Opportunities ahead for Toowoomba businesses

THE local business community is no stranger to big projects and Toowoomba businesses have built significant capability in procuring work packages, cutting their teeth during the CSG boom and more recently with opportunities from the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing project.

This month Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the “buy Queensland” procurement policy which includes a strategy to give weightings of up to 30 per cent to businesses located within 125km of where work is needed and preference to local subbies and manufacturers on significant projects of $100 million or more.

Last week I met with the Canberra-based Regional Benefits team from the Inland Rail Division, Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development here in Toowoomba, to discuss the opportunities for local businesses the Inland Rail project will bring.

Inland rail is being described as a once-in-a-generation project, 1700km long from Tottenham in Victoria to Acacia Ridge in Queensland, effectively connecting the regions to the ports.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation is delivering the multi-billion dollar project in partnership with the private sector.

With a 10-year build, the first train is not expected to operate before 2025.

The task for the Regional Benefits team is to ensure regions relevant to this project gain as much economic development from the build as is possible.

This will be the first meeting of many as chamber works with the Regional Benefits team to identify potential procurement prospects and assist businesses in Toowoomba to have every opportunity to actively engage in the commercial opportunities ahead.

The Palaszczuk government will be rolling out a series of information sessions so businesses can understand their “buy Queensland” local procurement strategy, with one to be held in Toowoomba on Wednesday, August 30.

Keep an eye on your chamber inbox for details regarding these sessions.