It was interesting what others believe Rockhampton Region needs. Most of the priorities mentioned just solve an existing surface problem, not an underlying issue, like the brand, ‘Rockhampton’. A convention centre will put Rockhampton on the list of cities to hold an exhibition, conference, etc., but without attending to the Rockhampton brand will we really attract many new events, especially from outside the region, or just shuffle around the ones we already hold. We practically do have an international airport but if we did permanently reconfigure the terminal to accommodate international passengers to go through quarantine and passport checks will we attract the international airlines; presently the Rockhampton brand hardly guarantees an airline will get the necessary bums on seats to or from to make it viable. A multi storey Hospital car park is necessary but once completed does the outlay continue to contribute to the economic growth of the city? Rockhampton needs investments that contribute to above average long term population growth of the region. I realise the comment will be ‘but we haven’t got enough jobs for the people that are here, what are we to do with more’. Doing nothing different isn’t going to result in more jobs being created. Putting band-aids on surface problems is a short term fix. Population growth stimulates economic growth leading to sustained job creation and improvements in the standard of living. Community surveys asking residents to prioritise from a list of projects won’t divulge the need for effectively developing the Rockhampton brand and what else is required to get people to live and invest here. They tell you how to get (re-)elected. Our leaders need to have a real appreciation there are underlying issues inhibiting people’s desire/ability to relocate here and thus economic potential, plus a willingness to truly tackle them. Otherwise except for some internal shuffling and name changes really little changes over the long term. Hopefully in 2016 there will be a real appreciation at all levels of government that yes Rockhampton does need band-aids, but more importantly for long term sustainability an injection of people is the priority. Properly managing the Rockhampton brand nationally and internationally can result in more people wanting to visit, live and invest in the region.
Have a happy and safe Christmas.