Politicians swarm Central Queensland following 2024-25 state budget
From dropping into a bakery and pitching big plans for small business to splashing cash on railyards, Labor and LNP pollies have been out in force in Rockhampton and Gladstone this week. Here’s what was on offer.
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Politicians from the Queensland government and opposition have been out in force in Central Queensland this week following last week’s 2024-25 state budget announcement.
Shadow ministers met with Artizan Gluten Free Bakery owner Simone Lawrie on Thursday as part of their Right Priorities for Queensland’s Future Campaign with a pitch for what an LNP government would do if elected.
Ms Lawrie started her business eight years ago to provide the community with gluten free products.
She said small businesses needed more support.
“We feel like we have been forgotten,” she said.
“There is a number of businesses that started when I started that have closed and that’s really sad.
“We do need help. We need it now. We needed it yesterday.
“It’s not just the businesses that are struggling, it’s the people in our businesses working every day. We just want to be supported.”
LNP candidate for Rockhampton Donna Kirkland said small and family business owners in the community were feeling the pressures of the economy, red tape and feeling they were left behind with the current state government.
Shadow Minister for Small Business Brent Mickelberg said small and family business were doing it tough and that the opposition wanted to make sure businesses felt like they were being listened to.
“We made some announcements last week in relation to government procurement,” he said.
“Not every business is going to do business with the state government, but right now one of the messages I receive is small businesses are always coming second when it comes to the state government.
“We want to make sure small family businesses, if they want to do business with the state government, that there is an opportunity for them to do so.
“It might look like a local government department buying their catering goods from a local bakery.
“We made a buy local small and family business procurement policy and that is all about ensuring Central Queensland businesses are put first for Central Queensland government contracts.
“There still needs to be value for money for the taxpayer, but where possible that we put local businesses first when it comes government procurement for government projects and government goods and services.
“An LNP David Crisafulli government will put small and family business first.”
Shadow Minister for Local Government Ann Leahy said the opposition also had a policy about the right policies for volunteers in Queensland.
“What we want to do is recognise our volunteers across Queensland, also here in Rockhampton, and make sure we break down the barriers to volunteering so we can find solutions so businesses like the one here with Simone can bring on some of those volunteers,” she said.
“We know many businesses are struggling with their labour force so it is important we grow the volunteering group across Queensland.
“We in the LNP want to make sure that volunteers across Queensland are a priority.”
BRAND NEW LEARNING CENTRE FOR ROCKY SPECIAL SCHOOL
Friday, June 21 saw a visit from Premier Steven Miles and Education Minister Di Farmer who both toured the construction site of the new Rockhampton Special School learning centre.
Expected to be complete by November, the centre will have six learning spaces, a life skills kitchen, a manual arts building and collaboration spaces.
Mr Miles and Ms Farmer, joined by Rockhampton MP Barry O’Rourke, Keppel MP Brittany Lauga and Labor candidate for Rockhampton Craig Marshall, also met with students at the school.
“We want to make sure all Queensland kids are getting the best start in life,” Mr Miles said.
“It was fantastic to drop in on a few of the classes and see how intensive the kind of learning we deliver here at the special schools are.”
Ms Farmer said education was one of the most important things that could be offered to a child.
“It literally has the potential to change their lives and we say that no matter who you are or where you are in Queensland, you deserve the same access to a high quality education,” she said.
“In Rockhampton and in Central Queensland we have put such a big investment into our special schools, but also into our classrooms, where we are seeing more and more children with disabilities attending mainstream schools.
“Here at Rockhampton Special School $18.3 million investment in new classrooms, the fact that part project is a manual arts facility, which is not available to many special school students, is going to be a gamechanger for the students at this school.”
BOOST FOR ROCKHAMPTON RAILYARDS REJUVENATION
Earlier this week, politicians from the Queensland government were out in Central Queensland to discuss budget funding, including the rejuvenation of the Rockhampton Railyards, which received $23.7 million over the next four years.
