Treasurer welcomes new Brisbane Innovation Precinct

Treasurer Curtis Pitt today visited the site of Queensland’s newest Innovation Precinct at Brisbane Technology Park on the city’s southside.

Mr Pitt marked the occasion with a turning of the soil event along with Member for Stretton Duncan Pegg at the Palaszczuk Government’s third Community Cabinet.

The Innovation Precinct will encompass a hotel, four level parking station and five new office buildings with commercial office, technical, laboratory and retail space.

Mr Pitt said the new precinct marked an important expansion of the nationally recognised Brisbane Technology Park.

“This new precinct will build on Queensland’s reputation as an innovation centre of excellence with world class, knowledge-based jobs and industries,” he said.

“Since its inception, the park has developed to accommodate more than 150 national and multi-national companies working in industries including biotech, health and medical, mining, communications, electronics, and software development.

“It features the largest area of high security laboratory space in Australia and is the only specialist technology precinct in Queensland.

“This expansion will enhance Brisbane Technology Park’s appeal as an innovation centre of excellence, while delivering an important boost to the construction industry.

“Construction on the new Innovation Centre is already underway, with the project set to deliver up to an extra 25,000 square metres of commercial and office space.

“This will support 450 new construction jobs, and that’s great news for local tradies and contractors who will also benefit from this important project.”

Mr Pitt said significant medical and scientific breakthroughs had emerged from the businesses who have established their operations here.

“These include the endovascular stent graft technology developed by Cook Medical to treat aortic aneurysm disease, and the advancements in food safety technology developed by Symbio Alliance,” he said.

“We want to see more home-grown technological breakthroughs emerging from Queensland, and that’s what our Advance Queensland initiative is all about.

“This $180 million initiative is about bridging the gap between great ideas and the jobs they can lead to.

“It’s about empowering our best entrepreneurs, innovators and thinkers, and translating their work into commercial successes.”

Member for Stretton Duncan Pegg said Brisbane Technology Park, which housed Queensland’s first Super Computer in 1989, had a bright future.

“Almost thirty years on, the Innovation Precinct will continue attracting technology businesses to Queensland’s premier business park,” he said.

“Brisbane Technology Park is creating jobs now, and jobs for the future and this expansion will enable it to keep attracting the best and the brightest to power Queensland’s knowledge-based economy.”

The Innovation Precinct is a joint venture of commercial property developers Alceon Group and Graystone.

Media Contact: Martin Philip 0427 919 548