STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ REIMAGINED, REVITALISED, RESILIENT
AUSTR ALIA’S MOST GLOBAL REGIONAL CIT Y
FROM THE CHAIRS T
he Cairns region faces a long road to recovery from the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Official Treasury JobKeeper data released last month reveals that Cairns is one of the hardest-hit areas economically in the country, with more workers on JobKeeper wage subsidies in Cairns than any other postcode in Queensland.
The project and policy reform recommendations noted on these pages will support and contribute to the TNQ economic recovery and job creation plan, and complement the broader state-wide recovery plan currently underway through the Queensland Government’s Economic Functional Recovery Group and DPC COVID 19 Taskforce.
The city ranked fifth in Australia behind the CBD areas of Sydney and Melbourne, which clearly demonstrates the devastating impact coronavirus has had on sectors such as tourism, hospitality and education.
Supported in the short-term by the extension of JobKeeper and other immediate survival measures such as payroll tax relief, electricity support, lease fee waivers and small business COVID-19 adaptation grants, the recommended initiatives will help to support the recovery of the Cairns region.
Since March 2020 there has been a 95% reduction in flights into Cairns and this has had a knock-on effect for the wider Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) economy. Governments at both Federal and State level have recognised the severity of the challenges facing Cairns and have been strongly supportive with a suite of assistance measures so far, most focused around business survival. Tourism remains a core pillar of the economy and its survival and resurgence will be vital for regional recovery, particularly as it is a key driver of aviation connectivity. However, there is consensus amongst regional leaders that now, more than ever, it is important that we escalate the broadening of our economic base to mitigate the impact of future shocks. To achieve this, we have identified a prioritised sequence of complementary projects that build on our tourism base and will enhance economic resilience through diversification.
In addition, fast tracking of capital works, the reestablishment of domestic aviation connectivity, investment in destination marketing, and the easing of interstate travel restrictions will be critical for TNQ. With the State election only three months away and the Queensland Economic Recovery Plan due to be handed down in September, the time for action is now. In partnering with TNQ business leaders you will: •
Support the region’s short-term economic recovery;
•
Help us build a more confident business community; and
•
Provide the right environment for the region to develop long-term economic resilience.
With your help we can deliver a stronger, more resilient, and more diversified TNQ economy.
This first phase of investments are related to the marine, aviation, health and agriculture sectors, with several shovel-ready projects that can be fast-tracked with the support of the Queensland Government. These projects will generate hundreds of jobs in traditional and advanced manufacturing, health and allied industries, engineering and design and construction. They will inject much needed confidence into the business sector, and community more broadly. At the core of our recovery are three critical infrastructure projects that will act as enablers for strong private sector investment in the years ahead. These include:
NICK TROMPF Executive Chairman Advance Cairns
WENDY MORRIS SALLY MLIKOTA Chair Tourism Tropical North Queensland
President Cairns Chamber of Commerce
1. Cairns Marine Precinct 2. Cairns University Hospital 3. Proposed North Johnstone River Diversion Scheme and Nullinga Dam
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
P2
the impact
SOURCE: CAIRNS REGIONAL COUNCIL, CAIRNS PATHWAY TO RECOVERY FROM COVID-19, MAY 2020
C
airns’s proximity and connectivity to Asia and the Pacific, together with its significant regional population base (largest of any region in Northern Australia), means it is well positioned for long term growth and prosperity. Immediately prior to COVID-19, the Cairns economy was in a strong position with Gross Regional Product (GRP) growth exceeding the Queensland and Australian rates of growth and unemployment below both the state and national level. However, with an export led economy particularly reliant on tourism and aviation connectivity, Cairns is susceptible to the impacts of global ‘shocks’ such as COVID-19 and the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Independent economic analysis indicates the Cairns economy will be one of the hardest hit of any region in Australia as outlined below.
BEFORE COVID-19
$9.6B
FORECAST GRP DROP
$386M
GROSS REGIONAL PRODUCT (GRP)
82,500
$4.7B
LOCAL JOBS
STRONG GRP GROWTH
OVER THE THREE YEARS TO JUNE 19
IN JUN 20 QTR
EXPORT VALUE
3 .5PA CAIRNS
%
% 2QLD .2 PA
% 2AUS .2 PA
LOW UNEMPLOYMENT
(DEC 19)
CAIRNS QLD 6.0% . % AUS 5.2%
43
SERVICE POPULATION
198,000
167,000 RESIDENTS & 31,000 VISITORS
16
%
CAIRNS
(DEC 19)
4.9M
AIRPORT PASSENGERS YEAR ENDED 31/12/2019
31.6
QLD
SECOND MOST SEVERELY AFFECTED
REGIONAL CITY IN AUSTRALIA IN % JOBS LOST AND % LOSS OF GRP (JUN 20 QUARTER)
7 ,700 JOBS LOST
+
21,000 JOBS SUPPORTED BY
JOBKEEPER*
HIGHEST NUMBER OF JOBKEEPER RECIPIENTS
(EMPLOYERS) OF ANY POSTCODE IN QUEENSLAND
WITHOUT JOBKEEPER, JUN 20 UNEMPLOYMENT FORECAST TO EXCEED 15%
UNEMPLOYMENT FORECAST
(JUN 20)
CAIRNS QLD 10.5% % AUS 10%
12.3
167,000
RESIDENTS ONLY. MANY RESIDENTS HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS OR HAVE REDUCED CAPACITY TO SPEND
OF BUSINESSES REPORTING NEGATIVE EFFECTS
14.9% OF TOTAL CAIRNS JOBS
CNS
AUS
12%
SERVICE POPULATION
12,286 TOURISM JOBS
AIRPORT PASSENGER MOVEMENTS TO POPULATION RATIO
12.4%
BNE
9.7
SYD
9.0
AIRPORT PASSENGER MOVEMENTS
96.5 % DOMESTIC
10
99.9 %
INTERNATIONAL
% HOTEL OCCUPANCY
LOWEST EVER ON RECORD
*Estimate based on a straight line labour force based pro-rata of national JobKeeper statistics
CONTENTS
Briefing Papers Summary
5
Convoy Delegates
7
Detailed Briefing Papers - Infrastructure
Cairns Marine Precinct
Cairns University Hospital Innovation Precinct Food and Water Security
12
Education and Research
14
Cairns Ring Road
16
National Highway A1
18
Cairns Gallery Precinct
20
VANCE AIRNS
EGION ONE VOICE
NORTH QUEENSLAND
8 10
Detailed Briefing Papers - Policy Business Sustainability Factors Boosting Aviation through Events and Destination Marketing Land Use and Agriculture
23 25
27
International Student Pilot Program
29
31
Pacific Engagement Strategy
THE KURANDA RANGE ROAD REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT UPGRADES TO ACCOMMODATE BOTH POPULATION GROWTH AND INCREASED FOOD EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH CAIRNS AIRPORT
ADVANCE CAIRNS OUR REGION ONE VOICE
THE COMMITTEE FOR TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
P4
STATE
BUILDING REGIONAL RESILIENCE
ELECTION
PRIORITIES
FOR
TNQ
RECOMMENDED INVESTMENT SUMMARY
Cairns Marine Precinct
Cairns University Hospital Innovation Precinct
$174 million over 4 years
Food and Water Security $868 million over 10 years
$115 million (Stage 2) plus $60 million (80 new beds)
INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITIES
2020/21
Education and Research
$95 million plus $26 million recurrent for CSPs
National Highway A1 $21 million
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
Cairns Ring Road $365 million
Cairns Gallery Precinct $39.8 million
P5
STATE
BUILDING REGIONAL RESILIENCE
ELECTION
PRIORITIES
FOR
TNQ
RECOMMENDED POLICY REFORM
Business Sustainability Factors
Establish a regional procurement target and introduce retail competition for electricity in regional Queensland
Boosting Aviation through Events and Destination Marketing $100 million for ACE over 4 years plus $10 million per annum for TTNQ
POLICY PRIORITIES Land Use and Agriculture
Establishment of an Office of the Coordinator General in Cairns
2020/21
International Student Pilot
Endorse a secure corridor for international students with Cairns as an arrival destination
Pacific Engagement Strategy
Endorse Cairns as Queensland’s northern hub for delivering the national Pacific Step-Up program
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
P6
STATE
ELECTION
PRIORITIES
FOR
TNQ
CONVOY DELEGATES Cr Bob Manning
Nick Trompf
Wendy Morris
Sally Mlikota
Mark Olsen
Patricia O’Neill
Jodie Duignan-George
Norris Carter
Allan Dale
Trent Twomey
Olav Groot
David Craig
Mayor Cairns Regional Council
Chair Tourism Tropical North Queensland
CEO Tourism Tropical North Queensland
Associate Vice President, Cairns and Far North Region CQUniversity
Professor of Tropical Regional Development James Cook University
CEO Norship
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
Executive Chair Advance Cairns
President Cairns Chamber of Commerce
CEO Cairns Chamber of Commerce
CEO Cairns Airport
Partner Alive Pharmacy Warehouse Group
Director, Cairns Campus James Cook University
P7
INDUSTRY
DEVELOPMENT
COUNCIL: CAIRNS STATE ELECTORATE: CAIRNS FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT
PROPONENT: NORSHIP, BSE MARITIME SOLUTIONS, TROPICAL REEF SHIPYARD, PORTS NORTH PROJECT IDENTIFIED AS A KEY STIMULUS INITIATIVE IN THE CAIRNS PATHWAY TO RECOVERY FROM COVID-19
CAIRNS MARINE PRECINCT BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY •
Australia’s Defence ship-building programs have recently been substantially boosted from 12 to 26 vessels.
•
The Cairns Regional Maintenance Centre (RMC) is a national defence asset that currently employs 4600 people.
•
The State-recognised RMC requires government funding commitments, aligned with policies which create jobs, build vital infrastructure, diversify the region’s economy, provide positive economic return and facilitate ongoing private investment.
•
•
A $174m investment is sought from the Queensland and Federal Governments to develop the precinct and create new direct and indirect Queensland jobs, adopt new technology and build tomorrow’s workforce to RMC standards. This commitment enables a fully operational RMC by 2022 as required by the Royal Australian Navy.
