"If we nail that, we're talking bigger than MONA [the Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart, Tasmania]. "If we own that, and that's in an iconic location on our [Brisbane] River, then you have to come to Queensland to see it and that's my dream ... which I wasn't going to talk about it because we haven't funded it yet." Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones says Brisbane could have a centre for Indigenous art, history and culture which could be "bigger than MONA". Credit:Tammy Law Ms Jones was responding to a question of whether Brisbane needed an icon or a "big thing", like Sydney's Opera House, to lure tourists to Queensland's capital city. She said industry wanted to back the idea.

"My biggest fear is that they might go back to Sydney or Melbourne and tell them that they want to do it but I think we've got the edge because we are the state with Torres Strait Islander culture and we're also the state with more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living here and working here than any other state," Ms Jones said. "If we can pull that off and it's an amazing, iconic structure and showcases and tells the true history of what's happened in our country, then I think that will be a game-changer." It is understood a site has not been chosen. Loading Brisbane Marketing chief operating officer Rob Nelson said tourists generally wanted to experience more of the country's Indigenous culture.

"It's something which we talk about often. Have we cracked it? No, we haven't. Is there opportunity? Yes, there is massively," he said. "It's about working with the Indigenous groups to create that authentic experience." The idea of a landmark Indigenous cultural centre for Brisbane has been floated for decades, including funding for a cultural consultancy in 2011 and a feasibility study and business case in more recent years. On Friday, Ms Jones also announced investors would be invited to develop three new ecotourism trails in north Queensland and the Sunshine Coast. Expressions of interest have opened to deliver the Thorsborne Trail in Townsville, Cooloola Great Walk on the Sunshine Coast, and the Whitsunday Island Trail.

"We want to partner with the private sector, councils and traditional owners to promote our world class national parks and develop new ecotourism," Ms Jones said. "The latest tourism data shows that visitors are looking for unique experiences - today's announcement is about positioning Queensland to capitalise on this growing demand." Ms Jones said the walks would be environmentally-responsible and there was also the potential for more ecowalks. "We're currently also looking at options down at the Gold Coast as well as the Sunshine Coast," she said. Meanwhile, Brisbane Airport Corporation chief executive Gert-Jan de Graaff said the city's new parallel runway would give the airport approximately the same capacity as Hong Kong and Singapore.