The Honourable Anna Bligh
27/04/2010
Forums across Queensland to push regionalisation
Premier Anna Bligh today announced that cabinet ministers will fan out across Queensland on Tuesday May 4 to get feedback and ideas on regionalisation.
"We want to encourage more of the 2100 people coming to Queensland each week to settle in the regions," Ms Bligh said.
"We're considering how we can influence more people to call the regions home and developing a plan to make that happen to better manage future growth.
"This was the focus of the Queensland Growth Management Summit in Brisbane on March 30 and 31.
"Now, as the next step, I'm sending ministers out to the regions to talk to key stakeholders.
"We want their ideas about how we can work together in partnership to attract people to the regions," Ms Bligh said.
Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries will host regionalisation forums in the following locations:
• Cairns - Ministers Desley Boyle and Geoff Wilson and Parliamentary Secretary Steve Wettenhall
• Townsville - Ministers Craig Wallace and Peter Lawlor
• Mackay - Ministers Tim Mulherin and Neil Roberts and Parliamentary Secretary Jan Jarratt
• Toowoomba - Minister Rachel Nolan and Parliamentary Secretary Peta-Kaye Croft
• Rockhampton - Ministers Robert Schwarten and Annastacia Palaszczuk and Parliamentary Secretary Julie Attwood
• Gladstone - Minister Stirling Hinchliffe and Parliamentary Secretary Simon Finn
• Bundaberg - Minister Phil Reeves and Parliamentary Secretary Murray Watt
• Mount Isa - Minister Cameron Dick and Parliamentary Secretaries Betty Kiernan and Michael Choi.
Ms Bligh said: "Regional Queensland is a great place to live and our research shows 1 in 10 new Queenslanders who settle in South East Queensland would be prepared to make the regional shift if the incentives were right.
"One incentive being considered for this year's state budget is a $3,000 boost to the first home owner's grant for people buying homes outside South East Queensland.
"And some regional Mayors have said we should consider moving more government agencies to regional Queensland.
"We want to hear more suggestions and feedback from people on the ground who have local knowledge and know their region back to front," Ms Bligh said.
In addition to discussing regionalisation, ministers will take the opportunity to talk to local community leaders about their views on daylight saving in South East Queensland as part of their consultation.
Participants, including local government, industry, Regional Development Association Committee members and community leaders will discuss the following questions:
1.What should the State Government do to encourage regionalisation?
2.How can the regions be more involved in the regionalisation strategy?
3.What strategies would best encourage people to move to your region?
4.How can all levels of government partner to deliver stronger regions?
5.What might Government do to support more sustainable/liveable communities?
6.Do you think Queensland should have split time zones for daylight saving?
Ms Bligh said: "At the Queensland Growth Management Summit I committed to developing a Queensland Regionalisation Strategy, for consultation by the end of the year.
"The discussion at the forums will feed into the policy development of that consultation paper and I will be very interested to hear what ideas and feedback are generated."