“ Now is the ideal time to transform Maritime sustainment. Sustainment shipyards require investment. We need a new approach, new technologies and the skilled workforce that enables a fighting and thinking Navy.” Rear Admiral Wendy Malcolm, Head of Maritime Systems, Maritime sustainment: Plan Galileo , 2020
THE ISSUE
The Cairns Port is a critical enabler of the Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) economy, with the region welcoming the Federal Government’s commitment to base at least four new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) in Cairns. The sustainment and maintenance of vessels in northern Australia aligns well with existing shipbuilding commitments in southern Australia, and complements Australia’s Step-Up to the Pacific foreign policy initiatives. As one of three Regional Maintenance Centres (RMC) for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the others being Darwin and Perth, Cairns provides a national naval sustainment and maintenance hub enabling the Cairns Marine Precinct (CMP) to build on its present commitments of servicing vessels from HMAS Cairns, Darwin, the United States and the Pacific Islands. The significant Defence and Border Force contracts managed out of the precinct ensures a skilled, year-round permanent marine and engineering workforce of 4600. Cairns is also home to a large and diverse marine sector with 1603 commercial vessels across tourism, fishing and shipping, and an active cruising yacht squadron. The precinct also hosts superyachts and cruise liners visiting the Pacific and supports the aviation and education sectors through its economic multiplier effects. Having now expended the $24 million Federal Government commitment, Stage 1 of the Cairns Marine Maintenance Precinct upgrade has delivered preliminary improvements
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
to wharves, hardstands, slipways and services. Moving forward a combined State and Federal commitment of $174 million is sought for Stages 2 and 3, which will lead to significant increases in precinct capacity and complement the Department of Defence $420 million commitment to expand the HMAS Cairns naval base. State funding of $150 million is sought in two tranches during the next term of government – $40 million over two years as part of Stage 2 (to meet the Navy’s Cairns RMC timetable) and a further $110 million in 2022-24 for Stage 3 upgrades. The initial $40 million is for investment in agreed RMC upgrades under the auspice of Ports North, the three shipyards and TAFE and also includes $1 million for an industryled precinct-wide business case, which will subsequently inform the Stage 3 investment of $110 million. At a Federal level, Stage 2 requires $24 million to be shared across each of the three shipyards in 2020-2021. The $174 million investment in additional capacity and skills will ensure that Cairns complies with the RAN’s Plan Galileo which requires that Cairns be fully operational as Regional Maintenance Centre North East by 2022. The commitment will also give effect to CMP Master Planning objectives while providing post COVID-19 economic stimulus, creating much-needed jobs, diversifying the regional economy and ultimately providing for a more secure Australia in line with Pacific Step-Up and Defence initiatives.
P8
be able to compete for all future sustainment contracts, and/or maintain or grow their business.
Infrastructure
Short term
Longer term
Capability (vessels)
Vessels to 120m LOA homeported RAN fleets and majority of regionally based commercial vessels
Vessels 150m to 175m LOA – full RAN fleet/maximal commercial vessel opportunities
Lift out capacity (shiplift/dock)
3500 to 5000 tonnes capacity
8000 tonnes capacity
Berth length
3 to 4 vessels at any one time; additional berth of 150 – 350m
800m to 1km of quayside, separate superyacht berth facility comprising floating pontoons
Extra yard and warehouse facilities, plus out of water capacity
3 to 4 vessels up to 120m LOA; 5 hectares of additional land + SPMT corridors; additional paint /blast workshops; ability to sub-divide land areas for a security/ship type purposes
6 – 8 hectares of additional land for vessel lay down purposes, separate landside areas for superyacht maintenance and refits (up to 3 hectares)
This will result in a potential decline in market share, loss of economic opportunity and overall regional activity levels in allied industries will also sharply decline.
OUR RECOMMENDATION •
That the Queensland Government support and facilitate the Federal expansion of HMAS Cairns, ensuring the Department of Defence delivers on the initial $300 million upgrade of the navy base by 2025.
•
That the Queensland Government invests $150m in Stages 2 & 3 to further develop the Cairns Marine Precinct to Regional Maintenance Centre requirements and the Federal Government commits $24 million for stage 2, delivering a strategic national Defence asset which meets the security needs of the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and provides for a virtual sustainment college that delivers a skilled local workforce.
•
$1m of the QLD Government investment will fund a comprehensive planning and business case for the precinct which details demand, economic benefits, operating model, risk assessments, cost benefit, gap analysis of skills and infrastructure, funding etc.
•
That the Queensland Government work with the Federal Government to secure the long term, continuous maintenance and sustainment industry for Defence and Border Force vessels in Cairns, and support the home porting of Naval Platforms, including OPVs and their associated sustainment and maintenance work.
Table 1: Capability enhancements needed in Cairns marine precinct to maximise jobs and diversify regional economic growth.
BACKGROUND
NEXT STEPS
On 1 July 2020 the Morrison Government announced a $270 billion investment over the next 10 years to upgrade the capability and potency of the Australian Defence Force. The 2020 Defence Strategic Update signals a key change in Australia’s defence posture as it prioritises the Indo-Pacific region.
INFRASTRUCTURE: Investment in ‘fit for purpose’ infrastructure is key to unlocking the maritime opportunities for Cairns with completion of the Ports North master plan a critical enabler. As outlined in Table 1, this investment needs to cater for larger vessels (up to 120m), have ship-lift capacity of 3500- 5000 tonnes, provide up to 350m of extra wharf, see multiple large vessels simultaneously in dry dock and allow considerable extra land for maintenance activities. The facility must also have the capacity to allow future expansion in the long term. This program of work should be guided by a comprehensive planning and business case for the precinct which details demand, economic benefits, risk assessments, operating model, cost benefit, gap analysis of skills and infrastructure and funding.
The strategy will see continued investment in 12 Arafura Class offshore patrol vessels, and extra spending on six new Cape Class patrol boats and up to eight new vessels optimised for mine countermeasures and hydrographic survey, taking Australia’s total shipbuilding activity from 12 to 26 vessels. The CMP is Australia’s main Patrol Boat maintenance centre. It has serviced the Defence, Border Force and marine industries for many years and, as home to Fleet Base Pacific (HMAS Cairns), is one of the few ports in Australia that can offer the Department of Defence significant expansion opportunities in berth and land facilities.
WORKFORCE: To capture unmet demand and opportunities, the CMP expansion needs to be complemented by a significant step up in industry workforce skills, training and development, both within the shipyards and also within the sector support industries. The Queensland Government has a clear mission to grow Queensland’s Defence industry and to increase the number of Queenslanders working in Defence manufacturing from 6,000 to 10,000 over the next decade.
Under the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act (2018) the Cairns port is a critical national infrastructure asset. It is the northern-most naval base on the eastern seaboard and plays a key strategic role in Australia’s northern naval capability. In acknowledging this role, in 2017-2018 the Federal Government committed to upgrading the precinct through staged investment.
To support the Cairns RMC, there is a major role for training to upskill existing workers, contextualise training for the marine sector, and to recruit and grow the workforce through stronger training pathways.
There is unmet and growing demand in naval, commercial and superyacht maintenance opportunities that supports a step change in ship maintenance capacity in the CMP.
Informed by the precinct’s business case, a range of upskilling initiatives will need to be undertaken. Among those to be considered is a virtual sustainment college through the Great Barrier Reef International Maritime College. The College will develop and deliver agile micro credentials that meet future Defence sustainment demands.
There has been significant investment by State and Federal Governments in facilities in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Without a significant stepup in infrastructure and capability at Cairns, the existing CMP based operators may not
RECOMMENDED INVESTMENT Estimated project cost $594m
2020-2021
2021-2022
2022-2023
2023-2024
2024-2025
-
-
-
Federal Government Investment
$24m
State Government Investment
$20m
$20m
$55m
$55m
-
-
$100m
$100m
Defence Investment (HMAS Cairns)
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
$100m
2025-2026
$120m P9
ENABLING
INFRASTRUCTURE
COUNCIL: ALL TNQ STATE ELECTORATE: ALL TNQ FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT, KENNEDY
PROPONENT: CHHHS PROJECT IDENTIFIED AS A KEY STIMULUS INITIATIVE IN THE CAIRNS PATHWAY TO RECOVERY FROM COVID-19
CAIRNS UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL INNOVATION PRECINCT BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY • Establishment of the Cairns Health and Innovation Precinct (CHIP) will support the transition of Cairns Hospital to Cairns University Hospital status. • The new five-storey CHIP is proposed on land adjacent to Cairns Hospital. James Cook University’s Cairns Tropical Enterprise Centre (CTEC) will also be developed on the proposed site. • CTEC has received $60 million in Stage 1 funding. This funding is for contribution towards land acquisition and to fund the development of James Cook University’s CTEC. • A Stage 2 State investment of $115 million is sought to progress the CHIP to design and construction phase and a further $60 million is required to fit out an additional 80 beds in Cairns Hospital. • To implement the CHHHS new master plan, $9 million is sought for a business case.
