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Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise Western Downs Development Status Report June 2020 www.tsbe.com.au WESTERN DOWNS DEVELOPMENT STATUS REPORT The Western Downs, located in the agricultural heartland of Southern Queensland, is a region experiencing strong economic growth, investment and consistently high employment. The region is well known for its rich agriculture and great liveability, but its biggest wealth is in its people and communities. Home to a growing population of 34,500 people, the Western Downs is a region known for welcoming industry and innovation as well as extending its country hospitality to all new residents and businesses. The Western Downs Development Status Report is a document produced in partnership with Western Downs Regional Council and is updated annually. It equips readers with knowledge including costs, locations and estimated completion dates for known developments in the Western Downs region across infrastructure and services, property development, building and construction, resources and renewable energy projects. Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) is committed to fostering and facilitating the sustainable growth and development of the region and works with stakeholders across the Western Downs to support the local business community. TSBE supports regional businesses through the delivery of information, business support programs, advocacy and regional promotion, as well as membership services to many local businesses. The cornerstones of the economy are agriculture, intensive agriculture, energy and manufacturing — industries which continue to boast a significant number of projects in the pipeline for the Western Downs area. TSBE and Western Downs Regional Council hope this report will encourage further investment in the region, while also providing businesses with important information to help them explore new opportunities. Port of Brisbane Moonie Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport Disclaimer: Significant care has been taken to confirm the currency and accuracy of all material 2 Western Downs Development provided within this report. TSBE holds no responsibility for errors or omissions and will ensure that Status Report June 2020 any changes in projects are included in subsequent editions. MAYOR’S FOREWORD The Western Downs is built on a strong sense of community pride and diverse economic opportunities which make our region a wonderful place to live, work, and visit. With our unique location just a two and a half-hour drive from Brisbane and three hours from the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, the Western Downs is well placed to thrive as a strong regional centre, offering innovative and diverse development opportunities. Our region has the perfect mix of strong industry, rich cultural experiences and good old-fashioned country charm, which is underpinned by four economic pillars; agriculture, intensive agriculture, energy and manufacturing. Agriculture is a founding pillar of our region’s economy and continues to hold its place with a long-standing reputation for being resilient, sustainable and modern. The Western Downs is the heart of Australia’s beef production, with a massive 42% of the national feedlot capacity located within 200 kilometres of Dalby. Each year, over 200,000 cattle are sold through the Dalby Regional Saleyards, making it the largest same-day prime and store cattle yards in the country. We are continuing to see modern advances in intensive agriculture, and the industry continues to grow with expansions right across the region. Our region is also recognised as the ‘Energy Capital of Australia’ and we continue to see strong investment, particularly in renewables. As a Council, we have approved 21 solar farms in the region and we continue to see new projects coming online, such as wind farm developments at Dulacca and the construction of Queensland’s largest grid-scale battery near Wandoan. Our prime location, environmental conditions, and access to existing transmission infrastructure create investment opportunities which rival any other region in the country, and deliver a myriad of additional opportunities for growth, benefiting a range of industries - particularly in the area of manufacturing. This wholistic success is driven by our modern, award-winning Planning Scheme which takes a proactive approach towards appropriate developments in the region, which is one of the best in the state. This growing and diverse economy has also led to brand new opportunities to showcase our region and increase our presence as a vibrant tourist destination. As a Council, we are committed to growing the region’s reputation for visitors and residents alike, and that’s why we have committed to invest $64 million to accelerate major projects across the region, in partnership with other levels of government. We’ve got so many exciting projects in the pipeline that capitalise on the unique beauty of our region, including major redevelopments at key regional locations and tourist spots, and delivering new and exciting drawcards for the region’s future, such as new mountain bike trails at the Bunya Mountains, a revitalisation of the Miles CBD, and a brand new public space on Cunningham Street in Dalby. We’re excited about the future of the Western Downs and we invite you to be a part of it. Mayor Paul McVeigh Western Downs Regional Council 3 Western Downs Development Status Report June 2020 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Western Downs is a powerhouse in regional Queensland with some of the strongest investment per capita in the country. The Western Downs Development Status Report research has identified $6.91 billion of development within the region at various stages, further demonstrating the confidence and opportunity that exists across the area. With $2.44 billion in ‘projects underway’ and a strong line-up of ‘proposed projects’ and ‘approved and waiting projects’, the Western Downs is well primed to continue their growth trend. Agriculture remains to underpin the region’s economy, with the last Agricultural Census showing intensive livestock accounting for 47.7% (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016) of output in value terms. Unsurprisingly, it is seven new or expanding feedlot developments that make up the entirety of major property development projects covered within the report. This major energy hub - aptly named ‘Energy Capital of Queensland’ - is seeing an influx of renewable energy projects generating almost $4 billion, with most of this either already underway ($2.39 billion) or approved and awaiting commencement ($1.36 billion). A number of the largest renewable energy projects included in the report are the Western Downs Green Power Hub, this 400MW solar farm will be located near the Kogan Creek Power Station, and the Wandoan South Solar Project $1.5 billion 1GW project which is currently under construction 50kms north of Miles. There are 25 solar and wind farm projects listed in the report. The Coal Seam Gas (CSG) sector has continued to deliver extensive investment into the Western Downs economy for the last decade. This report shows a strong line-up of expansion projects across the CSG industry, as well as new investments continuing thanks to demand for domestic gas supply security. The multi-billion dollar Surat Gas Project by Arrow Energy is a world-scale project to commercialise most of our Surat Basin gas reserves (about five trillion cubic feet) and will operate for over 27 years. Arrow will commence construction of more than 600 phase one wells in 2020 and is on track to deliver first gas from the project in 2021. Agriculture continues to weather the seasons and back itself with plenty of capital being invested into the expansion of their strongest sectors. Their lucrative international export markets are capturing the attention of many producers. With all this activity in the Western Downs, infrastructure and services investments worth more than $26.51 million are in motion to support the growth. Local, State and Federal Government funded road projects make up the majority of the current investment, one of the largest being the $7.5 million road and footpath flood damage maintenance, after the flood events of January 2020. $8.86 million is being spent on current building and construction projects across the region and is set to deliver upgrades to recreational and public areas, expanded public and private school facilities, a new healthcare centre and pharmacy at Bell and a $5 million livestock processing facility upgrade in Jimbour, increasing the capacity to 1,200 pig or 300 cattle per day. This is off the back of many recently completed developments as per this report. 4 Western Downs Development Status Report June 2020 PROJECTS PROPOSED INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES Est. Construction Project Name Location Description Proponent Completion Cost ($M) Date Sherwood Road Upgrade Miles Upgrade and reseal Sherwood Road. Western Downs $1.49 2021 Regional Council Accelerated Major Chinchilla Improve use of space, accessibility Western Downs TBC TBC Projects - Chinchilla and street presence to create an Regional Council Cultural Precinct entertainment/cultural hub. Accelerated Major Chinchilla Upgrade amenity assets and day use Western Downs TBC TBC Projects - Chinchilla Weir facilities to create an attractive and Regional Council Strategic Tourism inviting waterside recreation space. Accelerated Major Projects Dalby Improvement of amenities and enhance Western Downs TBC TBC - Lake Broadwater opportunities for connection with the Regional Council Strategic Tourism surrounding environment.
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