INFRASTRUCTURE & POLICY PRIORITIES

THE OPPORTUNITIES SUMMARISED BELOW ARE PIVOTAL TO HELP CAIRNS TNQ REBOUND FROM THE DEVASTATING ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF COVID-19 AND, IMPORTANTLY, CREATE MUCH-NEEDED DIVERSIFICATION AND RESILIENCE IN THE REGION’S ECONOMY.

Infrastructure

CAIRNS MARINE PRECINCT - P4

Delivery of federal/state funding to build the Common User Facility; $15m state funding to expand the Great Barrier Reef International Marine College; $24m federal funding over two years for capacity increases to the city’s shipyards.

CAIRNS UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT - P6

State funding for detailed design and construction of Cairns Health and Innovation Centre plus land acquisition for acute clinical services building; progress planning for Health and Wellbeing Precinct.

EDUCATION & RESEARCH - P8

Delivery of $50m federal funding for new CQUniversity CBD campus; $15m state funding Great Barrier Reef International Marine College; consideration for 40 of 80 additional places JCU Medical School.

FOOD AND WATER SECURITY - P10

State and Federal Governments finalise funding agreements with CRC, deliver shared $215m Cairns Water Security - Stage 1; state completes RWA Atherton Tablelands by mid-2023; $2.5m federal funding Etheridge Shire Irrigation Project; $7m from NWIDF business case North Johnstone River diversion scheme.

NORTHERN BEACHES ROADS - P12

Shared funding for Captain Cook Hwy ($359m) and Cairns Western Arterial Road ($300m) allocated over four years in State and Federal Budgets; master planning for both projects finalised by mid-2023.

TABLELANDS ACCESS - P14

Delivery of $210m federal funding Kuranda Range Road, including $21m for business case into preferred alternative routes; State and Federal Governments work together to extend NLTN from Smithfield to Mareeba.

INLAND ROADS - P16

$398m state and federal funding over 10 years Gulf Savannah Way; $25m federal funding to complete upgrade Kennedy Developmental Road.

Policy

REGIONAL HEALTH PLANNING - P18

$6m federal funding palliative care hospice; $1.5m federal funding mental health initiatives; $2m federal funding local workforce strategies.

TNQ EXPORT MARKET DEVELOPMENT GRANT WAIVER - P20

Federal Government commitment to extend and waive eligibility for the Export Market Development Grants to TNQ export businesses.

SUPERYACHT CHARTERING - P22

Federal Government removes or extends for further five years the sunset clause in Special Recreational Vessels Act.

PACIFIC ENGAGEMENT - P24

Operational headquarters in Cairns for DFAT Office of the Pacific; Cairns designated Australia’s northern hub for Step-Up to the Pacific.

SPECIALIST BOAT BUILDING - P26

$8m joint funding for landslide supply chain resilience. That Cairns be recognised by Federal Government as high priority alternative for specialist boat building; State and Federal Governments commit to working with Sea Swift to ensure their vessel upgrades occur in Cairns.