Marketing the unique tropical knowledge and services in northern and central Queensland to international aid project co-ordinators will be the focus of the Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium Business Matching Roadshow, which will kick off in Cairns next week.

The Roadshow will roll through Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton on three consecutive days starting from Tuesday, December 8 in Cairns. It will bring an array of Australian Managing Contractors (AMCs) and project co-ordinating firms to the regions to meet with Tropical Expertise service providers and share with them the intricacies of engaging with such firms, how to procure international aid work, and the ins and outs of working in-country.

Companies presenting on the Roadshow, which is being co-ordinated by Advance Cairns in partnership with the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, include Uniquest, Queensland University of Technology, JTA International, Cardno (PNG division), Trade Queensland and McLeod Training Organisation.

International aid projects in the developing world are administered by firms, such as the ones represented on the Roadshow, who subcontract organisations to complete assignments of varying budgets and timeframes. Northern and central Queensland professionals have been recognised by leading Australian Managing Contractor firms as among the best experts for international development projects in tropical countries.

This event was first held in Cairns in November 2008 and attracted more than 70 participants. Several Queensland companies, with unique Tropical Expertise, who attended have since been invited on international tenders by AMCs they met on the day.

CAIRNS – Tuesday, December 8 @ the Shangri-La Hotel from 8:15am – 1:30pm. Cost $44. Click here to register.

TOWNSVILLE – Wednesday, December 9 @ Rydges Southbank from 8:15am – 1:30pm. Cost $44. Click here to register.

ROCKHAMPTON – Thursday, December 10 @ Rockhampton Leagues Club from 8:45am – 2pm. Cost $44. Click here to register.

Advance Cairns’ renewed regional focus has been solidified with the launch of a new corporate image for the organisation.

The economic development agency has adopted a fresh corporate image anchored with the tagline, “Our Region One Voice”, which reinforces its commitment to operating in a truly regional manner. 

Earlier this year Advance Cairns signed an agreement with the Far North Queensland Region of Councils (FNQROC) to work in partnership to facilitate sustainable economic development growth for the region, which encompasses the local government areas of Cassowary Coast, Yarrabah, Cairns, Tablelands, Wujal Wujal and Cook. The agreement included the appointment of a Regional Development Officer to support and facilitate robust economic linkages between Cairns and the surrounding council areas.

The impetus for the new logo, which was designed by local graphic design and branding company Smart Artz, effectively re-brands the organisation in this time of growth.

Advance Cairns Communication Committee Chairman Jeremy Blockey said, “The process of reviewing our brand and what we do has been extremely valuable for the organisation. The new logo is just one manifestation of that, and I trust that as Advance Cairns gets involved in new regional initiatives, the people of Tropical North Queensland will come to increasingly recognise the organisation and see the benefits arising from our activities.”

The current Advance Cairns logo has been in existence for quite a few years and is no longer indicative of the new purpose and geographical reach of the organisation. This re-branding exercise carries with it the following objectives:

• To communicate to Advance Cairns’ target audiences that it is an organisation with a wider-reaching geographical demographic than the company name suggests;
• To deliver a strong corporate identity for an organisation that is progressive, proactive and successful;
• To revitalise the company’s logo in order to demonstrate Advance Cairns’ new-found regionality; and
• To convey to the general public, the Tropical North Queensland business community, and all levels of government that

Advance Cairns is the over-arching organisation charged with the task of advocating for TNQ, co-ordinating regional efforts to bolster the region’s economy, and facilitating and fostering the development of new and existing business opportunities.

A New Deal for Cairns – The PlanThe Cairns region’s peak business and industry leaders today formed a united front to demand a new deal from the State and Federal Governments in the face of the region’s unacceptably high unemployment figures, and the crippling effects of the Global Financial Crisis.

Advance Cairns Chairman Russell Beer said the difficulties that the region is facing, which are highlighted by record unemployment rates, have forced the call for urgent and real assistance from Canberra and Brisbane. “We have always been proud to be a small business economy and a region which drives our own destiny” Mr Beer said, “but the perfect storm whipped up by the Global Financial Crisis and the resultant credit crunch, the collapse in the construction and mining industries, a high Australian dollar, a drop in international tourist numbers and our reliance on a narrow industry base has meant that we need help, and fast.”

