APRIL 14, 2016: It was a pleasure to welcome the Assistant Minister for Immigration Senator James McGrath to Mackay today to shore up support for international flights to New Zealand.International flights out of centres like Mackay and the Whitsundays will provide a vital tourism boost for this region and be a great step forward in diversifying our economic base.Senator McGrath is a fellow Queenslander who understands the value of tourism and I welcome his support of plans by both the Mackay Airport and the Whitsunday Coast Airport to provide direct access to the international market.Senator McGrath met with Mackay Airport general manager Rob Porter and Hello World Mackay managing director Steven Boxall this afternoon.“George Christensen has been advocating strongly for these projects and I support his representation on the plans,” Senator McGrath said.“These are great initiatives from the Mackay Airport and Whitsunday Coast Airport to offer international flights from regional centres.“They will provide a fantastic tourism boost and stimulate jobs in the hospitality and retail sectors.”Senator McGrath said the next step in the process was assessing demand for international services.“We’ve already done the preliminary investigations of the airports’ infrastructure and border agency resourcing requirements which are necessary to support international air services,” Mr McGrath said.“We are now looking forward to Mackay Airport and Whitsunday Coast Airport demonstrating demand for international services and a commitment from international airlines to operate ongoing services.“I would encourage the residents of the north to show their support for international flights as we continue to work through the approvals process on these exciting opportunities.”I also spoke with Whitsunday Airport interim CEO Scott Waters and Whitsunday Mayor Andrew Willcox this morning.They assured me their consultations with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection are progressing well.What we have confirmed today is that there is considerable Federal Government support for the initiative shown by both airports, and I also encourage the people of the region to get behind this plan when the opportunity arises.