Still no word about the promised manufacturing hub for Rockhampton.
Last week I mentioned this was the only promise made by Labor in the state election that could trigger a game changer for Rockhampton, yet since the election no mention of it.
While we wait for the Minister for Manufacturing and our local member to make their announcements about the Rockhampton hub (Townsville and Cairns were promised one’s also), let’s speculate what the hub could be set up to achieve (what $10M might get us – assuming we get at least an equal share).
You would assume the hub would be focussed on adopting and utilising new manufacturing technology and processes; cultivating an advanced manufacturing ecosystem. An ecosystem that sends a strong signal that Rockhampton is at the forefront of innovation in manufacturing.
Start by building on existing platforms; tapping into local knowledge, skills and possibly infrastructure. Be a greater risk to introduce a whole new venture, more exciting, but $10M would arguably be nowhere near enough for it to be successful.
The Labor Party manufacturing plan acknowledges the closure off the local Aurizon workshops as to why establishing a manufacturing hub in Rockhampton. Thus, as part of the collaborative approach in determining the focus of the hub, getting the affected workers back into employment is most important, as well as creating additional jobs.
Having a University with a local Centre for Railway Engineering (CRE), an available skill base and a global need for more efficient rail system it would appear a manufacturing hub that had a rail focus would be logical.
The easy thing might be to rescind the contracts with the Indian companies to maintain the existing locomotives, but that’s not cultivating an advanced manufacturing ecosystem (and Maryborough has been promised most of this future maintenance work).
We need to develop new more efficient ways to deliver freight and passengers by rail. Elon Musk did provide an opportunity for Rockhampton to be one of the places to help develop hyperloop technology in his global competition, but I don’t believe we registered an interest. Perhaps too big of a step at the moment, but one we shouldn’t be afraid to take it in the future.
According to the CQU web site, one of the current projects the CRE is researching is future train motive power technologies. Knowing no more than this and as stated earlier this is just speculating, could a plant based bio fuel blend be involved in providing this more efficient future power technology? Like Agave tequiliana, a plant the Uni has done research on as a fuel source.
Efficient is not just a cheaper fuel source, but cleaner one too.
Add $10M, a collaborative task force of committed locals and relevant experts to make this happen and one could expect we could accelerate the pace of the research being currently done and new jobs and skills would be created in developing the engines able to efficiently run on this fuel or another cheaper, cleaner source.
Get it right and you’ve got a global market for the product and technology plus puts Rockhampton at the forefront of the innovation economy. Game changer.
Do we really need a coffee first before getting this started? “Action is the foundational key to all success”, Pablo Picasso.