Building our Regions creates jobs in Far North Indigenous communities

Indigenous communities in Far North Queensland will benefit from more jobs and improved infrastructure under the Palaszczuk Government’s successful $295 million Building our Regions (BoR) program.

Member for Cook Cynthia Lui welcomed today’s BoR announcements – made by the Palaszczuk Government’s Ministerial Champions, who promote the interests of remote Indigenous communities across Queensland.

Ms Lui said investment in the region was critical for meeting current and future demands of remote communities. 

“The BoR projects announced today provide valuable infrastructure to our regional and remote communities, improving liveability and economic conditions,” she said.

“The Far North faces unique infrastructure and climate challenges, and programs like Building our Regions help our local councils meet these challenges in an outcome-driven way.

“By funding projects such as the $1 million upgrade to the Kowanyama Airport, the Palaszczuk Government is creating jobs in sectors like transport, construction and tourism.”

BoR is a targeted regional infrastructure program for local government projects.

The purpose of the program is to provide funding for critical infrastructure in regional areas of the state that meet the specifics needs of regional communities.

Ms Lui said the Palaszczuk Government had been taking action across the state to boost the economy for the benefit of all Queenslanders.

“Since January 2015, more than 181,000 jobs have been created in Queensland,” Ms Lui said.

“In December alone, 6000 jobs were created, and three-quarters of those jobs were full-time, which means 35,300 jobs were created in Queensland in the past year.

“That’s more than the LNP Newman Government created over their whole term.”

Under previous rounds, the program has allocated $225 million to 174 critical infrastructure projects across the state, generating 1762 jobs and attracting additional investment of $353.5 million from councils and other organisations.

New projects in the Cook electorate funded under Round 4 of Building our Regions:

• Mapoon Residential Aged Care Facility and Mapoon Shire Staff Accommodation ($2 million)
• Kowanyama Transport Hub – Airport Terminal Stage 2 ($1.03 million)
• Lockhart River Airport Cabins ($1.018 million)
• Sadies Beach Helipad – Thursday Island ($565,000)
• George Bowen Memorial Kindergarten – Hope Vale ($557,825)

Learn more about the Building our Regions program.

ENDS

Media contact: Ben Doyle 0400 775 561