Do we want more people to move to the Rockhampton region to live? The peak of the resource boom may have passed, but Central Queensland is still a hive of activity, the envy of most other parts of Australia.
A fast train service between Rockhampton and Gladstone should be seen more than just a way of safely commuting workers to and from work (as important as that is). It can be one of the primary factors for attracting people to live in Central Queensland, not just work here. The 2 cities are different and for some reason have their differences. However, combine the strengths of both and throw in the lifestyle of the Capricorn Coast for good measure and market the one package to the rat races of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Therefore the potential to get more people to live here is greater. A 50 minute train trip to and from work is marketable to people sitting in traffic for 2 hours. This appears to be obvious to everyone but our politicians. Hence the question, do we want population growth in Rockhampton, greater than the present low rate (in comparison to other Queensland regions)? To not support a fast train connection between the 2 cities leaves me wondering. Especially since it’s been identified existing rail infrastructure has the capacity and a local entrepreneur is willing to take the financial risk. George Street and Canberra love division in delaying decisions, they can easily divert attention to the dissenters, especially if it’s the Mayor of one of relevant regions. The results of the Government FIFO study are being released; it’s not all good for future mental health issues and thus funding. Rockhampton and Gladstone Regional Council’s look to the future and with a unified leap get on board; on board with support for a fast train. Perhaps more work has got to be done, but all the pieces seem to be there, it appears we just need the will of local and state governments to put them in place. Ubuntu, I believe Rockhampton and Gladstone could both benefit from this African philosophy; if we want growth on firmer foundations.