Why would you highlight in election advertising something you’ve promised to another region, knowing this region wants one too but our call goes ignored?
Strange tactic rubbing one’s nose in it I think, but perhaps most people don’t think about it, bored by the lengthy election campaign rushing to the pre-poll stations to just get it over and done with so they can worry about the implications of Brexit.
I’m referring to the Townsville second Stadium, how both major parties have promised a bucket load of money towards it and the state government finding more money (now $140M) for it also.
Good luck to Townsville they appear to know how to work the political system to their benefit. After all when you evaluate they were back in 2013 Australia’s most NBN-ready city (and that’s according to NBN Co.), have an international airport, a conference centre, casino, home to Australia’s largest army base, then have a NRL team and V8 Supercar meet; Townsville does present itself as an attractive place to live and for business.
And perhaps state and federal governments have made the decision it is easier to build on this attractiveness to encourage more people to leave the congested capital cities to live in major regional centres with capital city facilities like Townsville rather than develop smaller centres.
Where does that leave Rockhampton?
Ignored, taken for granted, not considered a major regional centre! Rockhampton heyday’s of being the second major city in the state are well and truly in the past. We’re currently number 9. We can just accept our ranking and perhaps see Hervey Bay pass us or do the opposite to what the Brit’s have just done and formally join a Union, the Central Queensland Union of councils. Cqenter as opposed to Brexit.
One of the benefits of the European Union is the extra economic clout gained from acting as one unit, instead of 28 separate countries.
Now is the time Rockhampton, Gladstone, Capricorn Coast and Emerald (possibly even Mackay) more seriously looked at what can be achieved acting as one rather than as separate regions. Now, while all these regions are in the doldrums looking for answers; go further than just Mayors talkfest’s, go beyond the odd joint marketing campaign, go to where a formal structure is put in place with its mission of improving the living standards of CQ residents.
This may involve lobbying as one for a sport stadium, international airport, conference centre, etc. Infrastructure that makes CQ more attractive for people to live, work and invest here. Infrastructure that encourages greater growth and improves living standards.
Yes it would involve more bureaucracy but it’s got to be more effective than what is happening now, competing amongst ourselves for basically the crumbs.
With Mackay, a CQ Union would figure in the top 5 population centres in the state. Not a big move up you may be thinking but it gives an idea of the challenge we face as separate entities against the size of Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Townsville (let alone Brisbane) to get serious attention from state or Federal governments.
We owe it to our children to consider proposals such as this?
By acknowledging we’re going to have low growth (Rockhampton Regional Council predicts less than 1%) we accept it is going to be harder to improve let alone maintain our standard of living in comparison to other centres?
How much harder therefore is it going to be to retain let alone attract youth? Consider the implications of that.
Thinking it is all too hard and either ignoring it or hoping somehow things change for the better means we will continue to be ignored, taken for granted.
We need to expect and demand more from our politicians not having them rub it in to win our CQ vote that Townsville is getting another stadium.
Doesn’t that highlight how bad we’ve allowed it to become.