- 'Townsville North Queensland COVID-19 Economic Action Plan' delivered to our State and Federal political representatives
- Policies to support local jobs and business in the right here and now
- Shovel ready and nation building projects to kick-start the long-term economic recovery
There is one consistent message coming through from our business community right now - that the accessibility to cash is king. This will be the difference between businesses surviving what is looking like our darkest days ahead or ceasing to exist after what has already been 10 years of an emotional and economic roller-coaster here in North Queensland.
As with all regions across Australia, right now we are haemorrhaging jobs. We have seen more than 300 jobs lost in the last few days, and an additional 500 to 1,000 are expected to be lost in the coming week if immediate action is not taken.
Whilst there is great uncertainty as to how long our nation will be in the grips of this crisis, we believe a short, medium, shovel-ready and ongoing economic action plan can help support our region's business community and jobs.
This Action Plan identifies that once cash starts flowing through our businesses, it is then about survival and adapting and changing to each day as it comes. It’s important to also still keep our eye on the long-game, and if a nation building program was to be considered we have a range of shovel ready projects led by our North Queensland councils and business community. This is in addition to the major infrastructure projects identified in our 2020 State and Federal Government Budget Submissions that will restructure this region in preparation for an even stronger 150 years. Any project that is committed to must prioritise local content and provide our SMEs opportunities.
Our intention with this plan is to arm our region's State and Federal MPs with the direct feedback about what our business community is experiencing and what they need to keep their doors open and staff employed.
We acknowledge the support and engagement from our six State and Federal Government Members of Parliament who have been representing this region at the highest levels. It will only be together that our region will be able to get through this.
We thank you, our members and partners, for responding quickly to our requests to better understand the impacts your business is currently experiencing and future challenges you anticipate as we traverse through this pandemic together.
Your feedback has informed the development of the Economic Action Plan we've put to government and shaped our advocacy agenda to ensure we are most effectively representing your needs.
Townsville Enterprise COVID-19 Resource Centre
For COVID-19 support measures, services, and daily round-ups of government announcements, as well as a series of videos we have developed with a range of industry experts to best prepare your business for potential impacts, visit the Townsville Enterprise website HERE
