Delegates to the ABARE-BRS Regional Conference in Mareeba on July 28 were delighted that the Parliamentary Secretary for Western and Northern Australia, the Hon Gary Gray AO MP, took time out from a busy election schedule to present the opening address at the conference. Delighted, and not a little surprised, given that he had to fly from Perth to Cairns, then by road north to Mareeba and then return to Perth – in all, taking at least 21/2 to 3 days away from his electorate.
In his address, Gary highlighted the under-representation of northern Australia in the federal Parliament – of the 226 members of both Houses only a handful can claim to be from northern Australia. The Parliamentary Secretary established the Friends of Northern Australia in Parliament and, with LNP Queensland Senator the Hon Ian Macdonald, facilitates non political and open discussion on matters relating to northern Australia. Gary stated that this group will continue to function, regardless of which party wins the election as both he and Senator Macdonald are committed to its existence.
Other speakers at the Conference included representatives of ABARE-BRS, the Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO, James Cook University, the Queensland Resources Council, local indigenous representatives and local industry. Presentations from the Conference can be accessed here:
Paul Morris_Economic issues affecting Mareeba (1.01MB)
Peter Baddiley Changing Climate and Weather in northern Australia (3.15MB)
Jeff Sabburg Climate northern Australia (1.09MB)
Max Foster Outlook for Agriculture in northern Australia (2.06MB)
Rosemary Hill Understanding Sustainable development and inter-linkages in northern Australia (1.14MB)
Bruce Prideaux dynamics of tourism in northern Australia (68KB)
David Rynne Mining and the Community (1.06MB)
Nigel Kelly Strategic Water Planning (1.05MB)
ABARE-BRS, the newly merged Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and the Bureau of Rural Sciences, provides integrated economic and scientific research, analysis and advice to government and industry on the key policy challenges facing the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors. ABARE-BRS run regional conferences to provide local governments and industry with updates on commodity data, economic forecasts and research results tailored for the specific region. Programs can be viewed at http://www.abare.gov.au/regional/
The complete report arising from the march Queensland Growth Summit is available at http://growthsummit.premiers.qld.gov.au/resources.aspx#full-gov-response.
Many ideas on how Queensland could best manage growth came out of the Queensland Growth Management Summit. Between summit attendees, online survey respondents, comments posted on the summit website, commissioned work and from submissions made to the summit, around 1400 ideas were generated.
In closing the summit, the Premier committed to considering and responding to these ideas.
The government response focuses on six priority areas – shaping our future, strengthening our regions, promoting liveable and affordable communities, delivering infrastructure, protecting our lifestyle and environment and connecting communities. There are 22 new initiatives and 25 new supporting actions to manage growth across Queensland.
Key new initiatives forming part of Shaping Tomorrow’s Queensland include:
- Establishing Growth Management Queensland – a new function within the Department of Infrastructure and Planning which will lead the government’s growth management agenda.
- Delivering a Queensland Regionalisation Strategy to encourage population and economic growth outside South East Queensland.
- Introducing an $11,000 Regional First Home Owners Grant to encourage regional growth, providing a $4000 boost to the existing First Home Owners Grant.
- Developing a Queensland Infrastructure Plan (QIP) that clearly links infrastructure delivery with population growth and economic development. From 2011-2012 the QIP will integrate other infrastructure planning documents, such as the South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program.
- Establishing an Infrastructure Charges Taskforce to further reform development infrastructure charging arrangements, including providing advice on alternative trunk infrastructure funding arrangements.
- Developing a long term strategy to transform the inter urban breaks in South East Queensland into major new greenspace and outdoor recreational opportunities.
- Tasking the Urban Land Development Authority with facilitating delivery of major new satellite communities in priority greenfield areas, initially at Ripley Valley, Yarrabilba and Flagstone.
The summary of the report can be accessed here: Queensland Growth gov-response-summary
Kimberley Development Commission Chair Professor Patrick Dodson announced the successful projects in the second round of the State Government’s Royalties for Regions Regional Grants Scheme. Professor Dodson said the Kimberley region would receive $2.6 2 million for 26 projects. Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls said that Royalties for Regions funding would contribute more than $27 million across regional Western Australia with additional funding provided by hundreds of organisations – both big and small – supporting our regional communities. Read more: Kimberley Development Commission regional grants funding
Desert Knowledge Australia received funding under the Western Australian Governments Royalties for Regions program to advance work on development of a resolution to issues relating to remote regional governance.
remoteFOCUS, a national initiative facilitated by Desert Knowledge Australia, received $340,000 on June 30th from the Pilbara Development Commission, through the Regional Grants Scheme to run the remoteFOCUS Pilbara Project. The remoteFOCUS Pilbara Project will consider how governments need to alter how they govern, administer and interact with the Pilbara region. The project involves developing recommended measures and reforms for the Pilbara region, and also testing and improvement of the national remoteREFORM Package. Read more: Media release remoteFOCUS funding to reform remote governance
Brendon Grylls, WA Minister for Regional Development; Lands; Minister Assisting the Minister for State Development; Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport on 24 June announced a major funding package for the east Kimberley region of northern Western Australia. The press release and list of development projects can be accessed here. East Kimberley Development package – Ministerial statement the Hon Brendon Grylls
An Energy Forum: Powering the Gulf was held in Burketown on May 25 2010 to discuss sustainable power options for the remote region of northern Australia. The meeting was addressed by Rob Macalister (GSD); Greg Nielsen (Queensland Office of Clean Energy); Lisa Chan (Centre for Appropriate Technology); Sasha Giffard (SMEC) and Rob Macalister on behalf of DP Energy.
The meeting endorsed the following as outcomes to be pursued by Gulf Savannah Development with support from Southern Gulf Catchments:
- • With the Office of Clean Energy, to establish a working group to progress clean energy opportunities in the Gulf
- • Via the working group, to seek to deliver energy efficiency programs across all Gulf towns
- • Via the working group, to promote viable renewable energy options that are currently available to Gulf stakeholders
- • To establish a Gulf Energy Users Group (comprised of the principal energy users in the region – with a focus on current and prospective mines) to discuss possible solutions to common energy supply issues
- • To promote the State’s current solar hot water rebate to Gulf stakeholders
- • SMEC to be invited to visit other parts of the region to assess whether projects such as Copperfield hydro-power are suitable for full pre-feasibility studies
- • That the region undertakes some risk management planning regarding peak oil and its likely impacts for the Gulf.
This report was commissioned by the Cape York Peninsula Development Association,
with support from the then Queensland Department of State Development (now Tourism,
Regional Development and Industry). The objective was to review the economic and
infrastructure strategies set out in the 1997 Cape York Peninsula Land Use Strategy
(CYPLUS) Stage 2 Report and develop specific strategies which position Cape York to
take better advantage of economic and infrastructure opportunities.
In reviewing the strategies the report was to basically analyse progress to date, identify
strategies that have not progressed, why not and develop ‘where to from here’
recommendations. Read more…(1MB)
2008 Cape York Peninsula Economic & Infrastructure Report
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