The Central Queensland resource sector, which includes not just coal, but other minerals like gold, copper, magnesium and salt, contributes significantly to the Rockhampton economy. Over 1500 Rockhampton locals are directly employed by the resource sector, with this sector responsible for 25% of Rockhampton’s Gross Regional Product at a value of over $1.4 Billion.

It is an exciting time for Rockhampton with the amount of large infrastructure projects currently in construction, the ever increasing presence of local, superior mining sector companies operating out of Rockhampton, with projects such as Carmichael Mine, Olive Downs Mine and the potential of Mt Morgan gold mine being reopened.

Leveraging its proximity to the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Rockhampton Airport, Port Alma, and the Bajool Magazine, Rockhampton Region is uniquely placed to support a permanent Australian Defence Force (ADF) presence. With experienced large equipment maintenance providers, Rockhampton provides future defence industry capability.

As the name suggests, Capricorn Region lies on the Tropic of Capricorn, spanning from the National Parks of the Central Highlands that border Outback Queensland to the coastline of the Southern Great Barrier Reef and the green continental islands of the Keppel Group. At the heart of the region is the city of Rockhampton, ‘Rocky’ to the locals and those who know it well – it’s Australia’s ‘Beef Capital’.

Rockhampton lies on the banks of the mighty Fitzroy River, the second largest river system in Australia. The city’s wealth of historic buildings, best illustrated in the riverside precinct of Quay Street, reflects the age of the gold rushes in the 19th century centred at nearby Mt Morgan and followed by the cattle grazing industry. Visitors can get a taste of the local steaks and a rodeo at one of Rocky’s heritage pubs. Be sure to also visit the limestone caverns of Capricorn Caves.

On the nearby Capricorn Coast holiday havens start with the welcoming seaside town of Yeppoon. On the northern edges of this coast is Byfield National Park, rich in birdlife while to the south lie small beachside communities, a marina and attractions including a crocodile farm. Floating on the horizon, Great Keppel Island is a tropical island destination with 17 glorious beaches and a choice of holiday options.

Inland you can discover real gems – sapphires and other precious stones – amidst the prospectors’ claims in the Gemfields. Head south to include Carnarvon National Park and the walking path through Carnarvon Gorge with its steep escarpments, pockets of rainforest, ancient Aboriginal rock art and native fauna.

Resource recovery from a number of different waste streams is already being undertaken in the region, diverting materials such as clean fill, green waste, paper and cardboard, timber, metals and glass.

The amount of material recovered through these activities has followed an increasing trend over the last three years and is likely to continue as further resource recovery initiatives and technologies are introduced.

Education and engagement with the community plays a critical role in meeting waste management targets and reducing contamination rates. It is a key element in the successful implementation of this strategy, supporting the actions and objectives of other priorities.

The manufacturing industry is the 3rd largest industry in the overall composition of Gold Coast economy. It is the fourth largest industry in Queensland and the sixth largest industry in the national economy.

Furthermore, the Gold Coast manufacturing industry has grown to outperform the state and national economies in numerous comparable measures such as output sales, employment, and exports.

Held together by a fabric of grounded communities the Gold Coast is one of Australia’s most beautiful cities, surrounded by world class golden beaches and world heritage listed rainforests. The impacts of climate change threaten much of what makes the Gold Coast so special. With so much of the city nestled on a thin strip of land between the hinterland and the ocean our communities are at increased risk of flooding and fires, devastating cyclones and coastal erosion.

Recognising the risks from climate change to our way of life, a number of community groups and leaders have come together to work on local solutions to the climate crisis. Our mission is simple, we support our community to come together to take local action to stop runaway climate change. We are a volunteer led network of diverse grassroots groups who support one another to have a big impact fostering solutions all Gold Coasters can support.

The Gold Coast's arts and creative community is leading a cultural revolution. Our city is being re-imagined. We are committed to delivering the ambitious vision set in the City of Gold Coast's first Culture Strategy by 2023.

The City of Gold Coast's Culture Strategy 2023 sets a vision for our city where culture is central to our community wellbeing, our city's reputation and liveability, and our economic growth. Cultural activity includes visual and performing arts, music, museums and galleries, history and heritage including the natural environment, Indigenous culture, craft, libraries, literature, publishing, digital and new media, design, architecture, food, film, fashion, television and radio.

The strategy calls us to push boundaries and challenge perceptions, uncover and promote our unique heritage and culture, and explore new creative territory.

