Toowoomba faces skills shortage as $13b infrastructure and freight hub plans boost economic growth

A $13 billion economic bonanza for Toowoomba has the city scurrying to lure new residents to fill jobs as a skills shortage looms.

A $13 billion economic bonanza for Toowoomba has the city scurrying to lure new residents to fill jobs.

The Darling Downs city, dubbed Too-boom-ba, is preparing plans to lure workers to live there as a raft of huge infrastructure projects and other developments create a looming skills shortage.

“That’s the biggest challenge we have at the moment,’’ Shane Charles, CEO of Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise, said. “There are 500 jobs unfilled. We need people to relocate here.’’

The business group is considering a crowd-funding campaign to recruit workers from areas of high unemployment in Queensland and other parts of Australia.

“We have work opportunities, we’re the most family-friendly city in Australia and the median house price is still only $375,000,’’ Mr Charles said.

The latest lift for Toowoomba came with this week’s Federal Government announcement that the inland rail route from Melbourne to Brisbane would take it right past the city’s Wellcamp Airport and three enormous industrial and logistics parks being constructed.

The inland rail route will go past Toowoomba’s Wellcamp Airport.

“That means all three pieces of the puzzle are in place, road, rail and air, setting us up to be a preferred freight hub in the country,’’ he said.

The $1.6 billion, 41km Toowoomba Second Range Crossing highway is already under construction and the airport, privately built and run by the Wagner family, continues to expand. More than $8 billion of the inland rail investment will be spent on the Queensland section.

Mr Charles said the inland rail decision gave certainty to investors, developers and businesses.

The Charlton Wellcamp Enterprise Zone includes a business park and road, rail and air logistics facility being developed next to the airport. “Inland rail means we can get (farm) produce from southern New South Wales and northern Victoria here in 14 hours, on to an aircraft to Hong Kong and delivered within 12 hours,” John Wagner said.

Another huge intermodal transport facility and industrial and warehousing estate is being built by InterLinkSQ, and a technology park is being developed by another local family of entrepreneurs, the Gardners’ FKG company.

“Some of the people who own land in that area are already looking for more land, and that’s some sign of confidence given there’s already 2000 hectares available,’’ Mr Charles said.

Luke Smith, Adam Hanrahan and Kathryn Barnett at the Pulse data centre.

Construction of FKG’s Pulse data centre, the largest in any regional centre in Australia, will be completed by the end of the year. The $45 million project will be the catalyst for its 30-hectare technology park, expected to generate 10,000 jobs over the next two decades.

FKG group manager Dallas Hunter said: “We are out there actively attracting businesses now.” It is targeting international companies with a focus on agritech, advanced manufacturing and the resources industry.

Dan Briskey, manager of NRG Electrical, which has increased its turnover by 10 times and grown staff from two to 50 over six years, said: “Toowoomba is in a purple patch.

“The way the city is booming and the amount of infrastructure going on, people do want to come here. It’s a very liveable city that’s starting to offer the things that major cities can offer. There’s a feeling that Toowoomba is the place to be at the moment,’’ he said.

Gemma Wade and Carly Ryan have a rest after shopping at the newly redeveloped Grand Central Shopping Centre, Toowoomba. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

A $500 million redevelopment, doubling the size of the Grand Central shopping centre, is nearing completion. It created 1500 construction jobs and 1000 retail positions and revitalised the CBD. There are now trendy cafes and restaurants and public art, including work by Melbourne street artist Rone, whose paintings can be seen in New York, London, Paris and Tokyo.

The next big push for Queensland’s “Garden City’’ is tourism.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday pledged $250,000 for a feasibility study into plans to transform a disused quarry on the escarpment of the Great Dividing Range into a world-class attraction, modelled on Canada’s Butchart Gardens.

“It’s absolutely imperative that we get it constructed over the next 12 months,” Mr Wagner said. “We need to turn Toowoomba into an international tourism destination.’’

The Wagners are also helping to drive a push to create a $40 million motorsports venue to rival Bathurst on land next to the airport.

In addition to a Mark Skaife-designed 4.35km track for V8 Supercars and Superbike events, it would feature drag-racing and go-kart facilities, a concert amphitheatre and a campground for 50,000 people.