Queenslanders have spoken loud and clear in The Queensland Plan saying that the economy, education and the regions are the keys to a vibrant and prosperous state.
Premier Campbell Newman launched The Queensland Plan: Queenslanders’ 30-year vision at the Local Government Association of Queensland Regional and Economic Conference in Hervey Bay today. The plan is the culmination of the largest community engagement activity of its kind in Australian history and one of the largest in the world.
Mr Newman said the ‘people’s plan’ provided key goals on jobs and the economy with agreement among 80,000 participating Queenslanders that they wanted their state to be the number one performing economy which provided the best job opportunities in Australia.
“People from every corner of the state contributed ideas to The Queensland Plan with a common vision to grow our regional economies, foster innovation, strengthen our education sector and encourage community connections,” Mr Newman said.
“This was a massive and exemplary exercise in listening and consulting which involved
various discussion forums from summits and community think tanks to boardroom workshops and robust family debates.”
Mr Newman said Queenslanders’ feedback was that they wanted to maximise our natural talents and assets and envisaged a state that was focussed on industry development and diversification and with centres of excellence that drove innovation.
He said The Queensland Plan offered many challenges to government with targets such as doubling the population of regions outside South East Queensland while other goals would require new thinking by all levels of government.
He said the community’s vision would be driven by The Queensland Plan Ambassadors Council, which would be chaired by Public Service Commission Chief Executive Andrew Chesterman and included people such as Professor Ian Frazer, tourism chief Daniel Gschwind and former Labor Minister and Mt Isa Mayor Tony McGrady.
Minister responsible for The Queensland Plan, Andrew Powell, said the plan set bold, new targets that would take transformative action and dedicated focus to achieve but he was confident Queenslanders would rise to the challenge.
“Queenslanders told us they want an education target of 100 per cent of children having basic literacy and numeracy in primary school,” Mr Powell said.
“They also want a doubling of our regional population outside South East Queensland which will require integration with innovative plans such as RegionsQ and close co-operation with the Federal Government to build stronger regional economies.”
The government will respond to The Queensland Plan later in the year.
