How AI could help save regional QLD towns

Artificial intelligence, trade with Asia and renewable energy will be needed to save and reinvigorate regional Queensland towns, Treasurer Jim Chalmers says.

Artificial intelligence, trade with Asia and renewable energy will be needed to save and reinvigorate regional Queensland towns, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said as he continues his bush blitz and spruiks his employment plans.

He made the address to the Western Queensland Alliance of Councils in Winton, a town where just 15 per cent of voters gave their first preference to Labor at the 2022 election.

Meanwhile inflation rose 5.2 per cent in August, up from 4.9 per cent in July, driven in part by the rising cost of petrol, but Mr Chalmers said peak inflation was still in the past.

Mr Chalmers said there were global shifts taking place, as IT moved into AI and hydrocarbons were replaced with renewables, but the impacts were felt locally, particularly in agriculture.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier

“All these shifts are important, and all will have an impact on Western Queensland and our regions,” he said.

He said the burgeoning middle classes in Asia had created demand for exports coming out of regional Queensland, which could be used to create jobs and opportunities.

“With a growing source of demand in our region for your exports, the shift from IT to AI can help you make the most of it,” Mr Chalmers said.

“The benefits of advanced technology can extend beyond manufacturing and factories and out onto the farms of Winton, Cloncurry and Barcaldine.

“Smart irrigation, biotech, automation – all of these things can help you maximise the efficiency and sustainability of what you do.”

Australia’s agricultural exports to Asia have risen from $30 billion to $50 billion just since 2020, the Treasurer said.

“This isn’t just about dollars, it’s about livelihoods. It’s not just about industries, but whole communities that we want and need to keep thriving,” he said.

“If we get our response right, we can also create opportunities … for communities here in Western Queensland and across the country.”

On inflation, Mr Chalmers said it remained the primary challenge in the economy and was the top priority of the government.

“Our responsible budget management, including delivering the first surplus in 15 years, has eased pressure on inflation – a fact acknowledged by credible commentators and economists,” he said.