Strategy provides path to more jobs

NORTH Queensland, particularly Townsville, is in a very good position to capitalise on the opportunities from Australia’s Modern Manufacturing Strategy, Knight Frank says.

Knight Frank says North Queensland is a leading national location in four of the six priorities.

Craig Stack, senior partner for Knight Frank’s Townsville and Mackay offices, said these sectors were resources technology and critical minerals processing, food and beverage, defence, and recycling and clean energy.

“All of Northern Australia has opportunities for Critical Minerals Processing but our established infrastructure, including access to a major multi-cargo port make Townsville a far more obvious location for value adding,” Mr Stack said.

“The existing resources technology in Central and North Queensland is worldclass and access to the largest defence base in Australia, plus air and sea defence infrastructure, really promote North Queensland as a very suitable location for enhancing Australia’s capabilities and export capacity in these priorities.”

Mr Stack said the Kidston Hydro and solar projects could feed energy into already established heavy industry demand, while established food production capacity should be improved with the construction of new irrigation projects.

He said the strategy opened a pathway for major new employment nodes to be developed across North Queensland.

“It will be very important for local councils and the wider business community to understand how we can motivate the best forms of private sector investment within the priorities of the strategy to locate in our regions,” Mr Stack said.