THE ISSUE
Clinical research, education and expanded health services are critical to meeting the health needs of Tropical North Queensland’s (TNQ’s) growing population. Establishment of a Cairns Health and Innovation Precinct (CHIP) and an expansion of services at Cairns Hospital will be a key element in the transition of Cairns Hospital to University status, allowing the hospital to deliver worldclass, high-quality care to address the critical health challenges facing TNQ. The CHIP being proposed will be adjacent to and support the Cairns Hospital in the areas of research and development and training, transforming the sector to a high-tech, research-driven collaborative enterprise between the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS), James Cook University (JCU), TAFE, scientists, and private medical and technology firms. The proposed CHIP will enable CHHHS to address known research gaps, such as: • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health; • Tropical health and medicine; • Healthcare data linkages and health service models of care; and • Equity of access to healthcare for patients with rheumatic heart disease, sexually transmitted infections, renal disease, diabetes and blood borne viruses. In addition to clinical research, the CHIP will provide opportunities for innovative delivery
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
of health workforce education programs, plus ongoing clinical advancement in nursing, medical and allied health services for its patients and its workforce. It will also enable and rapidly expand virtual health care models. The centre will also allow for research and education staff to be relocated from the Hospital’s A Block, enabling a relocation of administration staff from B Block to create space there for clinical use. The CHIP will house a clinical education facility and a virtual care facility to support the delivery of telehealth patient services. A core element of the precinct will be James Cook University’s CTEC, a research-driven medical facility that received a $60 million bipartisan commitment from the Prime Minister and then Opposition Leader on 21 January 2019. The $60 million bi-partisan commitment is to progress the acquisition of land for the CHIP and enable JCU to establish the CTEC facility. A further $115 million is now sought from the State Government to enable the CHIP to progress to design and construction phase. In addition, the proposed CHIP will support the transition of Cairns Hospital to Cairns University Hospital. The CHHHS has recently finished a master plan which identifies $500 million in infrastructure needs over the next 20 years. $9 million is required to complete a business case to deliver the master plan plus $60 million to fit-out an additional 80 beds in Cairns Hospital. P 10
OUR RECOMMENDATION
BACKGROUND
The Cairns Hospital supports an estimated resident population of 278,000 and regularly provides acute medical services for residents of the Cape and Torres region (population of 26,399). Combined with estimated population growth of 1.1% per annum, and an ageing population, it is estimated that by 2026 an additional 67,000 people will reside in the catchment area with close to one in five residents being over 65 years of age. In addition, Cairns Hospital provides medical services for the estimated five million tourists that visit the region annually. In 2018-2019 there were 74,667 presentations to the Cairns Hospital emergency department, a 24% increase over the preceding five years, and 82,727 patients were admitted to the Hospital. Throughout 2019 the emergency department faced unprecedented pressure, averaging 211 patients per day, an increase of 4% year on year. Also 30% of emergency patients were tourists or people who live outside Cairns, in rural and remote areas including Cape York and Torres Strait. Demand for CHHHS services will therefore continue to rapidly increase. Expansion of the capability and status of the Cairns Hospital is required to meet the future health needs of the growing TNQ population. The proposal for a five-storey CHIP to service this population has broad partner support and seeks to build on successive government investments. CHHHS, supported by the
Northern Queensland Primary Healthcare Network (PHN), JCU and Advance Cairns, is collectively seeking to improve the ability of Cairns to build its own medical, nursing and allied health workforce and translate research into practice to improve health outcomes in our community.
NEXT STEPS To deliver on the vision for the CHIP, CHHHS is required to construct a dedicated new facility adjacent to Cairns Hospital. Having secured $60 million in Federal funding as a contribution to the construction of the new facility, a further $115 million is now sought from the State Government to progress the CHIP to design and construction phase as well as $60 million to fit out an additional 80 beds in Cairns Hospital. Through expanding the Cairns Hospital precinct to accommodate medical research and specialised workforce training, the CHIP will support the transition of Cairns Hospital to Level 6 University status. A core element of the precinct will be James Cook University’s CTEC, a research-driven medical facility. CTEC will also support the delivery of JCU’s proposed Tropical Global Health Centre, which will allow expansion of the JCU Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program to offer Years 1-6 in Cairns (and Mackay).
•
That to fast-track purchase of the land, in 2020 the Queensland Government commits $115 million (for land and construction) in funds to Queensland Health to progress Stage 2 of the Cairns Health and Innovation Precinct.
•
That the Queensland Government over three years from 2020-2021 provides $60 million to fit out an additional 80 beds in Cairns Hospital.
•
That the Queensland Government provides $9 million in 2020-2021 to fund a business case to implement the CHHHS master plan.
RECOMMENDED INVESTMENT Estimated project cost $184 million
State Investment
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
2020-2021
2021/22 - 2023/24
Master Plan (business case)
CHIP (land + construction)
Cairns Hospital new beds
$9m
$115m
$60m P 11
ENABLING
INFRASTRUCTURE
COUNCIL: CAIRNS, MAREEBA, ETHERIDGE, COOK, TABLELANDS STATE ELECTORATE: CAIRNS, BARRON RIVER, HILL, TRAEGER FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT, KENNEDY
PROPONENT: ADVANCE CAIRNS, FNQROC, RDATN
FOOD AND WATER SECURITY BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY • The ability to supply increased demand for fresh Australian food from North Queensland is at risk due to a lack of long term water implementation strategy • To cater for growing demand for fresh foods, five significant water supply and infrastructure projects are considered essential enablers for the region: Nullinga Dam, North Johnstone River Diversion Scheme, Lakeland Irrigation Area Project, Gilbert River Irrigation Scheme and Tablelands Irrigation Project. • All five projects require bilateral commitment and shared investment (split 50:50) to facilitate environmental approvals and progress to construction stage. • Nullinga Dam is the most advanced project and requires bilateral investment of $854 million to unlock additional agricultural production worth more than $200 million per annum while supporting the growing urban water needs of the region.
THE ISSUE
Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) has seen sustained population growth during the past 30 years underpinned by expansion of industries including agriculture, tourism, fisheries, education, health and retail. At the forefront of agricultural growth has been the Atherton Tablelands, driven by the Mareeba Dimbulah Water Supply Scheme (MDWSS) with rapid expansion in high value crops such as avocados, bananas, berries and sugarcane. Water is now 100% allocated and 80% used, with purchase prices rising more than three-fold since 2011, peaking at $4000ML. To address high prices and supply issues on the Tablelands, a short term and long term implementation strategy needs to be agreed and acted upon. The short term strategy requires efficiency improvement in the current MDWSS and the construction of the North Johnstone River Diversion Scheme. These projects need to be fast-tracked to construction. During 2019 the proposed long –term solution for the region, Nullinga Dam was shelved as not meeting the current economic criteria. We believed that the detailed business case did not include all the relevant information. This needs to be re-assessed as it is the only long term solution for the region to meet the projected long term growth for water in the region. In addition, agriculture in areas such as the District of Lakeland and Etheridge Shire have potential to expand rapidly with high value crops such as bananas, grains, cotton and watermelons proving feasible. Water security has been a concern for a number of years and is now limiting supply in both regions.
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
Agricultural exports are vital to Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) with the industry sector output currently valued at $2.8 billion, constrained mainly by factors such as irrigation and access to market. Recent trade deals secured with China, Japan, Korea and Indonesia present new market access opportunities, with Cairns International Airport providing direct air access to these markets from northern Australia where agricultural exports underpin sustainable tourism flights. Urban demand also continues to increase with Cairns’ population growth averaging 1.4% per annum. Combined with an estimated three million tourists visiting TNQ annually, to ensure the growing needs of the region can be met an effective and multifaceted water supply strategy is required. Five significant water supply and infrastructure projects are considered essential enablers for the region: •
Nullinga Dam
•
North Johnstone River Diversion Scheme
•
Lakeland Irrigation Area Project
•
Gilbert River Irrigation Scheme
•
Tablelands Irrigation Project
BACKGROUND
On the back of record drought periods in Australia, water security and food security have become priority national policy issues, leading to controversial decisions around water allocations and infrastructure. In recognition of this, in 2019 the Federal Government expanded the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund by $500 million to more than $1 billion, adding to the existing $2 billion for the National Water Infrastructure Loan Facility program. P 12
GILBERT RIVER IRRIGATION SCHEME: Etheridge Shire Council proposes to manage water from the Gilbert Catchment general reserve and facilitate construction of an irrigation scheme along the Gilbert River, distributing water to an estimated 30,000ha of irrigable land. A detailed business case funded by the State Government’s Maturing the Infrastructure Pipeline Program is currently under way and due for completion in March 2020. Preliminary modelling suggests the scheme is economically feasible, and that the area is suited to a range of irrigated crops including grains, pulses and cotton.
In strengthening the role of northern Australia as a food bowl, substantial feasibility work has progressed in the past three years to explore new agricultural development opportunities. With many of these studies now coming to a close, there are clear priorities for progressing environmental impact and construction activities and a coordinated approach to development is required.
NULLINGA DAM AND NORTH JOHNSTONE RIVER DIVERSION SCHEME: The Queensland Government, through Building Queensland, has released a detailed business case showing costs for a 74,000ML stand-alone dam at $1.068 billion. The project will require shared State and Federal investment of $854 million on top of industry contributions of $213 million (based on $2900ML price). A Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries study showed agricultural output on the Tablelands grew 30% in four years to $552 million. Nullinga Dam would unlock additional agricultural production worth around $200 million per annum. The Queensland ALP Government has announced it would ‘protect’ the proposed dam site but would investigate alternative water supply solutions such as the North Johnstone River diversion scheme in preference to Nullinga Dam. The diversion scheme is considered a viable short-term option to stimulate the economy, delivering up to 50,000 ML with a lower capital cost, and a $7 million investment for a full business case is sought to progress this project. However, longer-term Nullinga Dam will also be required to service the growing agricultural and urban water supply needs of the region.
TABLELANDS IRRIGATION PROJECT: The prefeasibility of the Southern Atherton Tablelands Irrigation Project has been completed and indicates a detailed business case would cost $2.2 million, with an additional $5 million required for an environmental impact study. The Tableland Regional Council is seeking an investment of $7.2 million through the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund to progress this project. The proposed Woodleigh Dam includes a 35,000ML capacity and 98.5% water reliability, and the project would facilitate a land use transition from predominantly beef cattle to higher value crops. The dam will also provide hydro power benefits, irrigating 4,200 hectares.
OUR RECOMMENDATION •
That in 2020-2021 the Queensland Government invest $7 million through SunWater to progress the full business case for the North Johnstone River diversion scheme.
•
That the State and Federal Governments commit to invest $854 million as a 50:50 contribution to the construction of Nullinga Dam with $10 million of Federal funds going towards an environmental impact statement in 2020-2021.
•
That, subject to completion of the business cases, the Queensland Government works with the Federal Government to facilitate and coordinate the development approval processes for the Lakeland Irrigation Area Project and the Gilbert River Irrigation Scheme.
•
That in 2021-2022 the Federal Government invest $7.2 million through the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund to progress the Tablelands Irrigation Project.
NEXT STEPS Development of the five proposed water infrastructure projects would meet a range of State and National Policy objectives: • Expand northern Australia’s agricultural productive capacity – this is nationally significant given the impact of drought on food and water security in southern Australia; • Increase northern Australia’s contribution to GDP through an increase in agricultural production; • Diversify northern Australia’s economic capabilities to facilitate investment and reduce reliance on tourism; and • Strengthen Australia’s international competitiveness through proximity to Asia.
LAKELAND IRRIGATION AREA PROJECT: Regional Development Australia Tropical North, through the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund (NWIDF), funded a strategic business case and feasibility report to investigate new water storage options to expand the Lakeland irrigation area. When constructed, the proposed dam will store 195,000ML and irrigate 8,000ha of arable land. The Federal Government has committed an additional $10 million to further develop the business case, with the detailed business case due for completion September 2022. The project will require bilateral Government support to facilitate and coordinate the development approval processes for the dam.
