FNQ economic summit to be held in Cairns

Media Statement

Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk

Wednesday, July 01, 2015

FNQ economic summit to be held in Cairns

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will host a Far North Queensland Economic Summit in a bid to attract greater investment from Asian trading partners.
Addressing business leaders at a Cairns roundtable today jointly hosted by Minister Assisting the Premier on North Queensland Coralee O’Rourke, the Premier said bringing investors to Cairns was the best way to showcase everything the region has to offer.
“Off the back of last year’s G20 and now the renewed push for investment in northern Australia, we have to increase our engagement with investors in our region,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“That’s why my Government will host an economic summit here in Cairns, bringing together business, industry and potential investors in an effort to facilitate new partnerships.
“All of northern Queensland has so many opportunities, we need to work harder to engage with investors and attract that investment, because that means more jobs.”
Ms Palaszczuk said the Summit would be held later this year, with details to be announced soon.
Minister O’Rourke said the Summit would be informed by a series of roundtable discussions held across the north, including today’s event in Cairns.
“A key objective of the roundtables will be identifying up to five projects I will champion as an advocate for North Queensland over the next three years,” Mrs O’Rourke said.
“I will also be working hard to leverage a fair share of federal funding from the Federal Government’s Developing Northern Australia White Paper and look forward to discussing this at the roundtable.
“The message received from North Queenslanders is clear, they want a government that listens and works closely with its stakeholder to grow our region."

North Queensland business forums will also be held in Townsville, Mackay, Mt Isa and Brisbane over the coming months.