As a follow up to my first letter I sent the below to the local paper for publication. Love to see a similiar web site developed to the one mentioned below. I welcome any comments you may have about the letter.
A click on the mouse starts the video in the centre of the website. Young children are seen playing tennis at the Victoria Park Courts in Rockhampton alongside their parents. On the way home they pass the refurbished south side pool complex. The image dissolves to the parents engaged in their occupations at one of the billion dollar industrial plants in Gladstone. The scenery changes to sun, small surf and sand as the family enjoys the beaches and attractions of the Capricorn Coast. The video ends with a pitch to live, work and play in Central Queensland’s Tri Cities – Rockhampton, Gladstone and Capricorn Coast. Tri-rific opportunities, Tri-rific lifestyle, the Tri-rific alternative to the big city rat race.
Yes I’m daydreaming again, questioning why a synergy that to me appears so logical does not appear to be actively pursued by our community leaders. I believe a local infrastructure wish list has been drawn up. However one project, not on the list, that I believe is vital for the Rockhampton/Gladstone regions is a high speed train service between the two cities, making a live, work and play tri city concept possible and marketable.
Why do we need a marketable tri city concept? Gladstone, with the billion dollar projects planned needs more workers, but faces the challenges of where to accommodate them. A fly-in fly-out solution with the social costs that come with it is surely a last resort. Rockhampton needs a higher population rate. If the city continues to only grow at around 3% (as it has over the last five years) while the state population grows at 10%, not only will it continue to slide down the list of Queensland’s most populated cities but arguably Rockhampton will find it harder to attract professionals like specialist doctors and consequently the services that they can provide. One vote one value generally means more populous centres getting a bigger share of infrastructure and services. We are in a competitive market; with not only the south east corner, but Cairns, Townsville and Mackay, for funds and services. By marketing the tri cities of Rockhampton, Gladstone and Capricorn Coast as one destination we are all in a stronger position to effectively compete and help each other to meet the challenges each city faces. However, like the chicken and the egg we need the necessary infrastructure first to make the tri city concept marketable. A high speed train service that enables people to commute between Rockhampton and Gladstone in around thirty minutes is sellable. Sellable to people who want to not only work in Gladstone, but go home to their family each day. Sellable to people who have had enough of the big city rat race.
Have a look at the website www.evocities.com.au. The NSW Government with the support of the Federal Government is actively promoting Sydney-siders to move to regional centres, NSW regional centres. I can’t find an equivalent Queensland website.
We hear about the pressures on the south east corner infrastructure caused in part by interstate migration. Is spending more on infrastructure in the south east corner really solving the problem or just band aiding it? A smart solution to me is make another destination a real viable alternative, a destination that has jobs to offer, affordable housing, beautiful beaches and islands. Live, work and play; between the Rockhampton/Gladstone regions we’ve got it all. We just need the suitable infrastructure to really link it all together then sell it. If we are the smart state, here’s one way to prove it.
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