Future development priorities ‘surprise’ experts

Development experts planning for the region’s future were shocked by priorities the community set.

Building and construction industry trades would be required to undergo compulsory continuous professional development under new legislation being considered for Queensland.

DEVELOPMENT experts planning for the region's future were shocked by the priorities set by the community.

Affordable housing, greater competition in the energy sector and developments to encourage residents to remain in the region were "surprising" priorities set at the most recent Infrastructure Australia workshop, Regional Social Development Coalition representative Dorne Wallace said.

"Our community and community engagement are not what Infrastructure Australia thought it was," she said.

"People don't want to stay and live in a place where they feel like they don't belong. When there is a strong connection in the community, there is a strong economy.

"(We need to) build the potential of community members to participate and contribute to collaborative planning."

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The outcome of the Regional Development Australia Mackay Isaac Whitsunday-facilitated workshop will set the infrastructure agenda over the next year.

Chief executive officer Robert Cocco said the next stage would be to implement these plans

"In time, we will look toward the region's ability to identify and communicate to both public and private investors the infrastructure projects of interest to the Mackay Isaac Whitsunday region."

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