Ingham hosting North, North West Queensland Regional Community Forum

• Workforce attraction and retention, training and employment pathways, and youth mental health services are in focus as the members of the North, North West Queensland Regional Community Forum gather in Ingham on Monday.
• The event is co-chaired by the Member for Mundingburra Les Walker and the Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper.

The Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan creates vast opportunities across Queensland, and nowhere is that more prominent than in the renewable and critical mineral rich North and North West regions.

Since 2015, approximately $800 million invested in the Townsville region, creating more than 400 megawatts of renewable energy and supporting more than 900 construction jobs.

Estimated additional investment in electricity infrastructure for Townsville of $1.45 billion by 2040.

Northern Queensland will play a leading role in transforming our Queensland.

During a recent trip to Townsville, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the State Government would build and own Copperstring 2032, creating 800 jobs and unlocking over $500 billion in new critical minerals mining.

Townsville’s manufacturing capability hosting good local jobs in industrial supply chains, and the expansion of the region’s publicly owned ports will capitalise on Australia’s hydrogen export and critical minerals processing opportunity.

This investment creates hundreds of jobs during construction and opens up thousands of job creating opportunities across the region – including in renewables, manufacturing, mining and critical mineral processing.

In Outback Queensland, more than $300 million invested on renewable energy infrastructure since 2015, supporting more than 100 megawatts of clean power and approximately 300 construction jobs.

The Palaszczuk Government is also delivering the $100 million Equipping TAFE for our Future program upgrading TAFE campuses across the regions, building on our record investment in training infrastructure of almost $280 million since 2017.

$85 million has been invested in Advancing our Training Infrastructure which modernised seven flagship campuses across Queensland; these upgrades are ensuring Queenslanders can access a world-class TAFE facility to train in.

Forum members will visit key projects in the region, including the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ ‘Grain in the Rain’ site at Bambaroo and the Lucinda seawall. 

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Resources, Scott Stewart:

“The region has supply chain infrastructure which supports Queensland’s investment in renewables, driving an exciting energy future and ensuring Queensland leads the way in evolving towards cleaner, greener energy,” Minister Stewart said.

“It’s important to work directly with our regional community members in places like Ingham to ensure they benefit from this exciting future.”

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water Glenn Butcher:

“North, North West Queensland is at the heart of Queensland’s status as an energy powerhouse, and this supports job opportunities in the region, backed by the Forum members delivering great outcomes for local communities.

 “The Queensland Government is also investing in TAFE campuses across the region to train Queenslanders for a brighter future,” Minister Butcher said.

 Fast Facts

• Copperstring 2032’s connection to Mount Isa represents a unique opportunity to support a clean energy industrial ecosystem from the North West Minerals Province to Townsville, growing opportunities for jobs in the clean energy economy.
• Since 2017, the Queensland Government has invested $41.95 million in North and North West Queensland training infrastructure with new and upgraded facilities at TAFE campuses at Bohle, Burdekin, Ingham, Mount Isa, Normanton, Palm Island, and Pimlico.
• Since 2015, $44.48 million has been invested in North Queensland through the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative to assist 7698 disadvantaged Queenslanders. As at 31 January 2023, 5746 Queenslanders have been assisted, with 3194 participants securing jobs as a direct result of the initiative.

• Since the introduction of Buy Queensland on 1 September 2017, the Queensland Government has invested, through procurement, $1.54 billion with 4070 businesses in the Townsville region, and $1.13 billion with 4060 businesses in Outback Queensland, as at 31 December 2022.

 Further Background

• Also attending are the Minister for Resources Scott Stewart and the Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water Glenn Butcher.
• The North North West Queensland Regional Community Forum is one of seven Forums to be held in regional centres across the state on Monday, with similar Forums for Far North Queensland, Mackay Isaac Whitsunday, Western Queensland, Central Queensland, Wide Bay Burnett Fraser Coast, and Darling Downs South West Queensland.
• This is the first meeting of the Forum members in 2023, with three more Regional Community Forums scheduled throughout the year. 
• The Regional Community Forums are part of the Queensland Government’s Advancing Queensland’s Regions strategy, supported by the Office for Rural and Regional Queensland.

For more information about Advancing Queensland’s Regions, visit Advancing Queensland’s Regions

ENDS