Collaboration between Capricorn Enterprise and Regional Development Australia

Posted on March 3rd, 2020

Capricorn Enterprise’s February Chairman’s Boardroom Lunch welcomed special guest, Grant Cassidy, Chair of Regional Development Australia Central and Western Queensland (RDACWQ), who presented the Region’s Priorities.

Recognising the value of a shared regional approach, RDACWQ in collaboration across its 12 local government areas has identified priority industries and transformational investments to realise the region’s potential. These investments seek to enable agriculture, resources, defence, tourism and manufacturing.

Home to 1 in 6 regional Queenslanders, the region contributed an estimated $17.7b to the state economy in 2018.

Entitled Red Dust to Reef: Australia’s Powerhouse Region, RDACWQ has identified key strategic investment required to underpin growth:

East West flights
East West road links
Gladstone Port Access Roads
Gladstone – Toowoomba Rail Connection
Emerald-Alpha Rail Connection
Three water dams
High speed internet and mobile networks
Emerald TAFE & QAC and RRR HE Policy
Gladstone Port container crane
Gladstone Port channel duplication

Additional RDACWQ projects identified for investment in the region include:

Agriculture

Skilled workforce
Tambo-Springsure Road
Blackall-Capricorn Highway
Dawson-Development Road
Alpha-Tambo Road

Resources sector

Tertiary school of mining and manufacturing in Central Queensland

Defence industry

Major logistical base for Australian Defence Force activities
Workforce skill development
Heavy vehicle maintenance facility

Tourism

Livingstone Convention Centre
Revitalising Great Keppel Island
Integrated tourism offering

Communities

Centre of excellence for rural and remote evacuative medicine
Senate enquiry into regional airfares
Additional aged care beds
Improve aging in place options
Zonal taxation review

Analysis of the economic benefits of the Regional Priorities has identified that an investment of approximately $10b staged over time will lead to an increase in the Gross Regional Product of Central and Western Queensland of more than $4b per year.

Capricorn Enterprise shares the same commitment to many of the priority projects. We continue to work with key proponents to ensure successful outcomes and regional development into the future.

Read the RDACWQ Regional Priorities Executive Summary.

Read the RDACWQ Regional Priorities full report.