Northern Australian tourism has received a boost with a decision to expand CSIRO’s TraNSIT transport modelling tool to include tourist data.

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matt Canavan announced today $150,000 would be invested to upgrade CSIRO’s Transport Network Strategic Investment Tool (TraNSIT).

Speaking from Mount Isa, where he hosted the third Ministerial Forum on Northern Development, Minister Canavan said federal and state ministers had agreed this was an important initiative to boost tourism in the north.

“Over the past six years, TraNSIT has been used to analyse transport and logistics options and estimate transport cost savings,” Minister Canavan said.

“TraNSIT helped determine road projects under the Northern Australia Beef Roads Program and has been expanded to include mining.

“Now, this funding announced today will ensure that tourism is included in determining road priorities under the $1.5 billion Roads of Strategic Importance – Northern Australia program.

“We will be able to better estimate the benefits of road upgrades to the tourism sector.”

Minister Canavan said the six-month, $150,000 project would be co-funded by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, through the Office of Northern Australia, and the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities, in partnership with Austrade.

The forum included ministers from the Commonwealth, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

They acknowledged the importance of the report Northern Horizons – Unleashing our Tourism Potential produced by the Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia and agreed that the development of tourism was a priority for the region.