The Cairns Chamber of Commerce have joined the call, with President Jeremy Blockey calling on all levels of Government to “listen and act. We specifically need the Federal and State governments to open their chequebooks and avert what is quickly becoming a crisis,” Mr Blockey said. “I shuddered when I heard that our unemployment rate has exceeded 13%, but what really scares me is that I am sure that unless we get some swift and decisive action from our elected leaders it will get much worse.”

Newly elected Chair of Tourism Tropical North Queensland Bill Calderwood joined in the chorus. “We are bleeding, and many tourist operators are already on their knees, and there is no way that some of them will survive until the next tourist season without help. If we let key players in our major industry fail, it is hard to see how we could ever replace the industry expertise and know how that would be lost to the region as a consequence.” 

Mr Beer said that the three organisations had worked together to develop a three-part crisis plan to put to the State and Federal governments. “We don’t just want to whinge” he said. “We recognise that we have to be part of developing the solution.”

The plan’s three main components – Relief, Recovery and Reform – are borrowed from former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s original “New Deal”, which led the US out of the Great Depression. “The first are some immediate and perhaps novel actions designed to pump prime the region’s economy and get out-of-work people from tourism and construction back to work and hopefully to stay in the region until the next upturn,” Mr Beer explained.

The recovery components involve some help from government in planning and delivering initiatives in key areas where the leaders think there are some major opportunities and upsides for the economy in the medium term, and the reform component comprises long sought after policy changes designed to remove impediments to our regional competitiveness and to allow us to drive and take advantage of some of our competitive advantages.

The plan also involves a demand for a commitment to the one key project that the region’s major stakeholders have all agreed is the iconic signature project which ticks all of the boxes – the development of the Cairns Cultural Precinct on the waterfront opposite the Convention Centre. The project will include a world-class performing arts centre, state-of-the-art regional and Indigenous museum, and associated display and meeting facilities needed as an adjunct to our current convention facilities.

Details of the plan include specific relief by way of tax deferrals, assistance with some key projects including better engagement with our closest capital city Port Moresby and neighbour country PNG to allow our businesses to take advantage of the major projects about to take off there, and delivery of aviation policies that better serve a regional economy, and that are not based on capital city centric principles.

Mr Blockey added, “The region needs strong leadership on this issue, and the business community are trying to show that and we have seen some good support from our elected representatives today. We need to unite in a plan to attack the unemployment crisis and take a regional approach to a region in great need. The local members say they share our frustrations and have made a commitment to join our call for action. They too recognise our special circumstances, and are prepared to give us real help for our industries to allow us to make a real difference.”

Russell Beer called for the region and Government to unite to face and deal with the crisis we are facing. “Don’t waste my time telling me how united the Townsville region is if you are not prepared to be part of a united team effort in Cairns to drag us back to where we want to be. I agree that ‘someone should do something about it’, and we are, so get on board and work with us” he challenged.

Mr Calderwood said “Kevin Rudd raised Cairns’ unemployment problem at the UN, so while the problem has been recognised we now need tangible support. The new deal proposals we are putting forward can help us to address the short and medium term issues for the region. We are now calling for the State and Federal governments to urgently work in a coordinated fashion with the region in response to this critical issue. These are extraordinary circumstances, and they need extraordinary solutions.”

For the first time in its eight-year history, Advance Cairns will next week hold a board meeting outside of Cairns.

The September board meeting will be held in Mareeba on Monday, marking the first time since Advance Cairns’ inception in September 2001 that the organisation has held a board meeting outside of Cairns.

The move reinforces the organisation’s commitment to the regions, which was solidified by the signing of an agreement between the economic development agency and the Far North Queensland Region of Councils (FNQROC) earlier this year. The agreement will see Advance Cairns work in partnership with the FNQROC to facilitate sustainable economic development growth for the region, which encompasses the local government areas of Cassowary Coast, Yarrabah, Cairns, Tablelands, Wujal Wujal and Cook.

Advance Cairns CEO Ross Contarino said that this small gesture emphasised Advance Cairns’ commitment to operating in a truly regional manner. “The whole of Tropical North Queensland is part of the one economy and we need work together to optimise the opportunities,” he said.

The meeting will be held at the Mareeba RSL from 3pm next Monday, September 21.

