RECAP: Unlock the North | Parliament House Delegation

DAY 1: 

It's been a positive start to our week long delegation at Parliament House today with our North Queensland Delegation promoting the regions key projects and policies across the state political spectrum as we engaged with several MPs from a range of portfolios today.

Summary of meetings and events program so far...

  • Networking function with a number of leading state and national political journalists yesterday afternoon to promote the north's key priorities
  • Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander, Member for Burdekin Dale Last, and Shadow Minister for Police Dan Purdie
  • Minister for Local Government Stirling Hinchcliffe
  • Katter's Australia Party's Member for Traeger Robbie Katter, Member for Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto, and Member for Hill Shane Knuth
  • Shadow Ministers David Crisafulli, John-Paul Langbroek, Michael Hart, and Assistant Shadow Minister Brent Mickleberg
  • Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Mark Bailey, Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Dr Anthony Lynham, Minister Coralee O'Rourke and Member for Townsville Scott Stewart joined the delegation and a number of regional private sector representatives at a meeting this evening

TaskforceNQ, NQROC, Townsville Enterprise and key business leaders have been clear - if we can unlock some of the North's key industries with investment and key policy changes, we can provide jobs and progress the State by playing a key role in our economic recovery.

North and North West Queensland were in the spotlight for these meetings including opportunities in the resources sector, the need for affordable power and efficient transport networks. Tourism product and experience development through eco-tourism has also been a key point of conversation, with a number of projects identified that will support the recovery of the sector post COVID-19. Regional infrastructure projects which will provide immediate jobs for our region and will play an important role in revitalising the state’s economy have also come to the forefront throughout today’s meetings.

Tomorrow the program continues with meetings scheduled for Ministers and Shadow Ministers across a range of portfolios including Tourism, State Development, Mining, Energy, Manufacturing, and Health, where we will continue to push the message that North Queensland can be the economic powerhouse that drives recovery for the State and Nation.

Taking Townsville North Queensland to Brisbane – Parliament House Function

We are looking forward to hosting our major event of the week tomorrow night at Parliament House with a range of MPs, business and industry leaders where Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington, and State Leader for Katter's Australian Party Robbie Katter will all discuss their vision for North Queensland and steps to support our region's economic recovery.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions we have not been able to open this event to as many of our members and partners as usual, but if you would still like to be involved, we will be live streaming the event to the Townsville Enterprise Facebook page from 7:15pm and will still be available to watch after the event concludes.

We thank our local Members for supporting the delegation schedule and look forward to further discussion over the coming few days.


DAY 2:

Summary of meetings and events program
  • 'Taking Townsville North Queensland to Parliament House' event with the Premier, Opposition Leader, several Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet Ministers, Minor Parties, and MPs, joined by NQROC, TaskforceNQ, business and industry leaders and local, state and national media
  • Panel discussion representing the broad industry base of North Queensland, moderated by Townsville Bulletin Editor Craig Warhurst
Meetings with:
  • Deputy Premier and Minister for Health & Ambulance Services, Dr Steven Miles MP
  • Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Dr Anthony Lynham MP
  • Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing, Glenn Butcher MP
  • The Office of Minister for State Development, Tourism & Innovation, Kate Jones MP
  • Shadow Minister for Health & Ambulance Services, Ros Bates MP

Our second day of the Taking Townsville North Queensland to Parliament House delegation has again provided North Queensland's message to be shared strongly across the political landscape. The major event held this evening and today's meetings provided strategic opportunities to continue promoting our North Queensland delegation's road map of projects and policies that can provide the pathway to recovery and a reignited Queensland economy.

Tonight we hosted our major event of the week at Parliament House with a range of MPs, business and industry leaders where Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington, and State Leader for Katter's Australian Party Robbie Katter each discussed their vision for North Queensland and steps to support our region's economic recovery.

It was a full program this evening and it was surreal to think the last time we held this event it was in 2017 before the State Election where we had nearly 350 people in the room speaking about the potential for Townsville North Queensland. This year, we could only allow a third of the attendees due to COVID-19 but our voices were just as strong and our message just as unified.

