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 more about our Priority Initiatives here.
Read the RDACWQ Regional Priorities Executive Summary.
Read the RDACWQ Regional Priorities full report.
