I straddle the Tropic of Capricorn
with sand dunes east and west, but ocean only on one
I am part outback and part Great Barrier Reef,
the land that dinosaurs once roamed, inspired Australia’s unofficial anthem and where a national icon began.
I am the land that produces food, fibres and minerals for the world and billions for the state and nation.
I am where champions were born, entrepreneurs dared to start their dreams and international performers first took to the stage.
I am the land where town’s refuse to die, a river can finish in a creek and lights follow travellers on isolated roads
I endure drought, cyclones, fire and flood but continue to pull more than my weight.
I am magnificent, diverse, delicate, deserted, adventure, innovative, opportunity – real
I am Central to Queensland’s continued prosperity.
I am Central Queensland.
I started writing this ‘Ode to CQ’ when I questioned what does it mean to be a Central Queenslander, earlier this year. In that column I suggested one of the reasons contributing to Central Queensland missing out on important liveability infrastructure is because little has been done to foster CQ identity and pride (especially since the CQ NRL bid has evaporated). And in fostering greater identity and pride, CQ would gain more clout, bringing with it, more attention, money and respect, for a region rich in history and resources, that pulls more than its weight.
Hopefully by continually promoting this Ode to CQ we might go some way towards gaining more respect and liveability infrastructure. Thank you to those businesses who have started to do this.
Is Central Queensland Missing Out?
Admittedly with the major projects recently started and planned it could be argued CQ has not been ignored, but does it get the respect and with it all the opportunities, including jobs, these projects bring?
It is interesting to read that the big managing contracts being awarded for these major projects are going to large national companies, with head offices outside of CQ and may only have a small physical presence in CQ. Why aren’t Central Queensland businesses being awarded these large managing contracts in CQ? Is it a matter of capability, experience, cost or is it respect?
And while it is good to hear the politician promises and read of the CQ businesses winning work from these managing contractors, how much are CQ businesses and workers missing out on should these national companies expediently push some supply contracts through to their own affiliate businesses? Is anyone checking this and demanding answers?
Get Big or Go Back To A Smaller Home
It was also interesting to read of Central Queensland business SMW Group merging with Mackay’s BAE Engineering, then being listed on the New Zealand stock exchange. The message appears to be, you have got to be big (publicly listed) to win the big projects. Or is it to get the respect needed?
It reminds me of a comment Dennis Wagner, a director of Wagner Corporation, one of Queensland’s largest construction materials and mining services company, made in Rockhampton about their bid to build Sydney’s second airport. They missed out due to their lack of experience, despite being the builder of the only airport in Australia in the past 30 years. An international company was awarded the $5 billion contract.
What is the Lesson for CQ
The lesson for Central Queensland appears to be we need to get bigger (have real clout) to gain the respect needed to get important liveability infrastructure, even as something as basic as clean tap water in Bowen Basin communities. With local news media ranks thinning, councils having to compete against each other for funding, state and federal politicians fixated on achieving the highest ‘blame game’ score, the onus is seemingly left with CQ businesses, basically one’s that have their head offices in Central Queensland, to unite and effectively champion CQ to help gain the respect and with it all the opportunities (jobs) and prosperity we deserve. This land, CQ, will remain being Central to Queensland’s continued prosperity, but it needs your support of CQ businesses, not just now but ongoing, to enable them to get bigger, to get the respect to realise and share amongst all Central Queenslander’s more of the prosperity CQ produces.