Cairns pitch to advance key infrastructure projects

Advance Cairns is taking advantage of the COAG gathering to pitch for more than $2.5 billion in government support for a series of 'catalytic' infrastructure and policy initiatives for the region. Cairns is hosting the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), Australia's peak intergovernmental forum, tomorrow (Friday). Advance Cairns today released a new priority list developed with key stakeholders including Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Cairns Chamber of Commerce and Regional Development Australia Far North Queensland and Torres Strait. The ‘8+8’ list features eight major infrastructure and eight key policy priority areas. Advance Cairns chairman Trent Twomey said the review of advocacy priorities followed government backing for a number of previous priorities, including the Cairns Shipping Development Project and Cairns Convention Centre upgrade (both of which now move to a project delivery status) and record funding in the 2019 Federal budget. “Those big wins created some ‘vacancies’ on our list which gave us the opportunity to undertake the first comprehensive update of the 8+8 advocacy list in some years,” Mr Twomey said. NEW PRIORITIES $60m for 80 additional beds at Cairns Hospital$21m to undertake a strategic assessment of service requirements and associated business case to upgrade Kuranda Range Rd$130m for three tertiary education precincts$26.7m a year in recurrent funding to enable students to complete a full university degree in medicine for the first time in CairnsA broader dams and water security focus, adding three other bulk water storage projects as well as the top priority in Nullinga Dam$62.6m for three arts, sport and culture projects$1.5m to create a comprehensive strategy to accelerate population and migration into the regionEstablishing an Office of the Pacific in Cairns as part of formal Pacific Engagement StrategyThe pursuit of a City Deal for Cairns STRENGTHENED EXISTING PRIORITIES $90m for upgrading facilities towards creating Cairns University Hospital and increased recurrent funding to enable tertiary referral (or Level 6) status to be achieved$365.5m duplicating and upgrade the Cairns Western Arterial road$854m from government towards the cost of a stand-along Nullinga Dam (option 2A as outlined in detailed business case)$545m in investment for marine maintenance facilities and expanding Queensland’s sole operational navy base, HMAS Cairns$136m to complete the sealing of the Gulf Savannah Way to the Queensland border$100m to secure four airline attraction support packages$1.5m to develop a framework for more affordable and reliable energy as well transitioning increasingly to renewables Advance Cairns chief executive officer Nick Trompf said the initiatives would drive a new wave of growth in key sectors such as health, education, agriculture, defence and marine, construction and tourism. “There is strong commitment across business and industry to pursue Government and Opposition support for these catalytic initiatives, from both Brisbane and Canberra, as we head into 2020,” Mr Trompf said.

Cairns pitch to advance key infrastructure projects

Industry Queensland

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