Published Wednesday, 27 June, 2007 at 12:30 PM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
STATE GOVERNMENT NAMES PRIORITY INDUSTRIES FOR CAIRNS REGION
Cairns: Minister for State Development John Mickel today announced regional aviation and tropical expertise as the first two industries to be targeted under Cairns and the Far North’s Centre of Enterprise Initiative.
“These industries have been identified through collaboration with local business, industry, stakeholders and previous initiatives. The initiative will strengthen the region’s capacity to diversify and build a stronger economy able to withstand any economic downturn,” he said.
“With world class maintenance and avionics capabilities, an incredible diversity of fixed wing and rotary operators and state-of-the-art training facilities there is a very real capacity for Cairns to become an integral part of the domestic and international aviation industry.
“Developing the region’s tropical expertise will be about supporting those companies that have developed a specialised approach to their operations because of the very unique nature of doing business in the tropics – whether it be in waste management, health, construction or tourism.
“What has been identified is that many of our Far North businesses have perfected ways of working, technologies and systems that work best in the tropics – and there are certainly other areas throughout the world with similar climates and geography that are crying out for some of these services.”
“Activities in Cairns will complement the work being undertaken in the Townsville and North West region, which recently held a Tropical Science and Innovation Festival.
“Already recognised for its research capability, the region has also identified Tropical Science and Expertise as a focus area for its Centres of Enterprise initiative . I’m sure the two regions will work closely together.”
Mr Mickel named Cairns and the Far North as one of six Queensland Centres of Enterprise in November last year when he attended a chamber business breakfast in the city.
“In that time the local State Development Centre has continued to work closely with local business, industry and stakeholder groups to build on past regional development activities and identify the region’s strengths and opportunities,” he said.
“Action Plans are now in development for both industries and our focus is on concentrating efforts on building supply chains, increasing value-adding, commercialising our smart technologies and skills and attracting even more investment to the region in these areas.”
Mr Mickel said the Centres of Enterprise initiative was a new way of channelling regional development activities.
“From the State Government’s perspective, the six regions we’ve identified throughout Queensland have the potential to become economic powerhouses in their own right,” he said.
“Naming a region like Cairns and the Far North as a Centre of Enterprise is about encouraging local business and industry to see the region as one of great economic opportunity.
“If we can channel our resources into very specific projects that are going to really drive our key industries that’s going to mean world-class operations, more highly skilled jobs, greater opportunities for workers and ultimately more wealth for the region.
“Cairns’ ability to be enterprising will reap great rewards.”
During his visit to Cairns Mr Mickel also made good on a promise to Minister for Child Safety and Member for Cairns Desley Boyle that the State Government would fund the economic strategy component of the upcoming FNQ 2025 Regional Plan.
“FNQ 2025 will marry nicely with the Centres of Enterprise Initiative because it is attempting to map a much wider picture of the state of the region’s economy – information that will inform how the initiative may develop over time and what other sectors may need attention to further diversify the economy in the future,” he said.
Queensland’s six Centres of Enterprise are: Darling Downs and South West Queensland, Wide Bay Burnett, Fitzroy and Central West Queensland, Mackay and the Whitsundays, Townsville and North West Queensland, and Cairns and Far North Queensland.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
27 June, 2007
“These industries have been identified through collaboration with local business, industry, stakeholders and previous initiatives. The initiative will strengthen the region’s capacity to diversify and build a stronger economy able to withstand any economic downturn,” he said.
“With world class maintenance and avionics capabilities, an incredible diversity of fixed wing and rotary operators and state-of-the-art training facilities there is a very real capacity for Cairns to become an integral part of the domestic and international aviation industry.
“Developing the region’s tropical expertise will be about supporting those companies that have developed a specialised approach to their operations because of the very unique nature of doing business in the tropics – whether it be in waste management, health, construction or tourism.
“What has been identified is that many of our Far North businesses have perfected ways of working, technologies and systems that work best in the tropics – and there are certainly other areas throughout the world with similar climates and geography that are crying out for some of these services.”
“Activities in Cairns will complement the work being undertaken in the Townsville and North West region, which recently held a Tropical Science and Innovation Festival.
“Already recognised for its research capability, the region has also identified Tropical Science and Expertise as a focus area for its Centres of Enterprise initiative . I’m sure the two regions will work closely together.”
Mr Mickel named Cairns and the Far North as one of six Queensland Centres of Enterprise in November last year when he attended a chamber business breakfast in the city.
“In that time the local State Development Centre has continued to work closely with local business, industry and stakeholder groups to build on past regional development activities and identify the region’s strengths and opportunities,” he said.
“Action Plans are now in development for both industries and our focus is on concentrating efforts on building supply chains, increasing value-adding, commercialising our smart technologies and skills and attracting even more investment to the region in these areas.”
Mr Mickel said the Centres of Enterprise initiative was a new way of channelling regional development activities.
“From the State Government’s perspective, the six regions we’ve identified throughout Queensland have the potential to become economic powerhouses in their own right,” he said.
“Naming a region like Cairns and the Far North as a Centre of Enterprise is about encouraging local business and industry to see the region as one of great economic opportunity.
“If we can channel our resources into very specific projects that are going to really drive our key industries that’s going to mean world-class operations, more highly skilled jobs, greater opportunities for workers and ultimately more wealth for the region.
“Cairns’ ability to be enterprising will reap great rewards.”
During his visit to Cairns Mr Mickel also made good on a promise to Minister for Child Safety and Member for Cairns Desley Boyle that the State Government would fund the economic strategy component of the upcoming FNQ 2025 Regional Plan.
“FNQ 2025 will marry nicely with the Centres of Enterprise Initiative because it is attempting to map a much wider picture of the state of the region’s economy – information that will inform how the initiative may develop over time and what other sectors may need attention to further diversify the economy in the future,” he said.
Queensland’s six Centres of Enterprise are: Darling Downs and South West Queensland, Wide Bay Burnett, Fitzroy and Central West Queensland, Mackay and the Whitsundays, Townsville and North West Queensland, and Cairns and Far North Queensland.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
27 June, 2007