On Wednesday Council participated in a Hinkler Regional Deal webinar to update the community on the progress of the deal.
The Webinar, hosted by Scott Rowe, Director of Regional Development for Regional Development Australia Wide Bay Burnett, included updates by the Australian Government, CQUniversity, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Fraser Coast Hospice Association.
Bundaberg Regional Council Mayor Jack Dempsey, along with the Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories the Hon Nola Marino MP, Local Federal Member the Hon Keith Pitt and Fraser Coast Regional Council Mayor George Seymour also gave updates on the Deal.
Council’s Executive Director Strategic Projects & Economic Development, Ben Artup, provided an update on the Bundaberg Ag-tech hub.
“We have now successfully attracted our first two ag-tech related tenants to the hub and hope to attract further over the coming months,” Ben explained.
“It was the Hinkler Deal funding of $5 million toward the Ag-hub initiative that inspired the Council to repurpose its old admin building to house the Ag-tech hub.”
However he stressed it’s not just about a building.
“It’s about getting the best minds, research and technology partners working together to solve problems.”
Professor Phil Brown from CQUniversity also provided an update during the Hinkler Regional Deal webinar on the Ag-tech initiative.
“The Hinkler Ag-tech initiative will help attract ag tech companies to the region and support the take up of tech by agricultural producers,” Professor Brown said.
“The project will have three parts, including an implementation program, data collection initiative and an online learning component where all activities with local businesses will be outlined.
“We aim to increase the adoption of ag-tech across local agricultural businesses.”
During the Hinkler Regional Deal webinar Ben also discussed local opportunities for the conveyor infrastructure project and outer harbour feasibility study being funded under the deal.
“While this project is being led and delivered by Gladstone Ports Corporation, we hope it will be the start of further infrastructure investment at the Port over coming years,” Ben said.
“The outer harbour feasibility will look at the vision to one day establish an outer harbour.
“Outer harbours can be multi-billion dollar pieces of infrastructure that generally become viable with consistently large volumes of minerals or other commodities such as coal, gas and maybe one day hydrogen.
“With the feasibility working out how ideas like this by Gladstone Ports Corporation may work in our region”.
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