RECOMMENDED INVESTMENT Estimated project cost $868.2m
2020-2021
2021-2022
2022-2023
2021-2022
2027-2031
Business Case (North Johnstone)
Environmental Approvals (Nullinga)
Planning and Design (Nullinga)*
Business Case (Tablelands)
Procurement and Construction (Nullinga)*
$7m
-
$50m
-
$377m*
-
$10m
$50m
$7.2m
$367m*
State Investment Federal Investment *staged funds to flow for Nullinga Dam from 2020-2031
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
P 13
ENABLING
INFRASTRUCTURE
PROPONENT: CQUNIVERSITY, JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY
COUNCIL: CAIRNS STATE ELECTORATE: CAIRNS FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT
PROJECT IDENTIFIED AS A KEY STIMULUS INITIATIVE IN THE CAIRNS PATHWAY TO RECOVERY FROM COVID-19
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY • TNQ has a dynamic and vibrant education sector that includes two universities, six TAFE campuses, 35 secondary schools, and a number of private language and business schools. • Youth unemployment currently sits at 13.2% and the region faces a skills shortage in areas related to health, allied health, aviation and a number of other STEAM professions. • To address regional skill gaps three key projects have been identified: (1) $50 million for a permanent new CQUniversity campus in the Cairns CBD; (2) $45 million for stages 2 and 3 of CQUniversity’s Asia Pacific Aviation Hub; and (3) $26.7 million recurrent for Commonwealth Supported Places. • The CQUniversity Cairns campus is shovelready and will create an estimated 330 jobs (direct and indirect) during construction, and contribute $549 million to the regional economy over 10 years*.
THE ISSUE
Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) has a dynamic and vibrant education sector that includes two universities, six TAFE campuses, 35 secondary schools, and a number of private language and business schools. Prior to COVID-19, nearly 13,000 people were employed in education and training in TNQ, accounting for 5.2% of the State education workforce and contributing $1.1B to the economy. However, the region is shifting towards a knowledge-based economy which has implications for educators and regional training facilities. To accommodate the shift, the sector has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure in recent years, and a number of additional projects are flagged for investment. With a strong student base now established, CQUniversity and James Cook University (JCU) continue to experience rapid growth in the Cairns region. Through collaborative partnerships, to address current gaps in education pathways the two universities are working to build capacity across a range of industries and community initiatives. CQU: In 2017 CQUniversity released a community impact plan consisting of six
primary projects. Most of the projects in the 2017 plan were completed to varying degrees by the end of 2018, requiring the development of an updated CQUniversity 2019 Cairns Community Impact Plan which includes: 1.
a permanent new CQUniversity Cairns CBD campus ($50 million); and
2.
Stages 2 and 3 of the CQUniversity Asia Pacific Aviation Hub ($45 million).
CQUniversity currently operates from four leased premises across Cairns. The proposed new campus will allow the consolidation of these sites, with the exception of the Aviation Centre which will remain co-located with Cairns Airport. JCU: Based in JCU’s Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, JCU proposes to establish a Tropical Global Health Centre to produce research-enabled clinicians with extensive clinical training in population health and global public policy. The Centre will leverage investment in the Cairns University Hospital to provide students with globally relevant training and deliver a medical workforce specifically prepared to handle regional health challenges. Although initially focused on the medical workforce, the program will subsequently expand to include nursing, dentistry, allied health, pharmacy and veterinary health professionals.
*Source: Cummings Economics, Economic and Socio Economic Impact Analysis, May 2020
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
P 14
ARTISTS IMPRESSION OF A NEW CQUNIVERSITY CAMPUS, CAIRNS important link for conference organisers, and allows for greater co-operation around facilities and human resources such as the employment of students for events. Most importantly, the new Campus will address the significant skill gaps identified in the region, particularly in terms of allied and mental health. The allied health courses will be supported by the establishment of on-campus health clinics staffed by supervised student practitioners, with appointments made available to the wider community at a lower cost than normal. The project is shovel-ready and will generate an estimated 330 jobs during construction (80 direct) plus more than 300 direct jobs through expanded University operations, and staff and student expenditure in the region. The economic impact over 10 years will be around $549 million*.
BACKGROUND
The TNQ region has an estimated resident population of 278,080 and population growth of 1.1% per annum. The attainment of a university degree in Cairns is 54% lower than the national average at 14.3%, while 8.5% of residents have an Advanced Diploma or Diploma and 22.9% have a Vocational certificate, on par with the rest of the State. In April 2020 (early figures for COVID-19), annual trend unemployment sat at 8.1% however most employment occurred within the 25-44 year age group, leaving youth unemployment (15-24 years) at a much higher estimated 13.2%. While Cairns has two universities, access to appropriate courses and pathways into University are critical in bridging the high youth unemployment rate and encouraging young people to enter the workforce. 2.
Nationally over the next 5 years, an additional 85,000 health workers and 28,000 educators will be needed to fill jobs in regional areas. To fill this need, the importance of regional universities cannot be overstated with more than 55% of employed regional university graduates remaining in regional areas on completion of their studies.
QUniversity seeks $45 million for the C second ($10 million) and third ($35 million) stages of its ambitious Asia-Pacific Aviation Hub. This funding will secure a second hangar at the Cairns International Airport, new laboratory facilities including specialist space for Aviation Accidents Forensics, new flight simulators including a high-fidelity, world class flight simulator capable of attracting global commercial flight training business, and the roll-out of new aviation courses. It is estimated Stage 2 alone will generate 55-70 construction jobs and 10-15 permanent operational jobs, leading to a long-term economic impact of $30 million across Cairns*.
NEXT STEPS In addressing youth unemployment and preparing the region’s workforce for the future, the following three projects have been identified as essential enablers. 1.
QUniversity seeks $50 million to C establish a permanent, purpose-built CBD campus capable of accommodating 4,000+ students by 2030. Due to the proposed location adjacent to the Cairns Convention Centre, the new Campus will complement the various State Government buildings in the area, including the Health and Emergency Services Office, effectively creating a Knowledge Hub precinct in the Cairns CBD. The close proximity to the Convention Centre provides an
3.
To support the training and recruitment of Cairns-based clinicians, JCU requires an additional 50 Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) and 30 international places recurrent for the JCU Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program. This will allow JCU to offer Years 1-6 of the MBBS in Cairns and Mackay. The additional places will be distributed across the regional centres of Cairns (30), Mackay (10) and Townsville (40).
OUR RECOMMENDATION •
That in 2020-2021 the State Government invest $50 million to establish the CQUniversity CBD Campus, with a further $10 million delivered in 2022-2023 for Stage 2 of the CQUniversity Asia-Pacific Aviation Hub. Collectively, these investments will generate 330-400 construction jobs in Cairns.
•
That the Federal Government invest $35 million in 2022-2023 to progress Stage 3 of the CQUniversity AsiaPacific Aviation Hub, positioning Cairns as a world-class leader in aviation training.
•
That to support the training of a regional medical workforce, the Federal Government allocate an additional 50 Commonwealth Supported Places and 30 International places recurrent, together with an allocation of Destination Australia scholarships to JCU’s School of Medicine and Dentistry.
RECOMMENDED INVESTMENT Estimated project cost $95m
2020-2021
2022-2023
CQUniversity CBD Campus
Asia-Pacific Aviation Hub
Asia-Pacific Aviation Hub
$50m
$10m
-
-
-
$35m
State Investment Federal Investment
*Source: Cummings Economics, Economic and Socio Economic Impact Analysis, May 2020
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
P 15
ENABLING
INFRASTRUCTURE
COUNCIL: CAIRNS STATE ELECTORATE: CAIRNS FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT, KENNEDY
PROPONENT: ADVANCE CAIRNS
CAIRNS RING ROAD BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY • It is anticipated that the National Highway A1 will be extended from Cairns to Smithfield, providing much better links between the CBD and the Cairns sea port, Cairns airport, the northern beaches and southern access route. • As Stage 1 of the Cairns Ring Road, Federal investment of $287.2 million has been committed, which has been matched by State investment of $71.8 million. • The Western Arterial section of Cairns Ring Road intersects with the northern point of National Highway A1 and urgently requires State funding of $365.5 million for essential upgrades as Stage 2 of the Cairns Ring Road. • When the Captain Cook Highway is flooded, the Western Arterial Road is the only flood free access route between Cairns, the northern beaches and Kennedy Highway.
THE ISSUE
Access to the Cairns airport and seaport from the north, south and west is adversely impacted by a highly inefficient road network, with all directions constrained by the need to travel directly through the Cairns CBD. There is significant traffic congestion on the Captain Cook Highway and along the Cairns Western Arterial Road, both of which lead from the northern beaches into the city, and this makes the transport of freight to, from and between the key port locations difficult. While there is significant potential to expand export activities for the Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) region, particularly to Asian markets post-COVID when international flights return to the region, connectivity between ports is a critical enabling factor in the future development of Cairns as an export and service hub. The need to upgrade Captain Cook Highway to enhance connectivity was acknowledged by the Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Mark Bailey, who wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack on 19 September 2018 to request an extension of the national highway in Cairns during the 2018-2019 National Land Transport Network (NLTN) Determination Review. The extension will free-up State Government funding that would previously have been required for Captain Cook Highway upgrades. However, the State-owned Western Arterial section of the Cairns Ring Road carries 36,550 vehicles per day and is not included in the 2018 National Land Transport Network extension request. Upgrading this section will allow for more efficient movement of freight between Cairns and the region’s premier agriculture producing areas (Atherton Tablelands, Cape York Peninsula and Mossman), while also meeting demand for daily commuter traffic.
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
BACKGROUND
The Bruce Highway is part of the National Highway A1, providing the vital link between Cairns, other Queensland coastal cities and Brisbane. The National Highway A1 currently terminates in the Cairns CBD at the corners of Comport and Draper Streets, but the Federal Government is expected to deliver on its promise to extend the Highway to the intersection of Captain Cook and Kennedy Highways and Mount Milman Drive, Smithfield, north of Cairns, leading to a major upgrade of the Captain Cook Highway. However, the effectiveness and safety of the road transport network in and around Cairns will be adversely impacted until the Stateowned Cairns Western Arterial Road is also upgraded. The Cairns Arterial road network has been underfunded for many years in terms of capacity upgrades, with residential and industrial land development outpacing road project investments. In January 2019, Cairns Regional Council identified a number of underfunded Stateowned roads and listed them as priority infrastructure projects for the region. The Cairns Western Arterial Road is a significant component of this list as the road is heavily congested on a daily basis and when the Captain Cook Highway is flooded during wet season or natural disaster, is the only flood free access route between Cairns, the northern beaches and Kennedy Highway.
