Cut departure taxes, Bligh urges

CAIRNS - Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has backed calls for departure taxes between Australia and New Zealand to be slashed in a bid to boost cross-Tasman tourism.

Ms Bligh said Australia's A$47 ($58.18) departure tax was "a tax on tourism" and called for the amount to be slashed.

She called for the move to be considered as part of the review of the Australian tax system by federal Treasury secretary Ken Henry.

"With more flights coming into Queensland from New Zealand a A$47 tax is sometimes around about a quarter of the ticket - if we can reduce that, then that could increase the number of people coming here," she told reporters in Cairns.

"Frankly it's a tax on tourism. If we can lift it I think that might be a very good thing for the Queensland tourism industry."

She argued the federal government needed to do more to protect Queensland's 120,000 tourism workers.

"We are seeing very significant investment to protect jobs in industries like the car industry in other states ... the Queensland tourism industry is a much bigger employer," Ms Bligh said.

"Anything we can do to protect those jobs I would support."

- AAP