Bring it on! Why Margaret Strelow can't wait to seize the day in 2017
"We have a pipeline of great projects to renew our community on the go.”
Rockhampton
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In our fourth in a series of Q&As with CQ's movers and shakers, Rocky's mayor reflects on a 'tough' yet progressive 2016 and looks forward to the many opportunities offered in 2017
What was your biggest achievement in 2016?
I believe it's a communal achievement , that we as a Council and as a community have stepped up in a bold and courageous manner and are taking greater responsibility for our own future.
That is not to say that everything is 'hunky dory', lots of people are still doing it tough, but we have momentum and a sense of direction. And I know the rest of Australia is starting to notice.
I should also mention that we have brought the Council Budget into surplus and have paid $7.1 million off the debt in the last two financial years! That is quite an achievement considering Queensland Treasury's projections for us were quite dire if the de-amalgamation went ahead.
And we have a pipeline of great projects to renew our community on the go.
By the end of 2017 the Quay Street and Denham Street redevelopment will be finished and the low bank of the River and the new Pier Restaurant will be substantially completed.
Kershaw Gardens will have had a complete makeover and be an absolutely stunning, traffic stopping family play area!
Cedric Archer park at Gracemere will have a wetland 'Paradise' worthy of it's setting, and the main street of Mount Morgan will be a draw card for tourists and locals alike.
Other projects receiving important attention include the airport runway reseal (which will top out at more than $9 million) and several significant drainage projects on Northside.
Mount Archer (Frazer Park) will begin a staged redevelopment following the successful completion of the massive Pilbeam Drive reconstruction.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in 2016?
Obviously the election campaign was tough and the negativity it generated impacted the whole economy.
Our challenge and our achievement this year has been to firmly take charge of our own economic development agenda and to set the direction.
Multiple efforts pulling in different directions for the past few years was not helpful. Council now has a well resourced team working across the various facets of economic opportunity.
If you could change one decision you made in 2016 what would it be?
I'm not a great believer in dwelling on the 'if only's' of life.
What is the biggest challenge facing our region in 2017?
I think all of our challenges and our opportunities are tied up together.
When you look at other regional centres such as Cairns, Mackay, and Townsville, it is really obvious that they bolted, in terms of population strength, in the mid 1980s - each for a different reason. We didn't.
Obviously populations within an hour's drive are part of our economy too, but even so real population growth eluded us.
I've heard the comment that 'it's just as well we didn't get involved in mining'.
The comment is wrong on a few fronts- not the least of which is that of course we have been involved in mining for the last few decades but we didn't seem to get the cream.
We are determined to be more strategic in our mining engagement and I see the Galilee Basin generally (and Adani) as huge opportunities.
But we need to become more deeply involved in mining in a balanced and sensible way and then to immediately focus our efforts on growing and balancing our economy in other key areas such as tourism, health, education, manufacturing and agriculture. This is the way we can safeguard ourselves against future downturns.
What are you looking forward to the most in 2017?
Bring it on!
Council has recently approved the creation of five new positions in our economic development unit.
We will be appointing a tourism specialist and some strategic roles, and a new position to target commercial opportunities for our Region. We will be out there actively looking for businesses, producers and manufacturers to bring to our Region.
We are determined to chase down every opportunity that presents itself to us at the moment. And we have massive opportunity in front of us. We are focusing on mining, tourism, opportunities from Singapore, Asian investment and agriculture. And of course all of this is underpinned and enabled by our commitment to our Nationally recognised 'Smart Way Forward Strategy'.
Rockhampton Region Mayor, Margaret Strelow
Originally published as Bring it on! Why Margaret Strelow can't wait to seize the day in 2017
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