MAREEBA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE l ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT 2018-19 MAREEBA Forging ahead INSIDE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE 3 MAYOR'S MESSAGE 4 LARGEST URBAN CENTRE IN FNQ OUTSIDE CAIRNS 5 STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT 6 A BASE FOR DEVELOPING NEW AGRICULTURAL AREAS 7 WATER IS GOLD 9 A THRIVING INDUSTRIAL AND TRANSPORT HUB 11 Sugar – a green FUTURE 13 DRIVING TOURISM IN MAREEBA 15 MAREEBA SHIRE COUNCIL 16 COMMITTED TO EMPLOYMENT AND THE REGION 19 VITAL IMPORTance – Kuranda range road 21 WIND Farm – A LEGACY BEYOND POWER GENERATION 23 AGRICULTURE POWERING AHEAD 25 FNQ growers – regions PEAK INDUSTRY BODY 27 LOCAL EVENTS BOOSTING THE ECONOMY 28 THE LARGEST FIELD DAYS IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA 29 CHAMBER PARTNERS AND MEMBERS 30 Mareeba chamber – a strong voice 31 ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT DESIGN CONTRIBUTORS Mareeba Chamber of Commerce Designed and produced by Editorial Economic Snapshot Published by Mareeba Chamber Lea Coghlan Communications Mareeba Chamber of Commerce of Commerce Bill Cummings – Cummings Economics PO Box 689 Mareeba Shire Council MAREEBA QLD 4880 PRINTING P: (07) 4092 6050 Printed by O’Donnells Photos E: [email protected] Office Product Depot Scott Brady Peter Roy Photographer Cover photo Steven Nowakowski Panoscapes Back page photo Tourism and Events Queensland President’s MESSAGE As 2018 draws to a close, I reflect on the work the efficient road network. We have lobbied strongly for chamber has done in the past 12 months. continued improvements on the road between Cairns and Mareeba, including the Kuranda Range. When Mareeba is a dynamic community which draws its there are unexpected road closures on this critical link, business strength from a number of key industries, Mareeba and the Tablelands as a whole, suffers. including, but not limited to, retail, agriculture, industry and tourism. We implore the State and Federal Governments to continue to invest heavily in this road to ensure it meets Our success in helping Mareeba grow and prosper was current and future demands. recognised in the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census which, in September, named Mareeba as the More than half a century ago the construction of Tinaroo largest urban centre in Far North Queensland outside Dam provided the foundation for Mareeba to establish Cairns. itself as the economic capital of the Atherton Tablelands, driven largely its growth in agriculture. This was no surprise, given the work we do as a chamber and collaboratively with Mareeba Shire Today, we find ourselves again looking at ways to Council to strengthen our local economy and position improve water security, first and foremost, through Mareeba as a strong retail, industrial, tourism and improvements to the existing channel system but, on a agricultural centre. bigger scale, investigations into a new dam, Nullinga, and the Johnstone River diversion. Boasting 300 sunny days a year and as the gateway to Cape York Peninsula, Mareeba provides a wide range While agriculture has largely driven Mareeba’s growth, of goods and services that rival other centres across tourism is fast becoming one of the key economic the region. drivers of the region. But while we enjoy the fastest population growth in With an international airport at our doorstep and an Far North Queensland, it's imperative that our public abundant number of natural and man-made attractions, infrastructure including health services and the road the chamber is actively promoting our town to the self- network, are maintained and upgraded to cater for this drive market. Work has started on various tourism increase. itineraries. For those industries and sub-industries to function and Finally I take this opportunity to wish our members and prosper there are key drivers that need to be in place stakeholders a happy and safe festive season and look to ensure Mareeba’s infrastructure keeps pace with its forward to continuing the good work in 2019. growth. Joe Moro One of the top priorities for the chamber is a safe, PRESIDENT MAYOR’s MESSAGE How pleasing it is to be able to once again report to the Plan; all of which are aimed at bringing the shire into community of the Mareeba Shire Council on a positive the future. and successful year. Council is proceeding with the development of a long- The dust has well and truly settled on issues arising term asset management plan incorporating all of our from de-amalgamation and the time has come for some strategic assets including water and sewerage, roads truly imaginative and clever thinking. and built assets, to ensure that all of the $428 million worth of Council assets are managed and maintained Much has been achieved in this past year; particularly in good condition into the future. in the three areas most important in guaranteeing a sound and prosperous future – vision, planning and ADVOCACY advocacy. Council has adopted a much more strategic view of our role in regional affairs, with high level involvement VISION in the Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of As we require a new water treatment plant within the Councils (FNQROC) and the Inland Queensland Roads next ten to fifteen years, it is imperative that we look Action Project (IQ-RAP) in particular. to the future and to possible better options. With the assistance of the Queensland Government, Council is These organisations are actively involved in regular proceeding with a study into what our options are to contact with both government and opposition members secure the best cost alternative to mitigate the costs for in Brisbane and Canberra, in pursuit of higher levels the ratepayers. of funding for roads, water and other strategic infrastructure. One of the options being looked at is the possibility of sourcing the Mareeba town water supply from This new approach has resulted in visits to both Brisbane the channel system at the top of the Jump-Up (near and Canberra on a number of occasions, resulting in an Walkamin). If this option is shown to be viable in extra grant of $5 million for the redevelopment of the providing for the gravity feed of water to the town, then Mareeba Airport. planning can commence for the implementation of the scheme. This year we have once again managed our resources well, meeting budget expectations, keeping rating and PLANNING service charges within the bounds of the capacity of Over the past year Council has completed long- the community to pay and remaining focussed on the term planning studies on the Mareeba CBD traffic core business of local government. management plan, a full and comprehensive review of the Kuranda Infrastructure Plan, the Shire Town Cr Tom Gilmore Beautification Plan and the Basalt Gully Development MAYOR LARGEST URBAN CENTRE Mareeba named the largest urban centre in Far North Queesland outside Cairns POPULATION Usual Place of Residence The strong growth of Mareeba Part of the reason for Mareeba Shire over the last decade Shire and Mareeba’s urban has seen the town emerge as growth has been the very MAREEBA 7,741 the largest urban centre in Far strong growth in agriculture North Queensland outside of that has occurred in recent INNISFAIL 7,236 Cairns. years. AtHErtON 6,871 The latest Census data for According to Australian population by usual place of Bureau of Statistics data, residence in urban centres the value of agricultural (as defined by the Australian production (GVAP) in the Bureau of Statistics) recorded Mareeba Shire rose by 70% the following populations – over the period 2010-11 to GROWTH Mareeba 7,741, Innisfail 2015-16. Population Growth – UPR 2006-16 7,236 and Atherton 6,871. Crops GVAP increased by napshot As urban centres, Mareeba $60m and Livestock turnoff Mareeba Shire Council S is recorded as having grown by $72m. 3345 (18.8%) (2011 Census to 2016 The data also indicates Census) by 447, Atherton conomic that this resulted in a rise in Tablelands Regional E 205 and Innisfail 60. employment in agriculture by 31%. Council 1133 (4.8%) Population growth in Local Government Areas (LGAs) Historically, most of the growth ommerce Cassowary Coast C served by the three urban of the Far North Queensland centres (2006 to 2016 region has focused around Regional Council (Census Usual Place of the region’s higher rainfall 931 (3.3%) Residence), shows a similar areas. hamber of picture with Mareeba Shire C leading by a wide margin. The emergence of Mareeba as the second largest urban Mareeba Shire recorded centre signals the growing areeba a growth of 18.8%, while importance of the region’s Tablelands Regional Council extensive “wet/dry” topics had 4.8% growth and in the region’s economic SOURCE: Cummings Economics from Australian M Cassowary Coast on 3.3%. progress. Bureau of Statistics 2011 and 2016 Census data. 5 TA STATISTICALHE SNAPSHOT OF BUSINESS,STAT INDUSTRY AND POPULATIONS ACTIVITY WITHIN THE MAREEBA AND TABLELANDS LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS RESIDENTIAL POPULATION RESIDENTIAL POPULATION PROJECTIONS ESTIMATED POPULATION, MAREEBA & TABLELANDS LGAs 2017 2027 2037 2006 41,981 Mareeba Shire LGA 22,311 25,933 30,143 2007 42,748 Tablelands LGA 25,425 27,446 29,627 2008 43,622 Total 47,736 53,379 59,770 2009 44,280 NOTE: Based on average annual growth 2007-2017. 2010 44,728 2011 45,117 2012 45,604 MAREEBA SHIRE BUSINESS NUMBERS 2013 46,295 2014 46,754 2015 47,131 Non employing 1225 2016 47,469 1 – 19 employees 774 2016 47,469 20 or more employees 71 2017 47,736 Total 2070 MAREEBA SHIRE RESIDENTIAL POPULATION OCCUPATION PROFILE ESTIMATED POPULATION, MAREEBA SHIRE COUNCIL MAREEBA & TABLELANDS LGAs 25,000 2016 % Change 22,157 22,311 21,428 21,624 21,925 20,495 20,745 20,979 Managers 2,887 (-0.7%) 19,737 20,177 18,753 19,195 20,000 18,125 18,236 18,307 18,353 18,553 Professionals 2,583 +3.6% Technicians & trades workers 2,460 (-7.1%) 15,000 Community & personal service 2,158 +12.0% 10,000 Clerical & administrative 2,019 0.0% Sales workers 1,592 +2.8% 5,000 Machinery operators & drivers 1,305 (-9.8%) Labourers 2,647 +6.7% 0 Inadequately stated or not 300 na 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 TOTAL 17,938 +0.7% NOTE: % Change – 2011 to 2016.