As a follow up to my first letter I sent the below to the local paper
for publication. Love to see a similiar web site developed to the one
mentioned below. I welcome any comments you may have about the letter.
A click on the mouse starts the video in the centre of the website.
Young children are seen playing tennis at the Victoria Park Courts in
Rockhampton alongside their parents. On the way home they pass the
refurbished south side pool complex. The image dissolves to the parents
engaged in their occupations at one of the billion dollar industrial
plants in Gladstone. The scenery changes to sun, small surf and sand as
the family enjoys the beaches and attractions of the Capricorn Coast.
The video ends with a pitch to live, work and play in Central
Queensland’s Tri Cities – Rockhampton, Gladstone and Capricorn Coast.
Tri-rific opportunities, Tri-rific lifestyle, the Tri-rific alternative
to the big city rat race.
Yes I’m daydreaming again, questioning why a synergy that to me appears
so logical does not appear to be actively pursued by our community
leaders. I believe a local infrastructure wish list has been drawn up.
However one project, not on the list, that I believe is vital for the
Rockhampton/Gladstone regions is a high speed train service between the
two cities, making a live, work and play tri city concept possible and
marketable.
Why do we need a marketable tri city concept? Gladstone, with the
billion dollar projects planned needs more workers, but faces the
challenges of where to accommodate them. A fly-in fly-out solution with
the social costs that come with it is surely a last resort.
Rockhampton needs a higher population rate. If the city continues to
only grow at around 3% (as it has over the last five years) while the
state population grows at 10%, not only will it continue to slide down
the list of Queensland’s most populated cities but arguably Rockhampton
will find it harder to attract professionals like specialist doctors and
consequently the services that they can provide. One vote one value
generally means more populous centres getting a bigger share of
infrastructure and services. We are in a competitive market; with not
only the south east corner, but Cairns, Townsville and Mackay, for funds
and services. By marketing the tri cities of Rockhampton, Gladstone
and Capricorn Coast as one destination we are all in a stronger position
to effectively compete and help each other to meet the challenges each
city faces. However, like the chicken and the egg we need the necessary
infrastructure first to make the tri city concept marketable. A high
speed train service that enables people to commute between Rockhampton
and Gladstone in around thirty minutes is sellable. Sellable to people
who want to not only work in Gladstone, but go home to their family each
day. Sellable to people who have had enough of the big city rat race.
Have a look at the website www.evocities.com.au. The NSW Government
with the support of the Federal Government is actively promoting
Sydney-siders to move to regional centres, NSW regional centres. I
can’t find an equivalent Queensland website.
We hear about the pressures on the south east corner infrastructure
caused in part by interstate migration. Is spending more on
infrastructure in the south east corner really solving the problem or
just band aiding it? A smart solution to me is make another destination
a real viable alternative, a destination that has jobs to offer,
affordable housing, beautiful beaches and islands. Live, work and play;
between the Rockhampton/Gladstone regions we’ve got it all. We just
need the suitable infrastructure to really link it all together then
sell it. If we are the smart state, here’s one way to prove it.