Advance Cairns, with the expert assistance of Gerard Byrne, co-author of Grants in Australia Book, and Margaret Darveniza, well-renowned facilitator, will host a series of Grant Writing Workshops across the region next week.

The half-day workshops will be held in two locations – Cairns and Atherton.

Date: Tuesday, August 11

Cost: $22.00 p/p

Cairns: Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland Training Rooms – 39 Anderson St, Cairns

Time: 8.30am – 11.30am

Atherton: Stan Moses Hall, Vernon Street, Atherton

Time: 5.30pm – 8pm

Presenters: Gerard Byrne & Margaret Darveniza

To register: phone 4080 2900, or email admin@advancecairns.com

RSVP: COB – Friday, August 7

Payment by Cheque or Cash – NO CREDIT CARD FACILITIES AVAILABLE

Progressing the strategic economic development of Tropical North Queensland will be Margaret Darveniza’s mission in her new role as  Regional Development Officer (RDO) with Advance Cairns.

Appointed with the assistance of the Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (FNQROC), Ms Darveniza began her role as RDO with Advance Cairns yesterday.

Advance Cairns CEO Ross Contarino said Ms Darveniza brought a wealth of experience to the position with a successful background in training, business services and community development, and currently holds the Chair position with Skill360 Australia.

Mr Contarino said the RDO position was designed to address the economic needs of councils from Cardwell to Cooktown, with Ms Darveniza’s primary task to provide linkages between and liaise with the Cassowary, Tablelands and Cook shire regional councils, as well as local government bodies in Yarrabah and Wujal Wujal.

Ms Darveniza will be based in Innisfail but will work across the region on a range of economic projects prioritised by FNQROC, including lobbying for improved road networks across TNQ, identifying opportunities and costs that arise from the carbon reduction trading scheme for a range of the region’s industry sectors, seeking funding for high-priority infrastructure projects, and developing economic development models for regional councils.

FNQROC Chair Tom Gilmore said the FNQROC is keen to develop and champion robust economic linkages between Cairns and the surrounding council areas. “The appointment of a regional development officer will provide the support needed to facilitate this,” Mr Gilmore said.

Ms Darveniza said she is looking forward to working across the region and believed that collaborative efforts will build the strengths of the individual shires and the region as a whole.

North Queensland regional development organisations (RDOs) vowed to take a collaborative approach to lobbying all levels of Government for high priority infrastructure projects, following a meeting in Cairns recently.

Hosted by Advance Cairns, the quarterly meeting included high-ranking representatives of RDOs from Gladstone to Cape York and out to Mt Isa, and from the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation in Brisbane.

The 20-strong group resolved to assess infrastructure priorities from each of their areas and formulate a list of high priority projects to lobby the Federal Government for.

The group, which represented Townsville Enterprise Limited, Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Development Zone Incorporated, Rockhampton Regional Development Limited, Mackay Whitsunday Regional Economic Development Corporation, Gladstone Area Promotion and Development Limited, Cape York Peninsula Development Association Inc, Gulf Savannah Development, the Office of Northern Australia and the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, will meet again in September in Mackay.

Cairns can breathe a sigh of relief that Cairns Ports was a welcome omission from the Queensland Government’s list of State assets set to be sold off to rectify a multi-billion dollar budget deficit.

Advance Cairns, the region’s peak economic development agency, is pleased Cairns Ports has escaped being listed along with five other major state assets, including The Port of Brisbane, that Premier Anna Bligh announced yesterday would be put up for sale to allow for more spending on infrastructure projects.

“We are relieved the government saw sense not to put Cairns Ports up for sale, particularly with the pending change of its structure on July 1 this year when the company takes on responsibility for the regional ports of Cairns, Mourilyan, Karumba, Thursday Island, Quintell Beach, Cape Flattery, Skardon River, Cooktown and Burketown,” Advance Cairns CEO Ross Contarino said.

“It is great for our region that Cairns Ports was not considered for sale, thus providing a light at the end of the tunnel in these uncertain times we find ourselves in. With the hardships being felt by businesses across Tropical North Queensland as a result of the Global Financial Crisis, selling Cairns Ports would have led to another period of uncertainty in a time when the region could do without it,” he said.

