NQ says show us the money

NORTH Queensland’s business sector is calling for the government to honour its election commitments despite the need for budget repair.

Over $130 million was included in funding for various NQ based projects by the Labor Party, including the Lansdown precinct, NQ Spark and hydrogen and bio-fuels facilities in the Burdekin.

Townsville Enterprise CEO Claudia Brumme-smith said there was an expectation that the government would honour their commitments and that the benefits would outweigh the costs in terms of benefits for the region’s economy.

“We need to see these projects funded in the October budget to give our region the confidence to continue to attract green industry investment and project proponents that will help us unlock the potential of North Queensland,” Ms Brumme-smith said.

“If the funding promised during the campaign is delivered in the budget, and we expect it will be, it will create around 12,000 short- and long-term jobs in the region and generate billions in regional domestic product in years to come.

“Even better, these are jobs for the future, and will help to develop the talent pipeline and workforce capacity we need to continue to establish ourselves as a significant player in green industry and energy, not just in the Asia-pacific but around the world.”

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill also called on the federal government to contribute, saying that private industry was ready to back the funding.

“Private investors, industry bodies, local community and Council are all working in lockstep to bring these projects to life, and the last piece of the puzzle is the Government funding promised to us during the election campaign,” she said.

“These are future focused projects that will allow new industries to develop and grow, create intergenerational opportunity in the region, and will also play a crucial role in advancing our sovereign capabilities.”