Numbers of backpackers declined with borders closed to visa holders from March 2020 to February 2022. But since borders reopened they have not recovered as hoped.
The policy focus is overwhelmingly on care and support services. There are decreasing levels of attention to housing, transport, walkability and, least of all, cultural diversity.
The crash killed 42-year-old mother Nancy Lefrançois and her 11-year-old son Loïc Chevalier, who were travelling in a passenger vehicle struck in the collision.