Stakeholders in the Far North of the State have voiced their collective concern over Queensland Government initiatives being progressed without adequate or in some cases any consultation, such as the recent proposal to add Cape York to the World Heritage List (WHL).

Advance Cairns, the region’s peak economic development agency, has expressed its disappointment at the State Government, and says it and other bodies were disconcerted that the first they knew of the proposed fast tracking of this proposal was when reading in The Cairns Post that the Minister was lobbying for the early inclusion of the Cape in the WHL.

“Advance Cairns was very concerned when it came to our attention that within the one week there was both a Federal listing of a large part of the Coral Sea, and a request from the Queensland Government to fast track the listing of the entire Cape York as a World Heritage Area without the slightest warning or request for consultation,” Advance Cairns CEO Ross Contarino said.

“These are major determinations for our region. The most significant concern at this time is not whether these proposals are right or not, it is more about the fact that the opinions of those who will be most impacted have not been considered in their formulation,” Mr Contarino said.

“Since this was announced we have spoken to many bodies representing those who may be affected, including the Cook Shire, ROC Cape York, Tourism Tropical North Queensland, the Cairns Chamber of Commerce and the Cape York Partnerships group, and they all share our concerns”.

Mr. Contarino went on to say that none of these bodies yet had concluded views, but that they wanted to understand more about what was proposed so they could identify and comment on the issues which might arise.

“We are strongly in favour of workable sustainable policies and practices being developed and implemented in the region” he said, “but we need to ensure that the needs of and issues relevant to our locals are identified and taken into account in that process. We understand that the State had earlier set up advisory committees on this issue, but to us it makes no sense to do that and then seek to entrench a position before receiving advice from those groups.”

Cairns Chamber of Commerce president Jeremy Blockey has joined the call for consultation saying it was imperative that the business community have input into processes such as Wild Rivers and the heritage listing to ensure the continued viability of the region.

“By working together, we can have the best of both worlds, which allows us to preserve our natural assets and create employment for the region,” Mr Blockey said.

Advance Cairns will take its concerns to the State Government today (Wednesday, June 3) when a delegation of directors, led by Mr Contarino and Chairman Russell Beer, meet with seven State Ministers as part of a two-day lobbying mission to Brisbane.

A joint trade mission to India could be on the cards for Advance Cairns and the Cairns Chamber of Commerce following a roundtable meeting with a delegation of Indian chamber of commerce representatives last month.

The president of the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) in Bangalore extended an invitation to Advance Cairns and the Cairns Chamber of Commerce to “plan a visit to India.”

FKCCI president D. Muralidhar, who led the nine-member delegation, implored the two groups to consider an “exploratory visit” to India to capitalise on the consistent growth of the region. Mr Muralidhar said there was “a tremendous amount of scope to expand our business relationships”, particularly given the strength of India’s economy across a range of industries including manufacturing, avionics, health and information technology in particular.

Mr Muralidhar said India was currently the world’s second largest producer of fruit and vegetables, but with most of it consumed within India, there were plenty of opportunities for export.

He said there were some obvious commonalities that would make partnering in business easier. “Part of why it is easy for our countries to do business is the fact that there is no language barrier,” he said before adding, “We even drive on the same side of the road as you, and we share the same passion for cricket”, he joked.

Cairns Chamber of Commerce President, Jeremy Blockey said the chamber would explore the possibility of signing an MOU with the FKCCI, which could lead to further investigation of a visit with Advance Cairns and the chamber to India in the future.

Advance Cairns CEO Ross Contarino said there were some obvious synergies between Tropical North Queensland and India which could lend themselves to a positive and productive relationship between the two regions.

“The North’s unique tropical expertise in a variety of industry sectors were of interest to the delegation, particularly in the area of wine making,” Mr Contarino explained.
“India is a large producer of mangoes, and their discovery of our mango wine industry during their visit to the North proved of particular interest as a way of diversifying and value-adding to their already sizeable mango industry.”

Hosted by Mr Contarino, the meeting was also attended by Cairns Chamber of Commerce Executive Officer Sandy White, Cairns Regional Council Councillor Alan Blake, Advance Cairns director Ron Tong, and Cummings Economics partner Bill Cummings.

The meeting, facilitated by Advance Cairns following an approach by Trade Queensland, formed part of a series of engagements for the 42-member delegation that  included meetings on the Gold Coast and in Ipswich.