Mount Isa Mayor Joyce McCulloch says the city’s new three year Economic Development Strategy will be a strong boost to the local economy supporting initiatives like the transport and logistics hub and the rail line to Tennant Creek.
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Council put $520,000 in the 2017-2018 Budget to begin implementing the strategy.
“This is the critical plan promised in last year’s Budget, designed to diversify our economy, create more jobs, more choice and more opportunity,” Cr McCulloch said.
“Mining will always be our cornerstone, but to thrive we need to foster new industries around agriculture, education, services, transport, tourism, energy and more.”
Cr McCulloch said the Council has already identified 30 concrete initiatives in the strategy starting with a transport and logistics hub which was “looking positive”.
“If you look at where Mount Isa is situated on a map, we are in the best possible area to link the Northern Territory to Queensland, up to the Gulf down to the South Australian border,” she said.
“With this we are seriously looking at the Mount Isa-Tennant Creek rail line which will have a positive impact on our region and also on producers getting their product to market in a timely manner.”
Other initiatives in the strategy include:
- Support for the implementation of the North West Minerals Province strategic blueprint,
- the establishment of a Mount Isa inter-governmental coordination committee to reduce red tape and progress development,
- encouragement of publicly funded temporary co-investment support for Mount Isa Mines
- Appointment of a Infrastructure Coordinator to work more closely with mining companies
- Working with other governments to establish and lead the Tennant Creek to Townsville Economic Development Corridor initiative
- Attracting private investment to bring northern Australia gas to the east coast via the Mount Isa to Wallumbilla gas pipeline
- Council to lead the 2019 Developing Northern Australia Forum in Mount Isa
The strategy also supports planning for an International Mining Museum, partnering with James Cook University and TAFE institutions on Mount Isa METS (Mining School) expertise development program and the establishment of a Tennant Creek to Isa cross-border commission.