Innovative Queensland continues to build business confidence

Published Tuesday, 01 March, 2016 at 10:44 AM

Treasurer, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Minister for Sport
The Honourable Curtis Pitt

Prospective tenants are already lining up to secure commercial space in Brisbane’s new Innovation Precinct, as the pioneering development nears completion.

On site today, Treasurer Curtis Pitt said the expansion would attract new companies and talent to the Brisbane Technology Park by building its reputation as a centre of excellence.

“I’m certain that the next generation of medical and scientific breakthroughs will be coming out of Queensland and fantastic facilities like this,” Mr Pitt said.

“I turned the first sod here just six months ago and it’s impressive to see construction now more than two-thirds complete, having supported around 450 jobs during construction and more ongoing jobs to come when tenants move in.

“These are the type of business initiatives we are encouraging through initiatives like Advance Queensland empowering innovators to take risks others wouldn’t dare.

“A key initiative within Advance Queensland, the $40 million Business Development Fund, offers a dollar-for dollar partnership with the private sector to help young entrepreneurs turn their ideas into a commercial reality.

“This new Innovation Precinct will deliver an extra 20,000 square metres of commercial office space and lure some of the best and brightest minds from around Australia and the world right here to Queensland.”

The Innovation Precinct is a joint venture between Alceon Group and Graystone to create a hotel, four level parking station and five new office buildings with commercial office, technical, laboratory and retail space.

Stretton MP Duncan Pegg he’d welcome more innovative local developments.

“I fully expect savvy Southerners to move north to take advantage of our lower taxes and affordable housing compared to other capital cities,” Mr Pegg said.

“And I say to them we’re open for business; in fact business confidence in Queensland has led the nation every month for the past seven months according to the National Australia Bank's Business Survey.

“The Palaszczuk Government is committed to building a future-focused Queensland and encouraging developments like this are a big part of that.

“Expanding the Technology Park will build on Queensland’s reputation as the state of innovation with world class, knowledge-based jobs and industries.”

The Brisbane Technology Park was an initiative of an innovative Labor Government in 2001 and the Brisbane Technology Park continues to expand with $300 million in new facilities planned to come online over the next five years.

Since its inception the Brisbane Technology Park had developed to accommodate an impressive array of more than 150 national and multi-national companies across an array of fields including biotech, health and medical, mining, communications, electronics, and software development.

 

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