NEXT STEPS Investment in key roads infrastructure is critical to ensuring sustained economic growth for the region, which will lead to greater diversity in incomes and job security. P 16
The required infrastructure upgrades can be achieved through: • Creating Stage 2 of the Cairns Ring Road by upgrading the Bruce Highway and linking the northern-most part of the National Highway to the Cairns Port and Airport; • Upgrading three major intersections along the Western Arterial Road through a combination of overpass, traffic signal and slip lane projects; • Duplicating the full length of the road to increase traffic lanes from 1 to 2 in each direction; • Duplicating the Barron River Bridge at Kamerunga and the Redlynch overpass; and • Constructing the McCoombe Street
connection road between Ray Jones Drive and Mulgrave Road. It is estimated that a $365.5 million investment is required to cover the cost of the Western Arterial Road upgrades. A combined State and Federal investment of $359 million has already been indicated in the Queensland Transport and Investment Road and Rail Program for Cairns Ring Road Stage 1. However, the funds have not been committed in the Capital Budget Statements and remain indicative only. While an initial investment of $12.5 million has been committed by the State for detailed planning for the Cairns Western Arterial Road, the remaining $353 million is yet to be confirmed. The detailed business case is expected to be completed in October 2021.
OUR RECOMMENDATION •
That the Queensland Government include capital funding of $437.3 million for the Cairns Ring Road and Cairns Western Arterial Road projects in the 20202021 State Budget, to be invested over four years to 2023-2024.
•
That the Queensland Government fast-track detailed planning of the Cairns Western Arterial Road to ensure plan completion by December 2020.
•
That the Federal Government commit to commencement of capital funding of $287.2 million for Cairns Ring Road in the 2020-2021 Budget, to be invested over three years to 2023-2024.
•
That the Commonwealth Government confirm in the forthcoming amendment of the National Land Transport Act 2014 its promised extension of the Highway A1 to the junction of the Kennedy and Captain Cook Highways at Smithfield.
RECOMMENDED INVESTMENT Estimated total project cost $749m
2020-2021
2021-2022
2022-2023
2023-2024
State Investment
$60m
$120m
$180m
$77.3m
Federal Investment
$50m
$100m
$137.2m
-
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
P 17
ENABLING
INFRASTRUCTURE
COUNCIL: CAIRNS, MAREEBA, CASSOWARY COAST, HINCHINBROOK, TOWNSVILLE STATE ELECTORATE: BARRON RIVER, CAIRNS, MULGRAVE, HILL, HINCHINBROOK, TOWNSVILLE FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT, HERBERT, KENNEDY
PROPONENT: ADVANCE CAIRNS, FNQROC
NATIONAL HIGHWAY A1 BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY • TNQ’s road transport system is under pressure due to population growth, particularly on the road network in and out of Cairns which is the main distribution hub for the region. • The Bruce Highway is one of Australia’s highestrisk roads and in the 5 years to 2017, there were 328 casualty crashes and 22 fatalities on the stretch between Cairns and Townville. • The Kuranda Range Road has already exceeded its capacity of 9,500 vehicle movements per day, catering for up to 10,000 daily traffic movements. • While the Bruce Highway has seen unprecedented State and Federal investment since 2013, many future TNQ projects are scheduled for commencement after 2023. It is essential these be brought forward to 2020-2023 to address critical congestion and safety issues. • A strategic transport plan linking Cairns and Townsville is required, together with a significant upgrade of Kuranda Range Road.
THE ISSUE
An integrated and efficient road transport network is critical for economic stability and growth in northern Australia. In Tropical North Queensland (TNQ), the road network underpins the economy and is vital to the resident population of 278,080, ensuring accessibility to health, education and community services. Due to rapid population growth, TNQ’s road transport system faces increasing pressure, particularly on the road network in and out of Cairns which acts as the main distribution hub for the region. Meeting the growing demand for freight has strained existing infrastructure, impacting transport costs and service levels across the supply chain. The strain has been exacerbated by uneven population dispersion, the shared passenger transport task on TNQ roads, and resilience gaps in the road network which is frequently impacted by weather events. Via road, the city of Cairns is serviced by four main arterial roads, two of which are critical freight routes – the Bruce Highway and the Kennedy Highway. The Bruce Highway is part of the National Highway A1, providing the vital link between Cairns and Townsville, other Queensland coastal cities and Brisbane. The highway supports the transport of freight into and out of the region and currently ends in Cairns at the sea port.
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
The Kuranda Range Road (Kennedy Highway, Cairns/Mareeba section) links Smithfield with Kuranda and is the coastal gateway to Mareeba, Atherton Tablelands, Cape York Peninsula and the Gulf Savannah. It is a critical link for commuter, commercial and visitor traffic in TNQ and a vital strategic corridor linking the Atherton Tableland, North Tropical Coast and Cape York to the Cairns Airport. Both the Bruce Highway and Kuranda Range Roads underpin the commercial viability of primary industries, producers and exporters in the region. However, both are operating at or near capacity with safety and traffic efficiency now at critical levels for action. While unprecedented State and Federal funding has been allocated for Bruce Highway upgrades between Cairns and Townsville, to maintain and grow TNQ’s competitiveness through improved productivity a number of catalytic projects are still needed. These include a strategic transport plan to deliver a transport plan linking Cairns and Townsville, together with a significant upgrade of Kuranda Range Road. This need is supported by the 2009-2031 Far North Queensland Infrastructure Plan, which recommends that the Department of Main Roads plan for and preserve transport corridors to construct bypass roads around Innisfail, Ingham, Cardwell and Tully, and plan for and construct the duplication of Kuranda Range Road. P 18
BACKGROUND
Over the past decade, the Bruce Highway has consistently been rated one of Australia’s highest-risk roads. In 2016 the highway accounted for 48% of Queensland casualty crashes and more than half of the State’s fatalities. Nationally, this equates to more than 17% of fatalities on only 7.5% of the entire national network. On the 299 km section between Cairns and Townsville, which carries an estimated 17,250 vehicles per day, in the 5 years to 2017 there were 328 casualty crashes and 22 fatalities. To address the significant safety issues, in 2013 the Federal Government introduced the $12.6 billion Bruce Highway Upgrade Program, which has led to step-change investments in north Queensland sections of the highway. Together with the State Government, to date this has delivered: $595 million for Stages 1 to 4 of Cairns Southern Access upgrades with another $226 million committed for Stage 5; $20 million committed for Innisfail bypass planning and to improve flood immunity between Cardwell and Ingham; $48 million committed to plan for upgrades to the Cardwell Range; and another $63 million committed for Townsville Northern Access upgrades. In contrast to the Bruce Highway, the Kuranda Range Road has been the subject of multiple impact assessment and design studies (the most recent being circa 2000) but is yet to see significant investment. The road has already exceeded its capacity of 9,500 vehicle movements per day, catering for up to 10,000 daily traffic movements. And in the 10 years to August 2018, the Cairns to Mareeba section of Kennedy Highway experienced 493 unplanned closures with total closure time of 1,111 hours and an average close time per incident of 2 hours and 15 minutes. While the need to upgrade the road was identified in the 20092031 Far North Queensland Infrastructure Plan, more than 10 years on this remains a critical infrastructure project but is yet to secure significant funding.
NEXT STEPS A number of significant investments have been announced that will continue to address safety and efficiency challenges on the TNQ road network. However, many of these projects are scheduled for commencement after 2023. To address the critical congestion and safety issues faced on the road transport network, it is essential that the following key projects be brought forward and commenced in 20202023: 1.
URANDA RANGE ROAD: Deliver the K findings of the $1.25 million Cairns to Northern Tablelands access strategy (due for completion mid-2020).
2. KURANDA RANGE ROAD: Undertake Strategic Assessment of Service Requirements ($1 million) and Preliminary Evaluation and Business Case ($20 million) with a view to completion by 2021. 3.
BRUCE HIGHWAY, INNISFAIL BYPASS: Continue to preserve the existing bypass corridor and commence transport project planning ($9 million), with a view to completion of the plan by 2022.
4.
BRUCE HIGHWAY, INGHAM TO CARDWELL RANGE DEVIATION: Continue to preserve the existing transport corridor and commence transport project planning ($48 million), with a view to completion of the plan by 2023.
OUR RECOMMENDATION •
That through the Roads of Strategic Importance Fund, in 2020-2022 the Queensland and Federal Governments commit $21 million (shared 50:50) to undertake the Strategic Assessment of Service Requirements, preliminary evaluation and Business Case for Kuranda Range Road.
•
That through the Bruce Highway Upgrade Program, the State and Federal Governments bring forward their commitments to upgrade north Queensland sections of the National Highway A1 to 2020-2023, and commit to developing a strategic transport plan linking Cairns and Townsville.
5. BRUCE HIGHWAY, TOWNSVILLE NORTHERN ACCESS INTERSECTIONS UPGRADE: Commence transport project planning ($72 million), with a view to completion of the plan by 2023. 6. BRUCE HIGHWAY, CAIRNS TO TOWNSVILLE: Undertake Strategic Assessment of Service Requirements and Preliminary Evaluation and Business Case with a view to completion by 2024.
RECOMMENDED INVESTMENT Estimated project cost $21m
2020-2021 Kuranda Range Road SASR
Kuranda Range Road Business Case
State Investment
$0.5m
$10m
Federal Investment
$0.5m
$10m
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
P 19
DESTINATION
DEVELOPMENT
COUNCIL: CAIRNS STATE ELECTORATE: CAIRNS FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT
PROPONENT: CAIRNS REGIONAL COUNCIL PROJECT IDENTIFIED AS A KEY STIMULUS INITIATIVE IN THE CAIRNS PATHWAY TO RECOVERY FROM COVID-19
CAIRNS GALLERY PRECINCT BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY • With Cairns positioning itself to be the Arts and Cultural Capital of northern Australia, to cater for its multicultural community, welcome new migrants and encourage social cohesion, further investment in infrastructure is required. • To strengthen arts and culture, the Cairns Gallery Precinct will showcase domestic and international touring exhibitions as well as contemporary local and indigenous art. The project requires tri-partite investment of $39.8 million.
