Townsville’s five-year plan signals huge population and jobs growth

Healthcare and CopperString should underpin the coming decades in North Queensland. See the road map to get there.

Townsville Enterprise chief executive Claudia Brumme-Smith. Picture: Blair Jackson.

Townsville’s economic future has been laid out for all to see as a strategic five-year plan is released.

Insiders from the health, defence and heavy commercial industries were on hand to deliver the plan, produced by Townsville Enterprise, and highlight North Queensland’s lofty ambitions.

Key among those ambitions is 40,000 to 50,000 new jobs in the next decade.

Those new jobs would be driven mainly by renewable energy and CopperString but also the service industries like health and aged care, Townsville Enterprise chief executive Claudia Brumme-Smith said.

The strategic plan signals that in 2025 a business plan will be developed for the Hells Gates pumped hydro scheme.

“We will not stop advocating for another dam in our region,” Ms Brumme-Smith said.

Health and social assistance is tipped to be the region’s biggest employer by an even larger margin in years to come.

“The future’s looking very much that this is the growth area. As we know Townsville’s the capture area for all of the regions right up to the Gulf,” Townsville Hospital board member and Selectability chief executive Deb Burden said.

Townsville Hospital board member and Selectability chief executive Deb Burden. Picture: Blair Jackson.

“So it’s very important for us to have a really good understanding of what growth will actually occur in this region to actually pre-plan for health going forward.”

If North Queensland’s population grows to 320,000 as projected by 2030, those people will need somewhere to live and one near-term squeeze on housing will be 16th Aviation Brigade moving to Townsville later this year.

Chair of The Oasis Townsville defence sector consultant and retired Lieutenant General John Caligari AO, DSC. Picture: Blair Jackson.

Retired Lieutenant General John Caligari AO, DSC was at the plan’s launch on Tuesday.

“The real significant thing for Townsville is potentially, Defence, as a mounting base for operations into the southwest Pacific.

“Townsville is a logical place for the ADF to operate from, as it has been since the Second World War when the US fifth Air Force was raised here.” Mr Caligari said.

Originally published as Townsville’s five-year plan signals huge population and jobs growth