Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
Travel is not just about the adventure, it is about the report back when you get home.
What was once slide carousels and picking up Kodak moments has been replaced by Instagram curation and Facebook reviews.
But it is still word of mouth that makes the real difference. When you can't stop talking about your trip. Your discovery of a new part of the world.
Instead of farewelling a destination vowing never to return, we want visitors so enthused they get home and organise for their friends and family to join them on a return trip.
We know that being a family friendly destination is the magic ingredient for tourism, workforce recruitment and for quality of life.
Right now, Perth has a big opportunity to be the most family friendly city in Australia, maybe the world.
The city where visitors come back, bring their families and become advocates for our isolated ocean oasis.
The place where you can have a once in a lifetime experiences every time you visit.
That is why we need a new strategic objective for Australia's west coast capital.
Perth should aspire to be the most family friendly city in Australia.
This strong, strategic objective would underpin every decision we make about our capital.
We can sell this vision to everyone. Investors, visitors, governments, and even to ourselves.
A goal we can all get behind. All understand. All be proud of the results.
Something which is more than a City Deal or a new piece of infrastructure. This will give us a shared way to plan the future of our capital.
If adopted, it will align the decisions we all need to make. Business, community and government. It would add to our strong State and National tourism campaigns.
Perth faces stiff competition. Brisbane has the 2032 Olympics. Sydney has the Bridge and the Opera House.
We can compete on lifestyle and on being a welcoming city. With more than 230,000 people working in and visiting our CBD every day, we need to be welcoming for all.
Disneyland lives up to its promise of the happiest place on earth.
Perth has started the journey to be the most family friendly city on earth.
The best things to happen to our city have been those which have made it more family friendly.
None more so than the WA Museum. It is the biggest tourist attraction in our City and is in the heart of Northbridge. There is the Moort-ak Waadiny playground at Wellington Square - a central wonderland for visitors of all ages.
Optus Stadium and RAC Arena are not just world-class venues, they are easy to access for families, and surrounded by additional activities.
Connecting it all, an expanding, accessible, and reliable public transport system.
Family friendly means friendly and welcoming for everyone. International tourists, intestate workers and families reconnecting for the first Christmas in three years. Key to our tourist success is our friendly and welcoming WA demeanour.
The City of Perth is already the most welcoming part of Western Australia. It is made up of people who chose Australia. 54 per cent of the population of the City of Perth was born overseas.
We are on track for Greater Perth to be home to 3.5 million people and Australia's third largest city. It is why the Albanese Government is investing so heavily in our State.
Work such as electric buses for Perth, building the Aboriginal Cultural Centre, a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic near Royal Perth to take pressure off our hospitals and the ongoing Metronet build.
Our massive investment in childcare is also making it cheaper and easier for parents to work in our capital. Just as the Australian Government's Housing Accord will address one of our nation's biggest economic challenges: the affordability and supply of housing.
All good for families and good for our economy.
Applying the goal of being "the most family friendly city in Australia" gives us clear answers to ongoing policy challenges.
It also shows we are already on the right path with more education services in the inner city. The push for greater diversity of affordable high-density housing in the inner city. Continued investment in homelessness to home services. Backing our arts and cultural institutions.
The time has come for a new strategic objective for Australia's West Coast Capital.
Perth: the most family friendly city in Australia. Are you with me?
Patrick Gorman is the Federal Member for Perth and the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister.