The funds would be invested into high priority remediation works and capital upgrades to continue the transformation of the old railyards into a commercial hub with community and recreational spaces.
Planning for the rejuvenation of the site’s two precincts, the Heritage Precinct and Industrial Precinct, had commenced, with the funding to cover the finalisation of the Heritage Precinct planning.
Draft plans for the Heritage Precinct include a Heritage Centre with space for rail heritage exhibits, displays and artefacts, a family-centric play area, and multi-use hospitality and events spaces.
The Queensland Government, under then-Premier Anna Bligh, sold off all public assets in 2010, including the Rockhampton railway workshops.
Aurizon, formerly QR National, took over the site and later closed it down in 2018, putting 181 employees out of a job in Rockhampton and another 126 workers at Gladstone, Stanwell and Bluff depots.
The Queensland Government bought back the site in April 2022 for $21 million.
CQ Fibreglass Direct, Queensland Rail and Occupational Skills Centre Australia have been confirmed as tenants for the site, with further tenancies to be secured through a staged activation approach.
Regional Development and Manufacturing Minister Glenn Butcher said they were “now one step closer towards opening the doors of the Roundhouse up to community for the first time in the site’s 100-year history”.
Keppel MP Brittany Lauga said she had “fought hard over many years for these railway workshops to be brought back to life”.
“I’m proud that the Miles Government is delivering on this election commitment by investing in train manufacturing jobs in Central Queensland again,” she said.
MANUFACTURER RECEIVES $140,000 GRANT
Berg Engineering received almost $140,000 through the $33.5 million Manufacturing Hub Grant Program, allowing the Gladstone business to purchase a new 3D scanner and material analyser.
Berg Engineering Gladstone Operations Manager Frederik Stander said the new equipment had led to increased capacity in the Gladstone factory.
“It’s been instrumental in cutting lead times and enabled us to expand and grow our customer base,” he said.
“The growth enables Berg engineering to appoint more people and more apprentices.
“We’ve also trained staff, giving them additional skills that improve their employability.”
Visiting the business this week, Regional Development and Manufacturing Minister and Gladstone MP Glenn Butcher said the Queensland Government’s commitment to the industry was paying dividends.
“That is a game changer for this business to let them know we are supporting them to make sure they can get the next level in manufacturing here in Queensland,” he said.
“A $140,000 grant towards supporting this business which is giving them the opportunity now to not only get more work but to look after the customers they currently have so they can continue to put on workers in the workshop but also apprenticeships as they go along.
“If we can make it here, we absolutely should – and only the Miles Government will back this crucial job-generating industry.
“Our Manufacturing Hubs Grant program and Made in Queensland program have provided funding for 200 manufacturing projects, creating and supporting more than 7,800 good jobs and generating more than $140 million in private sector investment – that’s what good government support is all about.”
Deputy Premier and Treasurer Cameron Dick paid a visit to the Tanby Community Battery on Tanby Post Office Road this week to discuss the Queensland government’s investment of $26 billion towards the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan over the next four years.
“We are providing $1000 credit on every power bill on bills that will roll out on July 1,” he said.
“That will help Queenslanders now when faced with cost of living pressures but we are also building the renewable clean energy for Queensland for the future.”
Keppel MP Brittany Lauga said people wanted cheaper electricity bills and that through the Queensland Government budget they were delivering just that.
“In fact, after rebates people across Queensland will have the lowest electricity prices in the country,” she said.
“I know Queenslanders and Central Queenslanders are really struggling with their household bills and we are determined to help Queenslanders with their cost of living by driving down electricity prices by increasing the supply of renewable energy with batteries like this one right here.”
Rockhampton Labor Party candidate Craig Marshall said “we need to ensure we move towards renewables to make sure our power bills stay low and that’s why the Labor government is doing what matters for Queenslanders”.
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Originally published as Politicians swarm Central Queensland following 2024-25 state budget
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