Housing solutions needed

I was fortunate to be part of the recent Townsville Enterprise delegation to the Queensland Parliament. The feature of this trip was the launch of Opportunity Townsville North Queensland — our region’s most comprehensive economic development publication that showcases the outlook for our economy through the pipeline of local investment.

I’ve regularly mentioned major upcoming projects in this column from the Lansdown Eco-industrial Precinct and its multiple planned hydrogen facilities to the catalyst infrastructure of the Copperstring transmission line.

Seeing the long list of upcoming private and government major projects presented in OTNQ gives an exciting glimpse into the future of our region.

These developments are more than just economic sugar hits, they each form part of a clear, unified vision for the future of North Queensland. We are gaining momentum to become one of the most significant regions for sustainable heavy industry in the Southern Hemisphere. This will not just secure the economic prosperity of our region in a changing world but will build on our existing economic base of heavy industry.

Such a substantial economic road map will also deliver dividends for the commercial property market. We are already seeing this play out with inquiry picking up for larger property requirements.

I believe that these early positive trends in the local market will only grow as interest rates steady and the global economic outlook stabilises.

However, to achieve this vision, we need a growing workforce.