We seek to find new ways to support our artists and cultural practitioners to create excellent contemporary art that is distinctly Gold Coast. We want to engage our residents and visitors to explore, participate, make and experience arts and culture that surprises, delights, challenges and entertains.

A cultural precinct will create a focal point, a new kind of civic square that will be a destination for locals and tourists. It will be a cultural heart where people come together to engage with arts, culture and each other, a place that ‘makes visible’ the Gold Coast’s cultural and creative life.

t will deliver an unforgettable outdoor Artscape, a distinctive New Arts Museum and a Living Arts Centre for excellence in the performing arts – a cultural precinct for a world-class city.

The Gold Coast is Australia's fifth largest city with one of the fastest growing economies in the country.

Industries such as tourism, property and construction, manufacturing, screen, health, education and sport have played a big part in making the Gold Coast city what it is today.

We are leading digital and business investment programs to establish the Gold Coast as Australia's fastest growing economy, driven by the adoption of telecommunications and cutting-edge technologies.

The Gold Coast city will have three Education and Research precincts centred around each university campus, providing job and career opportunities to those in the sector and beyond. Connectivity for students, academics and researchers will be the envy of other cities, with the Gold Coast boasting effective, high-speed IT infrastructure and integrated public transport. The sector will continue to work collaboratively for student and enterprise outcomes.

With 3 world class universities and over 200 quality education and training providers the Gold Coast is a unique education destination. Nowhere else in Australia can we find a city that offers access to two international airports within 1 hour; world famous beaches and rainforests; and an education industry that operates for 364 days per year.

The food and beverage industry on the Gold Coast has evolved to have a real focus on specialised food for sports and health and wellness. Gold Coast companies such as Morlife, Amazonia and Pure Organic Meats are building a big name for themselves in this industry, both locally and internationally.

Local and unique produce is a fundamental element to the Gold Coast’s thriving culinary sector. Restauranteurs have access to a diverse range of produce all within a few hours drive of the city.

Pick up fresh prawns from the Gold Coast Fisherman’s Cooperative, straight from the trawlers at The Spit on the Broadwater, along with some artisan baked bread from specialist local suppliers.

Wineries and distilleries abound in the Gold Coast hinterland while our urban breweries continue to flourish. Paired with fine cheese and delicacies from our smallgoods producers, the nationally acclaimed produce also supports the local farming community.

The Gold Coast is home to a growing number of unique food producers including Salad Makers, Cocoluscious Ice Cream, Gotzinger, Goodman Fielder and many more.

The 200ha Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct (GCHKP) is Asia-Pacific’s emerging health and innovation hub.

We’re a unique global business location for high-tech industry development, research collaboration and jobs of the future—a vibrant mixed-used community in which to live, work, study and play.

From a vaccine for malaria to a cure for spinal cord injury, we’re looking beyond the horizon with bold ambition and game-changing ideas.

Supported by $5 billion in infrastructure, including the world-class Griffith University and two major hospitals, the GCHKP is also home to the COHORT innovation and co-working space, the Griffith Innovation Centre, the Queensland Academy of Health Sciences senior school, the Southport Sharks entertainment precinct with a boutique Mantra hotel and extensive parkland and greenspaces.

The Precinct offers a dynamic, collaborative work environment for global health and knowledge companies and organisations to invest, cluster and grow, with land development, leasing and co-working opportunities on offer in the Lumina commercial cluster.

Is Australia’s housing crisis self-inflicted? If so, then we need a series of reforms to reverse it
The best long-term solution to the structural problems of the rental crisis is to build more public and/or affordable housing.

Make renting more Sustainable. Increase rent assistance or look at rental caps, similar to countries in Europe and some US states, long term tenancy agreements with incentives for all parties to the agreement.

Build to Rent
The Build to Rent property sector is growing in Australia – this new class of housing is focused on providing high quality purpose designed and built rental stock, creating an additional housing choice for Australian renters with greater security and service.

Build to Rent developments are typically owned by institutional investors for the long term and the owner could be the developer/ongoing building manager. The format provides tenants with the flexibility of renting with the security of home ownership.

Build-to-Rent developments are usually large-scale residential properties specifically designed, built and managed for long-term ownership and rental.

Social Housing
In the 40 years between 1981 and 2021 the percentage of all Australian households living in social housing (i.e. state owned and managed public housing or community managed housing) has ranged from 4.9 per cent in 1981 to 3.8 per cent in 2021. Such a drop in the proportion of social housing raises the question of has Australia achieved the balance right, and also just what is the right level of social housing for Australia?

