A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR & CEO

CHAIR & CEO MESSAGE

Reflecting on the year that was, it is fair to say that whilst the worst of the pandemic was behind us, this was the year that the region, State and Nation had to come to grips with living with COVID-19. Whilst it was a year for recovery and rebuild, the realities of new strains, unforeseen snap lockdowns, social disruption and economic uncertainties were still prevalent. No-one could have predicted the fallout from a global pandemic would lead to nation-wide labour shortages, supply-chain challenges and a housing crisis; all of which are real issues that Townsville North Queensland is not immune to. Despite this, throughout the 22FY the pandemic continued to demonstrate the economic stability of Townsville North Queensland, a resilience that is born from our strength in industry diversity.

This was a narrative that we continued to deliver to all levels of Government through our Advocacy Program. We have consistently said that Townsville North Queensland holds all the pieces of the puzzle to support the recovery and future prosperity of not only the state but Australia. Our message to “Unlock the North” to help the region realise its full potential rung strong in the corridors of State and Federal Parliament as we delivered a program of infrastructure, support measures and policy reform. Delegations were held throughout the year to 1 William Street ahead of the State budget and a virtual delegation was hosted with all sides of federal politics prior to the 2022 election.

The Federal Election saw the region secure commitments in excess of $325M across projects including Hydrogen Master planning, Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, industrial land in Charters Towers and NQ SPARK. The election also confirmed committment to the, $10M Reinsurance pool and $2B NAIF upgrade. These projects will go on to deliver billions of dollars in gross regional product and tens of thousands of new future-proven jobs over the coming decades.

We acknowledge our Principal Partner, Townsville City Council, for its support over the past 12 months and the united approach of the North Queensland Regional Organisations of Councils, our media partners, volunteer Board, and industry members in delivering our region’s strong advocacy program.

After three years of work, Townsville Enterprise delivered the final Business Case for Hells Gates Dam in May 2022. The detailed Business Case brought together detailed technical studies, market testing, economic feasibility, and cultural and social impacts. It demonstrated the project’s viability delivering a Benefit Cost Ratio of 1.05, a potential economic contribution of $6B and 3,300 new jobs. Securing additional large-scale water infrastructure will be one of the single biggest enablers for our region. Townsville Enterprise’s advocacy on the project saw the Morrison Federal Government announce a $5.4B funding package to build the nationally significant Hells Gates Dam Project, with commitment out past the current estimates. A change of Government at the 2022 election has seen this financial commitment put on hold and advocacy to secure the required funding to progress to the next stages continues.

We are acutely aware of the opportunities in Townsville North Queensland when it comes to green energy production and are certain that this region will play a critical role in helping the State and Australia achieve Net Zero carbon targets. It has been widely acknowledged that Townsville North Queensland is home to the best renewable energy assets and has all the right ingredients, and ability, to secure the nation’s future in this sector. As such, Townsville Enterprise has led the establishment of the North Queensland Hydrogen consortium, to help build momentum and connections in the hydrogen industry. In November 2021, the cluster was granted NERA status, making the region one of only 18 across the nation and the only one in North Queensland. In April 2022, Townsville Enterprise hosted the region’s first Green Energy Forum, an event which will become a staple on the annual events calendar. In May 2022, NQH2 led by Townsville Enterprise secured $70M in funding support for enabling common user infrastructure and Hydrogen Master planning.

Rebuilding and growing the visitor economy remained a key priority for Townsville Enterprise as the region and country emerged from the pandemic. Our destination marketing campaigns continued to deliver strong results for industry, attracting over 11,000 new visitor bookings and generating in excess of $10M in visitor spending. PR coverage saw Townsville North Queensland in the spotlight across a multitude of publications including Australian Traveller, Queensland Weekender, TODAY Show, The Courier Mail and Caravanning Queensland.

Across the year aviation partners announced an additional 400,000 new seats into Townsville from key markets including Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as new routes from Adelaide, Rockhampton and the Sunshine Coast. The commencement of this new capacity will roll out over several months; however, it has prompted an opportunity for Townsville North Queensland to cement its position as a holiday destination. As such, Townsville Enterprise commenced a rebrand process led by an industry steering committee and in partnership with global branding experts The Lab. In-depth consumer research took place over more than six months to help guide the rebrand which is planned for launch in Q1 2023. Across surveys, focus groups and more than 230,000 online conversations, the development of the Townsville North Queensland brand positioning will provide the framework for future marketing implementation.

Further to marketing activity, Townsville Enterprise played a strong role in industry development in the tourism sector, securing $130,000 from the State Government to undertake a Tourism Masterplan of Magnetic Island. The final Magnetic Island Tourism Masterplan is anticipated to be released in Q1 of 2023 but commenced in FY22 with the appointment of a steering committee and a significant program of community and industry consultation. Existing tourism operators were also offered a series of industry development programs including the Transformational Experiences Program, Tourism Futures Forum and Best of Queensland training.

As previously noted, worker shortages have been a significant challenge across the breadth of industries which make up the Townsville North Queensland economy. Membership surveys and engagement with the local business community identified sourcing skilled and unskilled workers was their number one challenge in the immediate and medium term. Given the broad reach of this challenge across the nation, Townsville Enterprise led an advocacy campaign with the federal government to secure a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA), a initiative which provides fast-tracked, tailored migration pathways for people to the region – providing streamlined pathways to permanent residency and providing age, language and skill concessions for high demand roles. In April 2022, Townsville Enterprise was pleased to be announced as the Designated Area Representative to process and endorse DAMA applications, applications accepted from 1 July. With almost 200 identified positions included within the DAMA and locations from Townsville through to Mount Isa covered, the Townsville and North Queensland DAMA is one of the largest in the country.

2021 saw the final year of our Townsville Enterprise Strategic Plan, with a revised Plan endorsed by the Townsville Enterprise Board in May 2022. The new Strategic Plan provides a vision for the organisation to be Australia’s most respected and influential advocacy and economic development body, underpinned by four strategic pillars: Politically Powerful, Economic Leadership, Valued and Engaged Membership, and Capable and Accountable. The 2022 – 2027 Strategic Plan confirms Townsville Enterprise’s purpose is to secure the future of Townsville North Queensland and provides the pathway to achieving this vision.

Whilst Townsville Enterprise may be leading the charge in securing the future of North Queensland, we cannot operate alone and we are strengthened by our partners and members. In the 22FY we saw the organisation’s strongest profile of members in history, increasing by 24% and achieving the highest Net Promoter Score in more than five years. We acknowledge the ongoing loyalty and support of all our members and were privileged to be able to celebrate the organisation’s achievements alongside our partners and stakeholders at Townsville Enterprise’s 30th anniversary, held very fittingly at Queensland Country Bank Stadium – the venue that Townsville Enterprise and our partners secured after many years of advocacy.

Moving into the new financial year, Townsville Enterprise remains steadfast on delivering advocacy, investment attraction, projects, and destination marketing that will secure our region’s economic prosperity.

We look forward to continuing to work with our partners to drive an agenda that attracts large-scale investment, creates new jobs, improves livability, and increases visitor spending.