THE ISSUE
The Cairns Gallery Precinct is a project that supports and complements recent regional investment in arts and cultural facilities, events and programs. These include the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF), Cairns Performing Arts Centre (CPAC), Munro Martin Parklands (MMP) and the Bulmba-ja Arts Centre (formerly Centre of Contemporary Arts). The project will transform and connect three heritage listed buildings in the Cairns City Centre (the Cairns Art Gallery, ‘Old’ Court House and former Mulgrave Shire Council offices) and establish a new world class gallery building to create a dynamic and unique gallery precinct with benefits for both the local community and domestic and international visitors. The project would also broaden the region’s tourism offer and enhance liveability within our community. A significant proportion of Cairns’ population identify as First Nations peoples. Cairns is also the principal connection point for the exchange and celebration of Indigenous art and culture from communities throughout Cape York and the Torres Strait. The Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region is home to Australia’s highest proportion of Indigenous Australians and its greatest diversity of Indigenous cultures. Community demand for the arts, the burgeoning local creative
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
sector, the opportunity to showcase more Indigenous arts, and the need to diversify our tourism offering all contribute to the need for increased scale and diversity of Cairns’ visual arts infrastructure. The announcement by the Premier of Queensland that 2020 is ‘the Year of Indigenous Tourism’ sends a clear strategic signal of the importance of cultural tourism projects such as the Cairns Gallery Precinct. Investment in the project would demonstrate the Queensland Government’s commitment to this strategic imperative.
BACKGROUND
Establishment of the precinct will have significant positive impacts on jobs and economic growth. In addition to the significant economic impact and employment created during construction, once operational, the project will add $20.7 million per annum to the regional economy (Gross Regional Product) and support 177 ongoing full time jobs through its direct operation and induced tourism expenditure. An independent and comprehensive business case for the project has been completed utilising funding provided by the Queensland Government. The business case supports the case for project investment with the preferred project option having a Benefits to Cost Ratio (BCR) of 1.19 and a Net Present Value (NPV) of $13.3 million.
P 20
OUR RECOMMENDATION
NEXT STEPS This proposal calls for a tripartite funding arrangement to construct and establish the precinct with Federal, State and Local (Council) Governments each contributing one third of the project’s total capital cost of $39.8 million. The project aligns with and supports the implementation of the following Queensland Government strategies and initiatives: •
The Queensland Plan: Queenslanders’ 30-year vision 2014
•
State Infrastructure Plan 2016
•
Advancing Tourism 2016-20 • Queensland Tourism and Transport Strategy 2018
•
Tourism and Events Queensland Strategic Plan 2018-2022
•
Far North Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031
•
Advancing North Queensland – Investing in the Future of the North (2016) plan
•
Advancing Tourism in North Queensland 2016-20
•
That under a tri-partite funding arrangement, the Queensland and Federal Government’s each commit $13.3 million in the 2020-2021 budget to invest in the Cairns Gallery Precinct.
RECOMMENDED INVESTMENT Estimated project cost $39.8m
2020-2021
Local Council Investment (already confirmed)
$13.3m
State Investment
$13.3m
Federal Investment
$13.3m
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
P 21
THE CAIRNS CONVENTION CENTRE IS UNDERGOING A $176M EXPANSION AND REFURBISHMENT TO MAXIMISE THE CENTRE’S CAPABILITIES, MODERNISE THE FACILITIES AND BRING NEW BUSINESS TO THE TROPICAL NORTH. PHOTO CREDIT: CAIRNS CONVENTION CENTRE
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
P 22
INDUSTRY
DEVELOPMENT
COUNCIL: ALL TNQ STATE ELECTORATE: ALL TNQ FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT, KENNEDY
PROPONENT: CAIRNS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY FACTORS BRIEFING SUMMARY
• • NOTE •
The Cairns regional economy is expected to take a $1 billion hit in 2020 with nine out of 10 businesses impacted by the COVID-19 global health pandemic.
•
With the decline in economic conditions, it will become increasingly difficult to encourage private sector investment and attract skilled labour to the region.
•
To stimulate economic growth and the regional economy overall, there is a need for the Queensland Government to commit to regional targets for SME procurement and to introduce retail competition into the electricity market.
•
Support of these initiatives aligns with the Advancing Small Business Queensland Strategy 2016-20.
THE ISSUE
The Cairns regional economy is expected to take a $1 billion hit in 2020 from the COVID-19 global health pandemic. A local business survey in March 2020 revealed nine out of 10 Cairns businesses had been adversely affected, with more than half (52 per cent) reporting a 50 per cent fall in sales and 49 per cent expecting to reduce their staffing levels. Prior to COVID-19, economic growth in the Cairns region was 3.5 per cent (above the State and National average of 2.2 per cent) and the unemployment rate was 4.3 per cent (well below the Queensland rate of 6 per cent). The unemployment rate is now expected to increase to over 12 per cent, with estimates that more than 13,000 jobs in Cairns will or have already been affected. Official Treasury JobKeeper data released in June 2020 reveals that Cairns is one of the hardest-hit areas economically in the country, with more workers on JobKeeper wage subsidies in Cairns than any other postcode in Queensland.
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
Against this backdrop, despite the recentlycompleted construction of significant tourism accommodation in the Cairns CBD, business confidence in the local economy is low and retail spending has significantly declined. In many sectors, the Cairns economy is worse now than at any time since before the Global Financial Crisis and this has placed many small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in an overly stressed financial situation. With the decline in economic conditions, it will become increasingly difficult to encourage private sector investment and attract skilled labour to the region. To stimulate economic growth within the SME sector and the regional economy overall, State Government initiatives are therefore required that will: •
nable more equitable access to Statee funded tender opportunities for SME’s based in regional Queensland; and
•
ddress the rising cost of electricity in a regional Queensland, which makes it difficult for north Queensland businesses to be competitive in national and international markets. P 23
OUR RECOMMENDATION
BACKGROUND
PROCUREMENT: From 1 July 2020, all State Government agencies that are subject to the Queensland Procurement Policy (QPP) must contribute to a collective 25 per cent target of government procurement spend from Queensland SMEs, which are defined as businesses employing less than 200 people. This target will increase to 30 per cent by 30 June 2022. However, within the current policy there is no existing requirement for the Government to be transparent or accountable for its decisions on where procurement money is being spent. There is also no requirement for decisions relating to regional projects to preference SMEs that are based within that region when choosing to engage procurement project partners. In Cairns, the current focus on ‘local jobs’ as opposed to ‘local businesses’ has therefore led to national providers with a small regional presence incentivising existing Cairns-based employees to change employers to allow them to achieve the local jobs quota associated with State tenders. This has had the effect of cannibalising SME businesses that are genuinely located in the region, minimising opportunities to expand their local workforce. To enable more equitable access to Statefunded tender opportunities for regional projects, there is therefore a need to expand the 25 per cent target of procurement spend from Queensland SMEs to include a requirement that within that target, 85 per cent of businesses must be based in that regional location (where the skills are available). ENERGY: In its State of the Energy Market Report 2020, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) reported that based on an assessment by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), regional Queensland was one of the least effective electricity retail markets in Australia, alongside Tasmania and the ACT. It was further noted by the AER that in regional Queensland, a subsidy paid to Ergon Energy through the Queensland Government’s Uniform Tariff Policy (which other retailers are not able to access) also deters new competitors entering the market. Rising input costs related to the cost of electricity have had a significant impact in regional Queensland locations such as Cairns for some time. The Ergon Energy small and large business tariff 22 has risen by 34% since
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
2013 and many small business owners have experienced increases in excess of this.
•
That the Queensland Government commit to enabling more equitable access to State-funded tender opportunities for regional projects by expanding the 25 per cent target of procurement spend from Queensland SMEs to include a requirement that within that target, 85 per cent of businesses must be based in that regional location (where the skills are available).
•
That the Queensland Government reduce small business input costs by facilitating competition in the regional electricity market.
•
That the Queensland Government work with the Federal Government in developing the national Technology Investment Roadmap, driving future investment in renewable technologies that support jobs growth while reducing business input costs.
These cost increases are ultimately passed on to customers meaning regional Queensland businesses are not able to remain competitive against businesses in national and international markets. Energy prices therefore have a serious impact on business and domestic consumers, adding to cost-of-living pressures and resulting in business and industry restricting their regional economic growth opportunities. The situation is exacerbated by a lack of policy certainty at the Federal Government level. To address this, the Commonwealth is working to develop a Technology Investment Roadmap that will drive investment in low emissions technologies to strengthen the national economy and support jobs and businesses. The Roadmap is a key priority in the road to recovery from COVID-19 and requires Queensland Government support.
NEXT STEPS
In addressing SME concerns around procurement and the high cost of energy in regional Queensland areas, a number of key steps are recommended. PROCUREMENT •
stablish an open procurement platform E across all government agencies.
•
stablish a procurement target for regional E Queensland.
•
reak-up government tenders to smaller B components to enable small businesses to have more opportunities to supply goods and services.
•
implify government tender documents S and assessments criteria.
•
I mplement payment terms of five (5) business days for small suppliers.
ENERGY •
I ntroduce competition into the regional electricity market to enable small business customers to move between retail providers, putting downward pressure on energy prices and minimising business input costs for regional SMEs.
•
iversify energy sources in regional D Queensland through investment in renewable technologies, which over time will bring more competition to the market and drive down both wholesale and retail energy costs. P 24
DESTINATION
DEVELOPMENT
COUNCIL: ALL TNQ STATE ELECTORATE: ALL TNQ FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT, KENNEDY
PROPONENT: TTNQ, CAIRNS AIRPORT PROJECT IDENTIFIED AS A KEY STIMULUS INITIATIVE IN THE CAIRNS PATHWAY TO RECOVERY FROM COVID-19
BOOSTING AVIATION THROUGH EVENTS AND DESTINATION MARKETING BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY • Cairns is one of Australia’s most aviation dependent communities, with more than three times as many passenger movements per resident (31.6) compared to a city such as Brisbane (9.7). • During COVID-19, Cairns lost 95% of its total air capacity for the three months ending June 2020. Globally, international airline capacity is not expected to return to pre-COVID capacity until after 2023. • 52% of TNQ’s 3 million visitors per annum come through the airport. Aviation capacity is currently sitting at less than 40% of pre-COVID seat capacity. • COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on the region with a forecast loss of $2.2 billion in 2020, impacting on more than 7,700 jobs in the visitor economy. • A Queensland Government investment of $100 million over four years is needed to boost statewide aviation capacity. In addition, TTNQ requires $10 million over four years to boost event tourism.