In 2018 Statistics Canada said 628,700 Canadian households, more than one in ten renter households nationally (13.5% of 4,652,500), were living in social and affordable housing.
In New Zealand, as of 30 June 2021, there were 74,337 public housing households. This equates to 4.0% of households living in social housing.

In England (in 2018) 17% of households (3.9 million) lived in social housing, while the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development publishes that 1.2 million households live in public housing, which is 0.98 per cent of all housing.

Our start-up economy is on the rise, with the Gold Coast ranked fifth in Australia for new business starts. Our innovative business culture positions us among the top six cities in Australia for lodging patent applications on a per capita basis.

Our support for start-ups has never been stronger with funding and grants designed to turn great ideas into commercial reality and take them to the world.

The Gold Coast is moving to establish our city as an entrepreneurial hub that is globally recognised as a place where knowledge, innovation and commercialisation are the key drivers of growth in the local economy.

A Gold Coast business, which was started in a garage 20 years ago, has been selected to participate in the Hunter-class frigate program.

The Australian Government and ASC Shipbuilding recently announced the commencement of feasibility studies to inform the opportunity for Australian industry participation in the program.

Craig International Ballistics was selected to conduct a detailed feasibility study to pilot its local manufacturing facilities, design and staffing skill sets for the potential supply of transparent and opaque armour systems and ship bridge windows.

The company was founded by Robert Craig in his family’s home in 1999, who started out providing body armour sets to the ADF.

Defence and Gold Coast company Gilmour Space Technologies have joined forces to work together on space technologies under a new strategic agreement.

The leading hybrid rocket launch provider is developing lower-cost, reliable and dedicated rockets to launch small satellites into low earth orbits.

The new partnership between Defence Science and Technology and Gilmour Space will research defence-related technologies including propulsion, materials and avionics technologies, to help develop a three-stage hybrid rocket that will launch small payloads and satellites.

Sport is part of the cultural identity of many Australians. Sport isn’t just a favoured pastime for Australians. It is a significant contributor to the Australian economy.

In Australia, sports and recreational organisations attract more volunteers than any other type of organisation.

Major sporting events – grand finals, international cricket, grand slam tournaments, surfing competitions and cycling challenges – as well as less watched events – weekend matches, morning and afternoon training sessions and amateur competitions – fill calendars and recreational time.

The Gold Coast is famed for its long sandy beaches, surfing spots and elaborate system of inland canals and waterways.

It’s also home to theme parks such as Dreamworld, Sea World and Wet’n’Wild. Inland, hiking trails crisscross Lamington National Park’s mountain ridges and valleys, home to rare birds and rainforest.

The region is famous for its attractive environment, climate and lifestyle and has a highly specialised economy that is dominated by the tourism industry.

The Gold Coast City and the community actively practise waste avoidance and other positive waste behaviours. Waste avoidance, re-use, recycling and recovery opportunities are maximised prior to landfill disposal. Our capacity to manage future waste is secured.

Manufacturing in the Mackay Isaac Whitsunday Region is a diverse and dynamic sector – having demonstrated resilience and rapid response to shifts in the regional economy over time.

Key manufacturing industries include mechanical and machinery production for the resources and agricultural sectors, mining equipment, polyurethane products, as well as sugar and ethanol production.

Emerging opportunities exist in further development of advanced manufacturing capabilities, tapping into growing domestic and international markets, as well as in biofutures, another emerging sector utilising renewables for development of a range of bioproducts.

Many food and drink production practices in Australia have resulted in soil loss, salinity and reduced productivity. The widespread use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides has a detrimental effect on surrounding ecosystems.

The necessary shift to farming practices that nurture ecosystems requires everyone's help. Through identifying and purchasing quality produce, we can support these positive farming practices.

The Greater Whitsunday region covers 90,354 square km. Comprising of the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday local government areas, the Greater Whitsunday Region is encompassed by St Lawrence in the south, Gumlu in the north to Clermont in the west and the Great Barrier Reef Whitsunday’s group of 74 islands to the east.

The region is one of the most naturally beautiful and resource-rich locations in Australia contributing more than $46 billion in economic output to the Australian economy.

From the largest coal mining deposits in Australia, the Bowen and Galilee basins, the iconic Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands and boasting a diverse agricultural industry which provides over $1.46 billion to the Queensland economy, the region is an economic powerhouse that is key to Queensland’s economy.