Business
8 March, 2024
Billion-dollar wish-list
THIRTY business leaders are in Brisbane this week with a wish-list of $1.349 billion involving vital projects for the Far North prior to the mid-year state budget.
Led by Advance Cairns, the Cairns Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Tropical North Queensland, the delegates from across the region are meeting senior leaders from the government, opposition and cross-benches to highlight health, connectivity and water security.
At the top of the list is $250 million to fund the design and construction of the Cairns Health and Innovation Centre.
Advance Cairns chief executive officer Jacinta Reddan said it was the first time a figure had been put on the centre which was vital for Cairns to reach university hospital status within six years.
She said the precinct was also critical for the 50,000 visitors a day the region would be attracting in 10 years.
Ms Reddan said the visit was timely with a Queensland election in October and a federal poll due next year,
“We look at the fact that (community) cabinet was here last week, the week before was shadow cabinet. We know there’s an increased focus on the region,” she said.
Also on the list is $63m for Cairns Airport’s general aviation precinct, including a new 10,000sqm hangar, an Australia-first full flight training simulator for the widely-used regional Cessna Caravan light aircraft and student accommodation in the airport precinct to help free-up housing in the city.
As well, at least $100m towards the Attracting Aviation Investment Fund over the next four years.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen said more direct routes, not only for passengers but for export freight, was vital to grow tourism with more flights to Japan, and new services to China, India, Korea, the USA, New Zealand (year-round, not just seasonal) and good connections to the UK and Europe via Singapore.
“Our region’s proximity and air access to the fastest growing global economies, our natural assets, and our people will provide an opportunity over the next decade to double the size of the 2019 visitor economy requiring close to $5bn of capital investment,” he said.
Cairns Chamber of Commerce chief executive Patricia O’Neill said her members had cost-of-living pressures at the top of the list.
She said the delegation was calling for an insurance duty exemption for small businesses to alleviate the current cost-of-doing business pressures faced across the region.
Ms O’Neill said they also wanted a matched funding program for small to medium-sized businesses for the installation of targeted security measures to safeguard businesses from crime.
Other items on the wish-list include:
Fast delivery of the funded Cairns Marine Precinct Common User Facility.
An additional $128.5m towards the Cairns water security stage 1 project.
Student accommodation through James Cook University across its two campuses, to relieve pressure on the housing market.
