Welcome to the latest edition of News for the North West as we wrap up 2019 and look forward to what we’ll be getting up to in 2020. There’s a lot that’s happened in 2019, now where to start?
It wouldn’t be a lie to say it’s been a busy and challenging year. With flood recovery, federal election campaigning and more. Read more about what we've been up to in 2019 and what's ahead in 2020.
Queensland Government statement - 19 November 2019
The future prosperity of the North West Queensland economy has been further boosted today thanks to a $33.3 million investment by the Palaszczuk Government.
Minister for State Development Cameron Dick said the North West Queensland Economic Diversification Strategy Implementation Plan 2019–2021, developed in consultation with local stakeholders and the community, sets out actions to deliver 13 diversification initiatives.
Read MoreWelcome to the latest edition of News for the North West.
We’ve covered some significant ground since our last newsletter. With our Federal Election campaign wrapping up in May, we continue to plan for the future and make progress in securing a fair regional deal.
Read MoreThe North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency (NQLIRA) held a series of stakeholder events across Northern Queensland throughout August and September. The sessions look to inform the development of a strategy for the long-term recovery and resilience of areas affected by the 2019 monsoon trough.
Read MoreQueensland Government media statement
The Palaszczuk Government has released an economy-boosting strategy for North West Queensland to attract investment and deliver jobs in resources, agriculture, tourism, business and industry.
Minister for State Development Cameron Dick said the North West Queensland Economic Diversification Strategy was the result of extensive collaboration and consultation with regional stakeholders and community and will be backed by an implementation plan to quickly deliver outcomes.
Read MoreThe Bush Councils Convention 2019 was held in Roma on 6 – 8 August by the Local Government Association of Queensland. It proved to be an impressive two days with a great event that highlighted the strengths of our regional councils and provided a valuable platform for productive conversations.
Our Mayors once again proudly represented our region, continuing their drive to deliver a fair regional deal for the North West.
Read MoreNWQROC Regional Deal Campaign on path to State Election 2020
North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (NWQROC) is continuing its drive for fair government investment in our region as it prepares to hit the campaign trail once again ahead of the State Election on 31 October 2020.
The development of a State-focussed strategy inline with our recent federal campaign got underway at the NWQROC board meeting in Julia Creek on 30-31 July 2019. The momentum gained from our federal campaign keeps pace as we continue to engage with relevant Commonwealth and State departmental officers about a Fair Regional Deal for the North West.
Read MoreFlinders Shire is poised to take further advantage of its position as one of the best cattle producing regions in the world.
Today it was announced that the council had signed a structured and detailed Hughenden Processing Facility Project Development Deed to advance the development of the Hughenden meat processing facility and feedlot with its Chinese partner Ms Miao Wang representing CNVM Investment Pty Ltd.
Read MoreLeaders from North West Queensland have welcomed some good news from the 2019 State Budget but point out the shortfall in fair investment that the state’s powerhouse north west region deserves.
The nine Mayors of the collective councils of North West Queensland (NWQROC) have welcomed State Budget commitments that benefit the region and commend the Queensland Government for its support and approach to working with locals following the unprecedented flooding events earlier this year.
Read MoreNine mayors from North West Queensland have united to fight for a fair regional deal, bringing their campaign to the electorate of Herbert with a clear message for candidates - a strong Townsville, needs a strong North West Queensland.
The mayors chose to meet in Townsville (9-10 May) inviting parties and candidates to take a final opportunity to formally respond to their request for a better regional deal before the Federal Election.
Read MoreWelcome to North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (NWQROC) News from the North West for Autumn 2019.
It's been a pretty wild ride for our region since the last edition of our newsletter with much of our region hit hard by unprecedented flooding in February.
Read MoreNorth West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils has welcomed the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment of $2.4million into three critical infrastructure projects in our region through the Building our Regions (BoR) program.
With the region on the road to recovery following unprecedented flooding, the works provide a boost to economic and job growth for our region.
This funding is backed up by the strong commitment from our local councils to advocate for and secure investment so our region continues to be attractive for people and business to live, work and invest.
