Far Northern locals came out in force at Cairns Forum with over 250 people packing the Shangri La Ballroom this month to share ideas and create a new vision for the region.
CAIRNS Forum organisers say they were heartened by the response and the feasible ideas put forward.
“It was good to see Cairns mobilising and willing to work together to get the town back on its feet. I think we are now moving away from the blame game and actively doing whatever we can to boost the economy of this region ,” Cairns Forum Chair, Bill Calderwood said.
“There were loads of suggestions and ideas from the attendees and keynote speakers and all were welcomed on the night as we brainstormed new ways to give the region the edge it needs to move forward. Beautifying the CBD was one of them and the very real need for Local, State and Federal funds that have been allocated for projects in the region to be ‘freed up’ and fast tracked.”
Mr Calderwood says that the one common theme that came out of the event was the strong need for diversifying the economy.
“I think everyone now recognises that we certainly need to develop other industries to compliment the tourism industry and move us away from this boom and bust cycle.”
Igniting medical tourism, expanding the education industry, being the hub for leading edge global environmental research and being a region famous for its festivals and cultural arts were all ideas put to the forum that were strongly supported.
“One other common thread from the keynote speakers was the inability to access funding from banks for major projects. James Cook University’s initiative to build on-campus student accommodation was a prime example of a vital project for this region and a cornerstone project to develop our education industry which has been left hanging in the balance due to a lack of funding.”
Vice Chancellor of JCU, Professor Sandra Harding revealed that the project has now stalled due to the inability to access money.
“It’s not that these organisations don’t have the equity to fund these projects, but that they don’t have the necessary contingency funds that banks require to push them over the line,” he said.
Mr Calderwood suggested that, “Even if State or Federal Governments were able to underwrite these projects for a set contingency amount to keep the banks happy, it would move many large projects forward in this region which is what we need. It is highly unlikely that these contingency funds would ever need to be drawn on, but at least it would satisfy the banks to approve the funding for these projects.”
He said it was evident from the Forum that construction is essential to keeping the town ticking and people in work.
“This is one project that could see a ray of hope for not only the construction industry, but in diversifying our economy through education and creating much needed employment with the rates now at crisis levels.”
