Forging ahead –emerging stronger in a post-pandemic world

What a difference a year makes.

The past 12 months have seen an extraordinary revival in business activity and economic growth across the region. This accelerated activity continued to gather momentum for Advance Cairns as the year drew to a close with a significant number of major funding wins for the region.

The federal election in May saw the Albanese Government elected with a host of pre-election commitments to Far North Queensland - and Northern Australia broadly. The new government delivered on these promises in its October Budget with more than half a billion dollars for major, transformative initiatives with wide-reaching impacts across the Far North Queensland economy.

THE FEDERAL BUDGET DELIVERED ON $150 million towards an expansion of the Cairns Marine Precinct (matched by the Queensland Government)

• $50 million for a new CQUniversity Cairns CBD Campus

• $210 million for safety and capacity upgrades to the Kuranda Range Road

• $107.5 million for the Cairns Water Security Project Stage One (matched by the Queensland Government)

$13.2 million over three years from 2023-24 for James Cook University to establish a full medical school program in Cairns, including 20 new Commonwealth Supported Places

• $15 million in international destination marketing funds for Tourism Tropical North Queensland

These essential investments of both federal and state funds were a major highlight of the year and reflected years of advocacy in partnership with many stakeholders across the region. As Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King noted at an Advance Cairns function, “smart advocacy” by Advance Cairns on behalf of the region has indeed borne fruit and will result in an increased diversification of the Far North Queensland economy.

Our close engagement with the State Government continued throughout the year and saw further significant announcements, notably the Deputy Premier Steven Miles’s confirmation of a renewed

Far North Queensland Regional Plan, underpinned by a regional economic strategy. Further, the Premier announced that the next Regional Sitting of Queensland Parliament would be held in Cairns in May this year. This is a major coup for the region and a fantastic way to showcase the opening of the expanded Cairns Convention Centre.

The year saw significant policy changes at both state and federal level with the new federal government introducing policy on climate change and energy, and at state level, the launch of the Palaszczuk Government's Energy and Jobs Plan.

In light of a successful advocacy campaign and the changing political landscape, Advance Cairns is undertaking a comprehensive review of our own strategic advocacy priorities to ensure we maximise opportunities for the region.

One of our corporate highlight speakers of the year, NBN Australia CEO Stephen Rue, spoke of regionalisation and digitisation as among the five key megatrends which are shaping our future.

The Covid years accelerated a move to regionalisation across the nation as workers across sectors reevaluated what was important and as jobs became portable – this time by choice and not by stint of geographic isolation.

We look forward to continuing to work with our stakeholders and our members to advance the region. We are unashamedly passionate and enthusiastic about the as yet untapped potential of the region as well as the transformational projects that will be completed and opened during 2023. The region is well and truly bouncing back.

NICK TROMPF Chair, Advance Cairns

JACINTA REDDAN CEO, Advance Cairns