.

“It was all about minimising risk, so I had a figure in the back of my mind of how much fuel I wanted on-board for the least risk and I just circled until I got that figure,” he said on the tarmac.

“It was quite textbook.

“I learnt to fly before I could drive a car, when I was 15.”

Asked what he would do after touching down, Mr Schott said he might “have a wine”.

Mr Reynolds had nothing but praise for Mr Schott’s conduct.

“He did a wonderful job, he was awesome,” he said.

“(He) stayed calm all the time. Yeah I got to give it to him.”

Mr Schott works with the Royal Flying Doctor Service as an instructor and said he would have taught aspiring pilots the same landing technique “probably about … 200 times”.

The couple jumped out of the plane and drove home after being checked by emergency services, Superintendent Humphrey said.

Having taken off from the airport about 8.30am, the pilot realised there was a fault with the landing gear and stayed flying around the area hoping the issue would resolve, Superintendent Humphrey said.

When the gear would not co-operate, the pilot flew around to burn fuel and landed the plane on its belly.

“It’s a mechanical failure. Nothing untoward,” Superintendent Humphrey said.

The runway would be closed for 24 hours, or until the plane was removed, he said.

Initial indications were there was only superficial damage to the runway, but the air force would check further.

The commercial airport shares the land with RAAF Base Williamtown. The RAAF control the land.

Eastern Air Services registered flight XDV had been scheduled to make a 26-minute flight from Newcastle to Port Macquarie.

But the plane circled for nearly four hours.

A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said multiple crews had been sent to the airport.

A defence spokesman said the civilian King Air aircraft reported in-flight technical issues about 10.40am.

“The aircraft is currently expending fuel and will attempt a wheels up landing shortly,” the spokesman said.

FlightRadar24 lists the plane in question as a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air plane, which can carry 13 passengers, plus the pilot and an additional passenger in the cockpit.

Eastern Air Services is a charter company based at Port Macquarie that flies to Lord Howe Island and offers scenic and charter flights.

Dozens of onlookers had gathered at the airport and cheered, the Daily Mail reports, as the plane made a successful “wheels-up landing” at 12.19pm.

It could well be the most frightening day of most peoples’ lives, but a plane skidding to a stop with no landing gear is apparently not uncommon.

Some of our most beloved overseas destinations have travel warnings for risks and dangers many may not realise – and experts say it’s “frankly nuts” to not find out.

Customers have been left stranded after a major airline entered voluntary liquidation, cancelling all flights.

KPMG Personalisation

• ‘Group of 12’ Australian cities drive an integral part of Australia’s economic growth

KPMG releases Enterprising Cities report.

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Snapshot of Australia’s 12 Enterprising Cities

• Host 36% of Australia’s population (almost 10 million)
• Host 37% of Australian workers (around 5.2 million)
• Higher population growth (2.5 % vs 2.3% for rest of Australia)
• Greater worker growth (3.9% vs 3.1% for rest of Australia)
• Low unemployment rate (3.7% vs 3.7% for rest of Australia)

The growth trajectories of 12 of some of Australia’s fastest growing cities have been captured in KPMG’s new report, Enterprising Cities – How they are shaping future growth . As a group –  Adelaide, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hobart, Perth, Newcastle, Townsville, Western Sydney, and Wollongong – they present a dynamic picture as the regional centres which house a significant segment of Australia’s mid-market businesses. Together, they would contribute in the range of 40 percent of total national business revenue.

“The KPMG report presents 12 regional cities which are growth centres, business enterprise locations and population magnets,” said Naomi Mitchell, National Managing Partner KPMG Enterprise. “They are centres of innovation and productivity which can rival the big capital cities of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The mid-market businesses in our report cover a wide range of industry sectors including technology, manufacturing, banking and financial services, retail, and health and human services.”

She noted that the 12 cities are attracting people looking for both business and lifestyle opportunities. They offer strong future prospects, despite housing shortage challenges. “As a group, they could be referred to as the ‘engine room of the nation’s economy’ since they employ more than a third of Australians and contribute around 40 percent of total national business revenue. And as the demographic findings show, they are growing fast.​”

Terry Rawnsley, KPMG Urban Economist and author of the report said the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a notable shift in Australia's population growth. “The pandemic steered people away from the major capital cities towards smaller cities​. The 12 cities in this report represent upwards of 35 percent of Australia’s economy. In recent years, they have outpaced the national growth trend.​”

The report also highlights the record low unemployment rates in the 12 cities during 2023 and a strong shift in distributed population growth.​

“People were seeking lifestyle, local amenities, and more affordable housing at the same time as they were uncovering the newfound viability of remote work,” Terry said. “The move from urban to regional centres has certainly injected vitality into these regional city economies, altering the local and residential housing and jobs markets. 

“Consequently, there is a pressing need for additional housing supply, improved training and education, and enhanced infrastructure and services to sustain the growing populations,” he said.

Accelerators of Enterprising Cities

Naomi Mitchell said: “We see that technology has transformed the landscape and supported exciting growth in the 12 cities, with digitally enabled Enterprising Cities being connected locally and able to readily expand into national and global markets. ​What’s more, Australia’s accelerating energy transition and net zero objectives are also providing new opportunities for businesses in regional Australia.​”

Although Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney command the spotlight as the primary business and residential locations for Australia, the move to regional centres had highlighted the benefits of the broader cohort of cities.

Terry Rawnsley added: “As drawcard cities, these locations each offer an individual character and have their own attractions.

“Looking to the future for the ‘Group of 12’, each can stand on its own merits as a hub of commerce and innovation, with strong and dynamic job markets, and diversification of industries. And each continues to attract employment and lifestyle seekers from the east coast capitals of Australia. The challenge is continuing to sustain these growing populations with necessary infrastructure and services.”

For further information

Marjorie Johnston 0407 329 430 [email protected]

Exploring population, jobs and industry trends for 12 of Australia’s rapidly expanding cities.

Exploring population, jobs and industry trends for Australia’s rapidly expanding cities.