THE ISSUE
Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) is one of the destinations most affected by COVID-19 in Australia, with visitor spend predicted to drop $2.2 billion in 2020 and aviation seat capacity to remain at less than 70 per cent of pre-COVID levels for at least the next 2 years. This will impact on more than 7,700 jobs in the region from the visitor economy. Over the past decade, the Queensland tourism industry has lost both domestic and international market share, with Victoria gaining the majority of the lost market. PreCOVID whole-of-state marketing activities such as the Connecting with Asia program had started to slow the rate of these losses, however the State is likely to lose more market share post-COVID without an aviation-led approach to tourism recovery. While international borders are currently closed, when they do re-open the reintroduction of international aviation capacity to Australia is likely to be slow. Cairns Airport must therefore seek to maximise opportunities to recover domestic airline capacity and take advantage of travel ‘bubbles’ to markets such as New Zealand, Singapore or Japan as and when they become available. With limited international air capacity returning to Cairns in the coming 12-18 months, capturing as much domestic capacity as possible is crucial to be able to support and re-energise the tourism sector and the local economy. Cairns Airport welcomes the recent announcement by the Queensland Government of two tranches
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
of funding, totalling $15 million to support Queensland airports in attracting intrastate and interstate capacity as restrictions ease. To further assist the attraction of airline services to the State, the key international and domestic aviation gateways of Queensland (Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Gold Coast) have joined forces to present an opportunity to the Queensland Government to review the current approach to aviation attraction funding structures and programs. A position paper presented in March 2020 recommends a state-wide investment in a new Aviation Capacity Expansion (ACE) program of $100 million over four years. In addition, Cairns Airport, Cairns Regional Council and Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) have entered into a four year partnership to drive aviation seat capacity through partnerships, events and increased investment in destination marketing. To be successful in growing TNQ’s contribution to the visitor economy of the State, and to kick-start the region’s recovery from COVID-19, Queensland Government support is now needed. A separate investment of $10 million over four years in a TNQ event marketing program would be matched by funds from Cairns Regional Council, Cairns Airport and TTNQ to drive event and conference participation in the short term (1-2 years), and to attract new events in the medium to longer term (3-5 years).
P 25
BACKGROUND
Air connectivity is key to the economic development of the Cairns region. It opens up new visitor markets, provides opportunities for the export of agricultural produce and promotes growth in the education sector. A daily international wide-body flight to Cairns is potentially a $200 million a year export business, with $100 million of international visitor spend, $50-$150 million of agricultural produce sales, and the potential to deliver more than 650 new jobs for the region. There are additional flow-on benefits as other trade is enabled by new air routes. These benefits are widely dispersed across businesses in the region. Cairns Airport is the nation’s seventh busiest in terms of combined international and domestic passenger movements. It has historically handled around 130,000 aircraft movements and over 5.2 million passenger movements per year. The airport is widely recognised as one of the most significant economic drivers in the Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) region and its facilities are critical pieces of economic infrastructure. TNQ stretches from Cardwell to the Torres Strait and west to the Northern Territory border and receives nearly three million domestic and international visitors annually. This equated to an estimated $3.5 billion in annual visitor spend in the year ended March 2020. Twothirds of the region’s visitor nights are domestic travellers, and one-third are international. The visitor economy, made up of holiday, visiting friends and relatives, business events, major events and education visitors, contributes over 17 per cent of the regions Gross Regional Product (GRP), supporting one in five jobs directly and indirectly. Over the past decade the funds available for tourism marketing in the State have not kept pace with the increased level of competition both in Australia and globally, and the impact of global travel restrictions from COVID-19 have seen the visitor economy come to a virtual standstill since March. As the industry emerges it is clear that the key to the recovery
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
of the visitor economy, and the wider regional economy, is aviation-led. In addition, there remain significant opportunities for airfreight movement from Cairns. International airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Emirates continue to operate passenger services to Australia. However, because of passenger movement restrictions the real value to these airlines is the freight they are able to carry in the cargo hold of their passenger aircraft, which TNQ producers are well positioned to supply.
NEXT STEPS
The Attracting Aviation Investment Fund (AAIF) and Connecting With Asia Fund (CWA) were due to expire at the end of FY20. To replace the AAIF and support both domestic and international route retention longer term, the development of an Aviation Capacity Expansion (ACE) program has been proposed by Queensland airports.
OUR RECOMMENDATION •
That previous aviation attraction (marketing) program funds be consolidated into a single Aviation Capacity Expansion (ACE) program of $100 million over four years commencing July 2020.
•
That through Tourism and Events Queensland, the Queensland Government increase TTNQ’s event support and acquisition funding by $10 million over four years to boost the region’s events portfolio with a focus on driving aviation capacity.
The State’s gateway airports are seeking a Queensland Government investment in the ACE program of $100 million over the next four years. In addition, TTNQ is seeking increased base funding from the Queensland Government for TEQ to provide regions with destination marketing campaign funds. For TTNQ this would be a minimum of $12 million in marketing funds per annum. At this point in time, TTNQ has secured $8 million of base funding for the region and is therefore seeking a further $4 million per annum. Cairns Airport and Cairns Regional Council both agreed to increase their base funding in 2020-21 with an investment of $500,000 (each), which along with TTNQ will bring the region’s marketing and events funds up to $9.5 million in 2020-21. The region is also seeking $2.5 million per annum over the next four years from the State Government to boost aviation partnerships and events, with a view to that increase being matched by the local partners once confirmed.
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INDUSTRY
DEVELOPMENT
COUNCIL: ALL TNQ STATE ELECTORATE: ALL TNQ FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT, KENNEDY
PROPONENT: ADVANCE CAIRNS
LAND USE AND AGRICULTURE BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY • To reduce the uncertainty facing investors in agricultural development, improved strategic land use planning and mechanisms for tenure resolution are required. To facilitate this process, it is proposed that Strategic Agricultural Development Areas be prioritised and established. • This approach would be complimented by the creation of an Office of the Coordinator General in far northern Queensland. The Office is required to coordinate more effective strategic regional land use planning and major development approvals, supported by increased State investment to process subsidiary tenure resolution efforts.
THE ISSUE
A CSIRO and James Cook University (JCU) report into land tenure issues in northern Australia identified key actions required to ensure land tenure arrangements facilitate rather than hinder investment in the region. The report identified that the majority of land in northern Australia is crown-owned (75.4%), two-thirds of which is pastoral leasehold. Another 18.5% is Indigenous land and privately-owned land accounts for 6.1%. However, Indigenous land interests cover an estimated 94% of northern Australia and there are limited arrangements to support Traditional Owners in leading development opportunities within these various tenures. In the State of Queensland, an estimated 65% of land is leasehold, with term leases for grazing and agriculture the principal arrangement. High value agriculture is permitted by the Native Title Act (1993) on term leases subject to notices, which does not require an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) or consent. In 1996 the Native Title Act confirmed existing freehold and perpetual leases extinguished native title, however it is the State’s view this can only be achieved if native title is extinguished either by agreement (ILUA) or order of the Court.
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
Many pastoral tenures therefore have quite restrictive requirements that need careful negotiation for development. Native title issues in particular are sensitive as the land holder cannot achieve more secure tenure unless native title is surrendered or extinguished. Many others are impacted by the Queensland Vegetation Management Act (1999), which was amended in 2018 to ban broad-scale clearing of remnant vegetation for agriculture. The reduced certainty regarding land use is impacting both agricultural and environmental management investment as many leaseholder and financial institutions require a more secure form of tenure to underpin the huge capital investment required for high value agriculture. Combined with land tenure uncertainty, to improve agricultural investment in Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) an opportunity exists to streamline development approvals.
BACKGROUND
Productive agricultural land is an irreplaceable asset for current and future generations and must be effectively identified, managed and preserved through improved land use planning and project assessment frameworks. P 27
While land ownership in Australia is governed by common and statutory laws, in the context of northern Queensland a lack of strategic planning and land tenure complexities have frustrated new investment. In Tropical North Queensland, efforts to reduce barriers to agricultural investment could be pursued in four distinct ways: 1.
he prioritisation of areas where the T State would strongly support agricultural development;
2.
treamlining development approvals and S regulations at the Federal, State and local level through a single point-of-contact permanently based in the region;
3.
4.
aking administrative and legislative M improvements to land tenure legislation to reduce barriers to investment, taking into consideration the requirements of the Queensland Vegetation Management Act (1999); and aking action to improve the effectiveness T of land and resource planning to reduce conflict between potential investors and land holders.
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
NEXT STEPS Just as there are State Development Area’s (SDA’s) to promote economic development in Queensland, to reduce the uncertainty facing investors in agricultural development, it is proposed that a framework for prioritised Strategic Agricultural Development Areas be developed across TNQ. Similar in nature to a State Development Area, this would mean that in areas suitable for agricultural production, a single authority would coordinate decisions regarding • • • • • •
Land use planning and approvals; Vegetation management planning and approvals; Native title negotiations; Environmental impact studies and approvals; Water allocations; and Trunk infrastructure requirements.
The process would be managed through the creation of an Office of the Coordinator General in far northern Queensland, which would be tasked with coordinating strategic regional land use plans and major development approvals, supported by associated tenure resolution efforts.
OUR RECOMMENDATION •
That the State Government reduce uncertainty regarding land use and land tenure issues by establishing a framework for Strategic Agricultural Development Areas in Queensland.
•
That the State Government establish an Office of the Coordinator General in far northern Queensland based in Cairns to effectively coordinate strategic regional land use planning and major development approvals, supported by associated tenure resolution efforts.
P 28
INDUSTRY
DEVELOPMENT
COUNCIL: CAIRNS STATE ELECTORATE: CAIRNS FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT
PROPONENT: JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PILOT PROGRAM BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY •
The combination of COVID-19 trading restrictions and the closure of international and state borders has severely impacted Australia’s higher education sector.
•
From August 2020, international students may be able to return to select universities through a carefully monitored pilot program. The initial arrival destination for Queensland-based students appears to be Brisbane.
