Published Wednesday, 27 June, 2007 at 10:00 AM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
FNQ BENEFITS FROM QLD GOVERNMENT FUNDING, SAYS MICKEL
Cairns: Minister for State Development John Mickel today said the Queensland Government’s commitment to Far North Queensland was unquestionable.
“The Queensland Government has approved more than $47.6 million [$47,610,838] in business assistance to Cairns and the Far North region since 1998,” Mr Mickel said.
“Over that period, around $1.8 million [$1,853,000] of this amount has been paid to the Cairns Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC).”
Mr Mickel said the vast bulk of Far North Queensland business assistance – more than $45.7 million [$45 757 838] – had been distributed outside of CREDC and had gone directly towards supporting industry and business growth across a range of sectors.
He said the Queensland Government’s assistance to the region was achieving results.
“Northern Iron and Brass Foundry (NIBF), one of Innisfail’s major employers, received a Regional Business Development Scheme (RBDS) grant in July 2006 and has since diversified its production and gone on to achieve some $300,000 in new sales,” Mr Mickel said.
Manufacturing iron, steel, bronze and aluminium castings, the NIBF is a significant player in the local economy and the Wangan township near Innisfail is built around the 75 year-old business which employs more than 100 people.
The $22,798 grant helped with the introduction of a new spectrometer based on state-of-the-art optical and electrical technology.
Northern Iron and Brass Foundry manager Joe Vecchio said the metal analysis spectrometer replaced its previous 18 year-old technology which lacked software to read the chemical make up of special steels.
“Now we can give quotes and manufacture new special grades of steel products that we wouldn’t have been able to before, such as high-alloyed steels. We have since produced around $300,000 of special steel products for Australian markets in the year-to-date, and we expect to achieve similar sales in the coming year.
“Two more staff have been taken on board, and our current team has received training to operate the new technology.
“Without the funding, the project would have been delayed for years, or may not have happened at all.”
Mr Mickel today announced $164,000 in funding through the RBDS: Cyclone Larry Special scheme to help North Queensland Agricultural Supplies Pty Ltd (NQAS) adopt new business software systems and develop a new marketing strategy.
He said $87,500 was previously awarded to NQAS through the Queensland Industry Development Scheme in 2005 for the employment of an export manager to solely concentrate on increasing export markets.
NQAS has been recognised in the Australian agricultural industry since 1964 as a leader in the supply and manufacturer of parts, components and farm machinery to the global sugar industry.
NQAS export manager Dale Chapple said the company had already been exporting to Asia, Africa, and the United States but wanted assistance to get into new markets especially in Latin America.
“We have now added Nicaragua and Columbia to our list of export markets, expanded our customer base in other markets including Ecuador, Costa Rica and Guatemala, and employed a Spanish translator as a result,” Mr Chapple said.
“The majority of new products allocated to the research and development department are generated by export requests for quotations, so this project has been of great value to NQAS.”
Minister Mickel said companies creating new business, employment and export opportunities, like NIBF and NQAS, were pivotal to the growth of the Far North Queensland region.
He also reiterated the Cairns State Development Centre’s important role in providing support to help business and industries grow.
“During the last year alone,1000 small to medium sized businesses have attended workshops run by the Centre. And it also provided 1400 one-on-one consultations with clients and developed 32 new exporters,” he said.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784
Northern Iron and Brass Foundry contact: Joe Vecchio 4064 0503, joe.vecchio@crevet.com.au
North Queensland Agricultural Supplies contact: Dale Chapple, 4054 1118, Dale.chapple@nqas.com.au
27 June, 2007
“The Queensland Government has approved more than $47.6 million [$47,610,838] in business assistance to Cairns and the Far North region since 1998,” Mr Mickel said.
“Over that period, around $1.8 million [$1,853,000] of this amount has been paid to the Cairns Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC).”
Mr Mickel said the vast bulk of Far North Queensland business assistance – more than $45.7 million [$45 757 838] – had been distributed outside of CREDC and had gone directly towards supporting industry and business growth across a range of sectors.
He said the Queensland Government’s assistance to the region was achieving results.
“Northern Iron and Brass Foundry (NIBF), one of Innisfail’s major employers, received a Regional Business Development Scheme (RBDS) grant in July 2006 and has since diversified its production and gone on to achieve some $300,000 in new sales,” Mr Mickel said.
Manufacturing iron, steel, bronze and aluminium castings, the NIBF is a significant player in the local economy and the Wangan township near Innisfail is built around the 75 year-old business which employs more than 100 people.
The $22,798 grant helped with the introduction of a new spectrometer based on state-of-the-art optical and electrical technology.
Northern Iron and Brass Foundry manager Joe Vecchio said the metal analysis spectrometer replaced its previous 18 year-old technology which lacked software to read the chemical make up of special steels.
“Now we can give quotes and manufacture new special grades of steel products that we wouldn’t have been able to before, such as high-alloyed steels. We have since produced around $300,000 of special steel products for Australian markets in the year-to-date, and we expect to achieve similar sales in the coming year.
“Two more staff have been taken on board, and our current team has received training to operate the new technology.
“Without the funding, the project would have been delayed for years, or may not have happened at all.”
Mr Mickel today announced $164,000 in funding through the RBDS: Cyclone Larry Special scheme to help North Queensland Agricultural Supplies Pty Ltd (NQAS) adopt new business software systems and develop a new marketing strategy.
He said $87,500 was previously awarded to NQAS through the Queensland Industry Development Scheme in 2005 for the employment of an export manager to solely concentrate on increasing export markets.
NQAS has been recognised in the Australian agricultural industry since 1964 as a leader in the supply and manufacturer of parts, components and farm machinery to the global sugar industry.
NQAS export manager Dale Chapple said the company had already been exporting to Asia, Africa, and the United States but wanted assistance to get into new markets especially in Latin America.
“We have now added Nicaragua and Columbia to our list of export markets, expanded our customer base in other markets including Ecuador, Costa Rica and Guatemala, and employed a Spanish translator as a result,” Mr Chapple said.
“The majority of new products allocated to the research and development department are generated by export requests for quotations, so this project has been of great value to NQAS.”
Minister Mickel said companies creating new business, employment and export opportunities, like NIBF and NQAS, were pivotal to the growth of the Far North Queensland region.
He also reiterated the Cairns State Development Centre’s important role in providing support to help business and industries grow.
“During the last year alone,1000 small to medium sized businesses have attended workshops run by the Centre. And it also provided 1400 one-on-one consultations with clients and developed 32 new exporters,” he said.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784
Northern Iron and Brass Foundry contact: Joe Vecchio 4064 0503, joe.vecchio@crevet.com.au
North Queensland Agricultural Supplies contact: Dale Chapple, 4054 1118, Dale.chapple@nqas.com.au
27 June, 2007