Tonight's event also included a panel discussion moderated by Townsville Bulletin Editor Craig Warhurst, with Charters Towers Regional Council Mayor Frank Beveridge, James Cook University Vice Chancellor Professor Sandra Harding AO, Managing Director of FGH Group Jamie Fitzpatrick, and CopperString 2.0 Director Joseph O’Brien. Key areas of the discussion included the North West Minerals Province, Big Rocks Weir, driving down the cost of power in the north, TropiQ, Defence, tourism, product and experience development, and COVID-19 recovery for our local businesses.

Thank you Craig and all our panellists for a great discussion and putting voices to the key projects, policies and industries in the North that can provide the solutions to the state’s recovery and play a lead role in reigniting our economy.

The North and North West Zone of Significance was in the spotlight for today's meetings, as well as tourism product experience and development, shovel ready projects, water infrastructure and allocation, health, knowledge and research, and Defence.

Tomorrow is the final day of the program with a meeting scheduled with the Opposition Leader and Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Treasurer, as well as a range of Ministers, Shadow Ministers and Minor Parties across portfolios covering Environment & Science, Small Business, Employment, Transport, and Manufacturing, where we will continue to push the message that North Queensland can be the economic powerhouse that drives recovery for the State and Nation.

We thank the Members of Parliament who were able to attend the function and the Townsville Enterprise members, partners and locals who traveled from the North to be there. Many of these people have experienced the impacts of COVID-19 head on, with several also still recovering from the floods 12 months before. Despite this, they still made the time to step out of their business to support the region and for that we are sincerely grateful.


The North and North West Zone of Significance was in the spotlight for today's meetings, as well as tourism product experience and development, shovel ready projects, water infrastructure and allocation, health, knowledge and research, and Defence.

Tomorrow is the final day of the program with a meeting scheduled with the Opposition Leader and Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Treasurer, as well as a range of Ministers, Shadow Ministers and Minor Parties across portfolios covering Environment & Science, Small Business, Employment, Transport, and Manufacturing, where we will continue to push the message that North Queensland can be the economic powerhouse that drives recovery for the State and Nation.


DAY 3: 

CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON ABOVE TO WATCH THE VIDEO THAT LAUNCHED THE 'UNLOCK THE NORTH' EVENT AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE 

We have reached the final day of the North Queensland Delegation in Brisbane and we are pleased to report the 'Unlock the North' message was ringing loud and clear through the halls of Parliament today following last night's function promoting our region's potential to Members of Parliament.

Summary of today's meetings:

  • Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington MP and Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Treasurer, Tim Mander MP
  • Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development, Shannon Fentimen MP
  • Shadow Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, Andrew Powell MP
  • Shadow Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Steve Minnikin MP
  • North Queensland First Party Leader, Jason Costigan MP
  • The Office of the Minister for Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Minister for Science and Minister for the Arts, Leanne Enoch MP

It's been a comprehensive meeting and event program over the past three days with our partners TaskforceNQ and NQROC, where the delegation has held 19 meetings and four events with a broad spectrum of Government, Opposition and Minor Party MPs.

Today we met with Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington and Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Treasurer Tim Mander today providing the opportunity to continue building on the 'Unlock the North' message that was strongly presented at our event last night. This message, that the north can provide the pathway to not just economic recovery, but economic resilience, for Queensland whilst creating tens of thousands of jobs, was also reiterated with further Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet Ministers today.

Key areas of focus today included the challenges that small businesses continue to face from the impacts of COVID-19 joined by the Townsville Chamber of Commerce, shovel ready regional projects, the North and North West Zone of National Significance, Defence, and tourism product, experience and destination development.

 We leave Parliament House today encouraged by the engagement our delegation secured across the political spectrum and the overwhelming positive feedback on the items presented in our 2020 North Queensland Projects & Policies document.

We look forward to building upon this week's momentum ahead of the October 6 Federal Budget and October 31 State Election and promoting North Queensland as the economic powerhouse that can drive recovery and a strong future for the State and Nation.


RECAP: Unlock the North | Parliament House Delegation

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