•
An emerging alternative that also deserves support offers the prospect of re-entry to the north via Darwin, with quarantine being undertaken there.
•
With the next big intake of students expected to arrive in October, James Cook University (JCU) is seeking State Government approval to allow students to enter Australia through Cairns.
THE ISSUE
Since March 2020, the combination of COVID-19 trading restrictions and the closure of international and state borders has severely impacted Australia’s higher education sector. Over the past four months, Australia has been successful in managing its coronavirus outbreak and this has allowed the State and Federal governments to re-open the economy through a staged approach of rolling back restrictions on trade. The re-opening includes an intention to welcome back international students from August 2020 through a pilot program that will see international students return to universities in Queensland. The students selected for the pilot will be from countries where the infection rate is low, and will be required to quarantine for 14 days prior to returning to their University studies. Under the scheme, James Cook University (JCU) prepared a pilot program submission requesting that Cairns be endorsed as an arrival point for international students. It is likely that Brisbane will be selected as the initial destination for students entering Queensland from August. Numbers for the three-month pilot will be limited to a
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
quota per month and this is intended to cover entries for all Queensland universities (including JCU) to enable a test of the State’s health and logistics systems. While direct entry into Cairns is strongly preferred, an emerging alternative would see students fly into Darwin and undergo quarantine at the former INPEX residential site, which was used as an Australian quarantine facility in the early days of the pandemic. Upon their release from quarantine, the students would be able to travel to Queensland to resume their studies. With the next big intake of students expected to arrive in October, JCU is seeking State and Federal Government support to allow students to enter Australia via Cairns from this date. While this outcome is important for JCU, all other education providers and sectors in the region will benefit, as will the tourism sector as the pilot provides the ideal testing environment for future tourism initiatives.
BACKGROUND
JCU seeks to partner with the Queensland and Federal Governments to establish a safe, controlled and phased intake of international students into Tropical North Queensland P 29
OUR RECOMMENDATION (TNQ), preferably directly into Cairns. The initiative will benefit all sectors of the TNQ economy and is supported by community leaders from both Cairns and Townsville. This broad base of support is essential is it ensures that the people of Cairns and Townsville can feel confident their communities will remain healthy and safe as we move to welcome international students to the region. Taking a regional approach supports the development of best practice and the collection of data to inform decision making across the State. Tourism is a key industry in the north, and the ability to test our health and logistics systems through an international student pilot program before any staged re-opening of international borders presents many benefits.
NEXT STEPS JCU has a different international student profile to most other Australian universities with students coming from a diverse group of source countries rather than one or two countries alone. International students are attracted to JCU’s signature programs in tropical health and medicine and tropical environments and society, and by the opportunity to access world-class tropical research infrastructure. The diversity of Cairns’ international student body, the lower ratio of international students to domestic students, as well as the open space design of JCU’s campus facilities and student accommodation, means it may prove simpler for JCU to accommodate face-to-face teaching
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
for incoming international students compared with larger, metropolitan-based universities. For these reasons, Cairns is an ideal entry destination for international students from October 2020. Additional benefits include: •
airns remains a safe place to live and C study, with very low and very controlled rates of COVID-19 transmission.
•
ntry via north Queensland facilitates a E safe and controlled pathway to re-opening international borders and is considered critical to the post COVID-19 recovery in the region.
•
ourism is a key industry in the north and T this initiative allows the State Government to test Queensland’s health and logistics systems before any staged re-opening of the borders takes place more broadly.
•
airns has sustained, and is predicted to C further incur, heavy job losses as a result of COVID-19. Targeting a pathway for international students into Cairns is a key mechanism for economic intervention that is open to Government.
•
he proposal would enable JCU to pilot a T controlled intake of international students from source markets that have been assessed as safe, to commence studies onshore.
•
That the Queensland Government endorse a secure corridor for international students, with Cairns as an arrival destination for the international student pilot programme, commencing October 2020.
Endorsing Cairns as an arrival destination from October 2020 will enable JCU and other education providers in the region to welcome international students in time for the summer semester, and allow for a successful restart to semester 1 in 2021. P 30
INDUSTRY
DEVELOPMENT
COUNCIL: CAIRNS STATE ELECTORATE: CAIRNS FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT
PROPONENT: ADVANCE CAIRNS
PACIFIC ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY •
Cairns is the ideal strategic hub for the implementation of Australia’s Pacific Engagement Strategy
•
The Cairns port is a critical national infrastructure asset with established shipping links to the nations of the Pacific.
•
Cairns has the structures and relationships in place to support the establishment of a Federal Office of the Pacific bureau to administer the Pacific Engagement Program from northern Australia.
•
State Government support is sought to facilitate the establishment of an Office of the Pacific bureau in Cairns to cement Queensland’s role in delivering the national Pacific StepUp agenda.
THE ISSUE
While the newly formed Federal Government Office of the Pacific has been tasked with overseeing Australia’s Pacific Engagement Strategy, Cairns already has strong established networks and links with Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the nations of the Pacific. Together with expertise in working with dispersed populations and tropical climates, Cairns is ideally placed to provide meaningful and informed stimulus to Australia’s Pacific engagement strategies. The Cairns Marine Precinct houses HMAS Cairns which is the northern-most naval base on Australia’s east coast. It is also the only naval base in Queensland, one of only five naval bases in Australia, and one of three Regional Maintenance Centres for the Royal Australia Navy (Regional Maintenance Centre North East). Providing ready, direct access to PNG and the Pacific nations via sea, Cairns is the ideal base for Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) and Border Force vessels. Anchored by three main slipways, the marine precinct is supported by a number of contractors and SMEs that are experienced in undertaking sustainment and maintenance of the range of vessels in use.
BACKGROUND
The Cairns Marine Precinct has the capacity to meet future sustainment and maintenance requirements for the Pacific region and to fulfill its role as Regional Maintenance Centre North East for the Royal Australian Navy. Geo-political tensions in the region have led to a bi-lateral agreement between the United States and Australia to reinstate the Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island, PNG. HMAS Cairns and the marine precinct provide the closest naval support and Australian Regional Maintenance Centre for the Lombrum naval base, with air and sea transport routes that pass only through international, Australian and PNG airspace or territorial waters. The combination of the Cairns port and Cairns International airport enables direct access to PNG and South Pacific nations by and through Australia. Cairns is already home to many of Australia’s Pacific Engagement initiatives covering security; economic development; infrastructure financing; and foreign affairs and trade. Basing an Office of the Pacific bureau in Cairns will enable Australia to quickly build stronger relationships with our Pacific neighbours, providing a more coordinated
“ We see it as a strategic port, as a port of national significance…its link between here and the Pacific is a key part of why we believe that is so strategic... Cairns is very important to our engagement with the Pacific.” Prime Minister Scott Morrison, 22 January 2019
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
P 31
OUR RECOMMENDATION strategic approach and providing the Commonwealth with better value for existing budgeted measures. For example: TRADE: The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is inquiring currently into activating greater trade and investment with Pacific Island countries. The PACER Plus free trade agreement has been established with 14 signatory countries, including Australia, collectively focussed on facilitating trade to strengthen the global position of the Pacific. EDUCATION: Strong alignment exists between Cairns’ tertiary institutions and the Australian Pacific Training Coalition, with structures already in place to administer the new Australia-University of the South Pacific partnership worth $84 million over six years (2019-24). University research projects already exist and there is scope for further engagement. In addition, the Great Barrier Reef International Marine College is co-located with the Marine Precinct and provides the opportunity to contribute to the development of the South Pacific nations fisheries control and security through the training of crew members. Training can take place while vessels undertake sustainment and maintenance, or personnel can fly into Cairns specifically for training. GOVERNMENT AND TRADE: Cairns is home to the Exchange Innovation and Information Centre (EiiC) which works in partnership with the PNG Government to promote business and educational links between Cairns, PNG and the Pacific. The EiiC is unique within Australia and houses the offices of Tradelinked Cairns PNG Pacific, and of PNG National and Provincial agencies. Opportunities exist for outreach development in communications; tourism, agriculture and fisheries. HEALTH: Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Services in partnership with James Cook University (JCU) is established as a world leader in tropical health diseases,
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
•
That the Queensland Government commit to supporting and facilitating Cairns’ proposal to establish a bureau of the Office of the Pacific in Cairns to drive the implementation of Australia’s Pacific Engagement Strategy from northern Australia.
•
That the Queensland Government commit to formally designating Cairns as Queensland’s northern hub for delivering the national Step-Up to the Pacific program.
knowledge that that is vital to our neighbours. JCU has already established tropical health and medicine research relationships with the University of South Pacific and Fiji National University. SPORT AND CULTURE: Through sport and family links, TNQ’s population has an important understanding of the cultural and heritage issues relevant to the nations of the Pacific, supporting the prominence and acceptance of Cairns as a destination and strategic base for the region. Cairns is the ideal base for elite athlete training camps associated with the Australia-Pacific Sports Linkages program, has strong links established through the Pacific Games, and provides the perfect base for hosting future Pacific Games.
NEXT STEPS The establishment of a Federal Office of the Pacific bureau in Cairns would enable its staff to draw directly on the expertise, existing knowledge and links that the Cairns public and private sectors have with the South Pacific nations. Locating a bureau in a wet tropics city, which leads to an expertise of life in the tropics, would enable the Office of the Pacific to better understand the issues faced by the peoples of the Pacific and how to promote the regions development - particularly in regard to COVID-19 response and recovery. Direct air and sea access to PNG and the Pacific nations makes travel easier and quicker from Cairns than Canberra, promoting closer contacts and better understanding of issues and developments. Access by Pacific nations officials and business leaders to the Office would also likely to be more readily accepted. Queensland Government support is therefore sought to aid and facilitate discussions with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to secure an Office of the Pacific bureau in Cairns.
P 32
THE RETURN OF AVIATION ROUTES INTO CAIRNS IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL TO THE TNQ ECONOMY PHOTO CREDIT: CAIRNS AIRPORT
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ
P 33
ADVANCE CAIRNS OUR REGION ONE VOICE
COMMITTEE FOR TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND
ADVANCE CAIRNS OUR REGION ONE VOICE
THE COMMITTEE FOR TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND
CONTACT: ADVANCE CAIRNS EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN NICK TROMPF E: NICKTROMPF@ADVANCECAIRNS.COM PH: 07 4080 2900