Economic development

from Ready for Renewal - 2020 Advance Cairns Year in Review

Policy priorities

Export 2030 – Delivering Fresh Food Fast

In 2020, Advance Cairns led the completion of an important research study in conjunction with the Co-operative Research Centre for Northern Australia (CRCNA) and key industry stakeholders including Cairns airport, with the aim to double FNQ high value food exports to $120m by 2030.

The Export 2030 – Delivering Fresh Food Fast report provides a roadmap to realise this ambitious target, with key recommendations to achieve opportunities for the agricultural industry of FNQ, such as building regional economic resilience, de-risking reliance on domestic markets and southern ports and increasing job opportunities in the region. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant economic impacts on the FNQ region and disruption of supply chain routes due to the closing of international and state borders. This has only served to highlight the importance of strengthening our supply chain network, improving our export relationships and enhancing collaboration to achieve this ambitious long term growth target for high value food exports.

Cairns marine precinct

Interest and investment in the Cairns marine precinct continues to grow, and Advance Cairns has been involved in a number of activities in 2020 to further develop the sector.

Advance Cairns co-hosted the second of two workshops with the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) from the Department of Defence, with participants helping to develop the plans for the Navy’s North East Regional Maintenance Centre (RMC), to be based in Cairns. The year also saw the updating of the Cairns marine precinct capability profile (first developed by Advance Cairns in collaboration with the city’s three shipyards and the State Government in 2019), after Federal investment of $24 million in the shipyards. This collateral will help further promote the region’s capabilities to private investors and government. Our economic development and advocacy work in the marine precinct saw the three shipyards upgrade their Advance Cairns membership to Premier level. Austal Australia, have bought BSE Maritime Solutions in late 2020, has elevated its membership from general to executive while the ASX-listed integrated services company Downer Group has joined as a Premier member. This year will see the continuation of Advance Cairns’ work in this sector, with an industry wide sector analysis to understand and identify further areas of investment and growth.