Green light for economic reset

WE NEED TO BRING SENSE AND SENSIBILITY BACK TO THE CENTRE IN THE EMERGING GREEN INDUSTRY DEBATE AND DEPOLITICISE THE WORD ‘GREEN’.

THE cliche of “if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got” rings true in life, in business and in government policy settings (at all levels). Increasingly we are in a world where individually and collectively we must be nimble and willing to adapt.

Recognising the emotional and financial stress many find themselves in as a result of COVID-19, we are seeing examples of the innovative and creative thinking by some business owners in dealing with the challenges and restrictions, building resilience for their businesses now and looking to add value to their businesses into the future.

Resetting can equal opportunities; to work on your business not in your business, to think outside the square, to pivot your business to take advantage of changed consumer demands. Also, to personally reset could mean taking the time out to refresh and build mental wellbeing, and re-skill through training and education.

As a city and region, what will be our reset in policy initiatives to build our resilience and our adaptability to future disruptions? The four regional industry pillars of tourism, agriculture, mining and construction, from the 1960s to the present, have served us well and will continue to be cornerstones of our regional economy, and require continued government and private investment.

We are seeing significant growth in the health and education sectors and opportunities with our marine precinct, but both our tourist and construction numbers were in decline (in data collected pre-COVID-19).

We need to future-proof our region, attract new industry, align our VET and higher education training with industries of tomorrow.

We must remain relevant to our customer and investor base who are placing increasing weighting on environmental, ethical and governance credentials.

Any reset of policy should look to build on our strengths, while recognising the investment needed in new industries that are trending worldwide and are presenting opportunities to diversify our regional economy and build regional resilience.

Investment by government in enabling infrastructure for water, energy and transport connectivity is essential. As well as the direct employment and economic stimulus, this will have far-reaching flow-on benefits for our existing industries.

However, the reset can also be an opportunity to build on our uniqueness; that of our beautiful and worldrecognised natural environment, where the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, and our World Heritage Wet Tropics rainforest (the oldest living rainforest in the world), come together. Where our Indigenous First Nations people, the two oldest living cultures in the world in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples, also come together.

Recognising this and understanding how much our residents value protecting our natural environment and their strong desire for employment stability for themselves and their children, the Cairns Regional Council recently unanimously endorsed the “Cairns & FNQ Becoming the Capital of the Smart Green Economy in Australia” paper.

This paper seeks state and federal government funding for a feasibility study to develop and refine the concept, co-ordinate and secure stakeholder support through significant consultation, identify the opportunities associated with it and develop an implementation plan so the aspiration can be achieved.

We need to bring sense and sensibility back to the centre in the emerging green industry debate and depoliticise the word “green”. Every political party is guilty here: the extreme left falsely hold themselves out to be the last bastion of environmental protectionism (without regard to the economic impacts of their agenda); both of the major parties in the ALP and the LNP have moved away from a constructive agenda in this space due to populism and politicking clouding sensible decision making.

Geographically, socially, culturally and intellectually we are positioned to embrace and lead a “green economy” transition.

Green does not equal extreme. The trends are clear: public and private sector investment and job creation in renewables, waste reduction, the circular economy, and climate change adaptation is growing rapidly.

The future is here. Positioning ourselves to take advantage of this growth, and diversifying and futureproofing our regional economy, is an opportunity that should be grabbed with both hands.

If this is to happen anywhere in Australia: where else but the tropical north? And when else but now?

Cr Brett Moller Division 1 – The views expressed are those of the councillor and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Cairns Regional Council.