Leaders from the eight councils of North West Queensland will meet in Karumba on 7 – 8 August, renewing their drive to shape the future of the region ahead of the next federal election.
The North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (NWQROC) was established by the eight councils in 2013 to advocate and deliver on agreed priorities for the region.
NWQROC Chair, and Mayor of Carpentaria Shire Council, Cr Jack Bawden said the meeting marked a pivotal point for NWQROC as the region’s importance on state and national agendas continued to grow.
The Mayors of nine communities from North West Queensland (NWQ) have welcomed the federal government’s $50.4 million commitment of feasibility funds toward microgrid solutions for regional and remote communities.
This announcement is one step in the right direction as NWQ communities continue to seek commitment to deliver reliable and affordable energy across a large, diverse region that has long been ignored.
Faced with ageing and inadequate infrastructure, a more comprehensive, fair regional deal is needed to deliver the first world energy solutions, as well as transport, water infrastructure, energy, communications and community facilities, that hardworking North West Queenslanders deserve.
Mayors of North West Queensland welcome the Federal Government’s announcement today to invest in a number of roads in our region as part of a $730 million commitment to NQ strategic roads.
This ticks off several projects in the roads platform of our communities’ strategic Six-point Plan for the future. That Six-point plan covers needs across transport, water infrastructure, energy, communications and community facilities.
As our communities continue to recover from unprecedented flooding, we also acknowledge the valuable support we have received to help us in the initial recovery period.
The Federal Government has today announced yet another southern “Capital City Deal” - signing a $551million deal to underpin a "bright future" for Adelaide - while our North West Queensland communities continue to be left in the dark.
As our region begins its long-term recovery from the recent devastating flooding, the government is instead focused on delivering a long-term deal framed as making yet another southern capital city ‘more liveable’ - while our regions still lack critical investment in living essentials for infrastructure, transport and social services.
Read MoreThe collective force of leaders from across flood-hit northern Queensland have made their mark in Canberra as they push for a united regional recovery response.
The delegation including Townsville Enterprise, the Regional Organisation of Councils from North and North West Queensland (NQROC and NWQROC) are joined by peak industry bodies at Parliament House. The two-day meeting schedule (Tuesday 19 February to Wednesday 20 February) with key Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet ministers including Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack MP and opposition leader Bill Shorten MP.
Where we come from, we stick together, and neighbours help one another. That’s why we’re working with Townsville and wider North Queensland - we have a shared challenge and we should look to shared solutions for now and into the future.
Leaders from North West Queensland are in Canberra this week as part of a united Northern Queensland delegation meeting with our nation’s leaders to continue to push for recovery support following the devastating flooding events across the state’s north.
Burke Shire Mayor, Cr Ernie Camp, Mount Isa City Mayor, Cr Joyce McCulloch, and NWQ Regional Organisation of Councils Executive Officer, Greg Hoffman PSM, will join Townsville Enterprise, North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils and peak industry bodies.
The delegation will take a united message from the North to Parliament House seeking immediate action on the economic rebuild of communities across North Queensland and North West Queensland in the wake of one of the most devastating natural disasters we have seen in recent memory.
As North West Queensland faces the road to recovery from its greatest natural disaster, the leaders of the region have made a call to the wider community on their urgent need for a fair regional “Future Deal” from Canberra.
Even as our region counts its losses from devastating flooding, the Federal Government is set to deliver yet another “City Deal”, ramping up its already significant investment in South East Queensland.
Representing the eight regional Mayors and Carpentaria Shire, Mayor Cr Jack Bawden said politicians are yet to commit to the necessary deal for our region and is time for real regional investment beyond the east coast.
The leaders of North West Queensland have delivered a submission to the federal Treasurer ahead of the 2019-20 Budget as they continue their push to secure a fair deal for the region.
Each hardworking local in North West Queensland (NWQ) contributes $176,000 per capita to the national economy – nearly three times more than elsewhere in Queensland at only $66,000.
Despite this significant impact on our nation’s economy, we don’t see the return on investment we deserve.
Without fair investment from Canberra and Brisbane in infrastructure, communications and community our small, local communities can’t keep delivering this massive contribution that our whole nation benefits from.
