Are we selling ourselves short with ‘southeast Qld’?

THE term ‘southeast Queensland’ is uninspiring, has little meaning and sounds almost like a traffic direction. So is it time to rebrand to solve the region’s potential identity crisis?

DOES southeast Queensland have an identity problem?
Top demographer and social commentator Bernard Salt thinks so.

“It sounds almost like a traffic direction, doesn’t it?” he says.

“The problem is, it’s just a geographic description. We need something to engage people and reflect the energy and vibrancy of this region.

“It does not project like a London, a Paris or even a Sydney. My argument is that southeast Queensland, as a term, does not inspire.”

The Courier-Mail’s Future SEQ series is exploring the opportunities and challenges facing the region over the coming quarter of a century.

There is a growing consensus among state and local government politicians, business and industry bosses, and other thought leaders that the most effective way forward is as a co-ordinated, well-connected region rather than a set of individual cities — a strong belief that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

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There is, however, a sense the term “southeast Queensland” may be vague and confusing, particularly to overseas audiences such as tourists and potential business investors — lacking oomph as a marketable and promotable brand.

This corner of the state stretches from Noosa in the north to the NSW border in the south and west to include Toowoomba. Measuring 22,900sq km, it takes up just 1.3 per cent of Queensland’s land mass but is home to more than 70 per cent of its people.

The region’s population of 3.5 million is expected to grow to 5.5 million by 2043.

SEQ comprises 12 local government areas, including the five largest in Australia — Brisbane, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Logan — and one of the fastest growing in Ipswich.

Salt draws a comparison with the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA) in California, which includes nine counties and 7 million inhabitants.

Demographer Bernard Salt things southeast Queensland has an identity problem. Picture Mark Cranitch

“Like SEQ, the term SFBA is merely a geographical description. But it entered the world stage when the area rebranded itself as Silicon Valley during the semi-conductor boom in the region. It stuck as a name and a brand, and both reverberates and resonates across the world.”

Salt says that as southeast Queensland seeks to position itself as a major Pacific Rim city and a recognised global centre over the next quarter-century, it, too, may need to create an overarching identity.

He suggests a name that reflects the near-perfect climate might be suitable — although Sun City has already been used by the casino resort in South Africa.

“Maybe there is a single indigenous term that we can borrow to describe the land that we now know as southeast Queensland. There’s no capital city in Australia other than Canberra that has an indigenous name.”

Property Council Executive Director Chris Mountford says renaming the region is “a conversation well worth having”. Picture: Mark Calleja

Property Council Queensland executive director Chris Mountford says while building an integrated brand around SEQ is not insurmountable, renaming the region is “a conversation well worth having”.

“I’ve heard a number of ideas suggested over time, including Pacific City,” he says. “It has a clarity which makes it interesting and potentially very marketable.”

Harvey Lister, chairman of entertainment, sports and conventions venues operator AEG Ogden, says promoting multi-city regions as a whole is “a robust marketing challenge and I don’t know if anyone has solved it”.

Harvey Lister says it’s a robust marketing challenge. Picture: Mark Cranitch

Brett Fraser, chief executive of the City Council’s economic development unit Brisbane Marketing, says the term southeast Queensland “probably has little meaning” outside Australia.

Brett Faser, of Brisbane Marketing. Picture: AAP/Mark Calleja

“People overseas know cities rather than states,” he says.

“But when we look at promoting Brisbane, it’s not the CBD, it’s not the local government authority area — we promote the experiences available within a two to three-hour radius.”

That package includes the urban experience of nightlife and great food, the beaches and hinterlands of the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, and the country appeal of Toowoomba and the Scenic Rim.

The same regional approach was taken in seeking to attract business capital and investment, entrepreneurs and talented workers.

But Fraser says it is not a matter of Brisbane co-opting the attractions of the neighbouring councils, but co-operation, collaboration and co-opetition (co-operative competition) between them.

He sees no imperative for a new regional name.

“It’s better to build on the brand you already have. We have strong individual destination brands,” he says.

Fraser sees no contradiction between a regional outlook and pushing Brisbane with the slogan “Australia’s New World City” — “I definitely believe the rising tide lifts all boats”.

International cities expert Professor Greg Clark says: “I think it’s very important that the region has a strong knowledge and business brand.

International cities expert Professor Greg Clark.

“This region is highly regarded around the world for its quality of life, the beauty of its natural environment, the efficiency of its government and its public services, the exceptional nature of its produce, and there is a lifestyle brand here which is very important.

“My fear is that the story about Brisbane and southeast Queensland can easily become a story about a great place to go on holiday, a great place to visit temporarily, a great place perhaps to study for a year.

“That needs to be balanced by an equally compelling story about what it’s like to be in business here, what it’s like to enterprise here, what it’s like to locate here and the opportunities for business success here.

“One way to do that is to talk about the New World City in its regional context. A story about specialisation in advanced industries coupled with fantastic quality of life, a well-managed region and the ability to have global reach without becoming a big, sprawling metropolitan city.”

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk says he always identifies it as “the Brisbane region”.

“People identify with cities and city names. When you’re at an airport looking at the board, the flights go to cities,” he says.

“We can get a bit carried away and parochial.

“If Brisbane does well as a destination, we all benefit.”

Brisbane's Lord Mayor Graham Quirk.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate.

It was fine for each city in the southeast corner to do their own marketing, “but we have to be careful not to create too many brands in southeast Queensland because that’s when people get confused”.

Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio says: “There is great power in working together … to promote the positivity and opportunity in our region.

“If we improve our connectivity, we will position ourselves as the gateway to the uniqueness of the outback.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate argues: “Each city offers something completely different to the other — and that is what makes the region so appealing. It is this diversity we should protect and the best way to do that is to not merge in any way.

“I don’t see any value or benefit in SEQ changing its name or trying to rebrand into anything other than what it is today. It’s obvious Brisbane is envious about the Gold Coast — but we accept that, as they have every right to feel envious.”

Clearly, the co-operative competition’s working already.