Regional Major Projects Forum - Moreton Bay Opportunities
We were recently approached by the QLD Government's Department of State Development to present at the Regional Major Projects Forum held in partnership with the Moreton Bay Regional Council. The forum is a part of the QLD Government's 2016 Major Project Series, highlighting projects in the region and future employment and supplier opportunities.
The forum proved an invaluable session for local companies looking to educate themselves on supply chain opportunities in South East Queensland's north.
Keynote speakers included:
- Mark Courtney, General Manager Queensland, MacroPlan Dimasi
- David Edwards, Projects Chief Executive, Special Projects Unit, Department of State Development
- Dan Wilson, General Manager, PlantMiner
- Stewart Pentland, Director Planning and Economic Development, MBRC
- Councillor Mike Charlton, Deputy Mayor, Moreton Bay Regional Council
- And a panel of speakers from Pointcorp, Stockland, Trask Development Corp and Urbex
We've outlined some key takeaways from the event for those who couldn't make it along.
1. Spatial patterns of employment are changing
Simply putting it, employment is growing, and not in our 'traditional' centres (i.e. CBD).
General Manager Queensland of MacroPlan Dimasi, Mark Courtney, discussed the employment patterns and future trends that help identify opportunities and risks for the region, saying that there is an "increasing tendency for employment growth in non-central locations".
Recently Queensland’s growth has been underpinned by the energy and resources investment boom, with drag on growth from mining expenditure reducing, while exports are supporting growth.
For the Moreton Bay region, the largest growth in sectors between now and 2019 will be in the following industries: retail; construction; health care and social assistance; accommodation and food services; and professional, scientific and technical services.
It's not only great to see a direct impact on the construction industry, but growth areas of the future (eg, health and social, professional) are reliant on proximity to their markets, which provides an additional opportunity as infrastructure needs to be built to support this growth.
2. Queens Wharf Project Opportunities
David Edwards, Projects Chief Executive, Special Projects Unit, Department of State Development discussed the opportunities for SEQ on the much anticipated Queens Wharf Project.
Not only is the project focused on driving tourism and increased incremental interstate and international tourism spend, but the benefits of the project will deliver significant capital investment stimulating the Queensland construction sector over an eight-year period (2017-2025) with long-term supply chain and regional development opportunities in sight.
This $3b development is one to get excited about. Proposed showcase dates can be found below:
3. Moreton Bay Region Developments and Business Transformation Strategy
Stewart Pentland, Director Planning and Economic Development, Moreton Bay Regional Council discussed their new Planning Scheme which commenced on Feb 1 this year.
The plan focuses on new growth fronts in the region, with an approximate 64% increase in population to the region, 69% increase in dwellings, and 72% increase in jobs to the region, with growth fronts identified in Caboolture West, Morayfield South, Burpengary East, Narangba, Mango Hill and the new University Precinct. You can find more on this here.
As touched on by Mark Courtney, regional growth is on the rise, and infrastructure needs to be built to support this.
4. Technology is key to supply chain success
We go on time and time again about the importance of adapting to new technologies in order to stay competitive in the market (case in point here, here and here), but what was fantastic to see was the response from the audience when PlantMiner's General Manager, Dan Wilson, gave a talk on remaining relevant in this inherently digital age, and how technology helps businesses connect with supply chain opportunities.
Last month, PlantMiner saw $7mil in work awarded to companies capatalising on local opportunities through the PlantMiner platform. We have recently helped companies successfully secure work on a number of projects in the region including the Moreton Bay Rail Link.
If you're interested in learning about how PlantMiner can help your business capatalise on supply chain opportunities and upcoming projects, get in touch today.
A large thank you to the Department of State Development for facilitating a great event.
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