$160 million Bush Boost
Posted on August 22nd, 2023
At last week’s Courier Mail Bush Summit held in Rockhampton, the Premier announced a $160 Million Bush Boost, with details yet to be released.
An overview of the grant is available here.
- $50 million Backing Business in the Bush Fund established to help businesses expand and relocate to the regions
- An additional $30 million Backing Bush Communities Fund for workforce training and invasive species management and community projects
- An additional $79.1 million for a new mental health facility in Rockhampton
- $5 million to rollout clinical trials for a new ground-breaking Alzheimer’s therapy to the regions
- 2,000 new digital devices for students in regional and remote Queensland
According to the release, a new $50 million Backing Business in the Bush Fund will help businesses expand, relocate to the regions, and adapt as Queensland competes for export markets. It will help business to improve national and international competitiveness through productivity improvements, increase private sector investment, and support businesses and industries to further adapt to economic change with increased employment and upskilling opportunities.
A separate $30 million Backing Bush Communities Fund includes $10 million for local councils to fund community projects that will benefit locals and visitors alike.
Councils and community organisations based outside of South-East Queensland will be able to apply for grants of $50,000 for the improvement of accessibility and amenity of local infrastructure including parks, recreation and water supply facilities, or support experiences like music trails and festivals.
It also includes $8 million for workforce training initiatives and invasive species threats, and will also fund industry training programs by Queensland Farmers’ Federation and AgForce.
A new ground-breaking treatment for Alzheimer’s, which uses ultrasound technology to stimulate the brain, is receiving $5 million to expand clinical trials into the regions through a partnership with the Queensland Brain Institute.
Included in the announcement is 2,000 digital devices for students in regional and remote Queensland, provided in partnership with not-for-profit LiteHaus International.
Mental health services in and around Rockhampton will be significantly boosted with a brand new $91.9 million, 31 bed mental health facility to replace the existing mental health unit.
