Unlocking the area’s potential was the focus as Bowen hosted the Crisafulli Government’s third Regional Forum.

Member for Burdekin, Dale Last MP, said the business, community, civic and government leaders who attended were left with no doubt as to the importance of their role in shaping the future.

“The forum kicked off with students from Bowen State High School outlining what they want to see and how making the right decisions now will help future generations,” Mr Last said. “Each and every student shared their passion and their dreams, and it definitely put attendees in the right frame of mind.”

“These regional forums are about making sure people in regional Queensland have a genuine say in the decisions that affect their future. Both the formal and informal parts of the forum gave attendees direct access to decision makers and provided a great opportunity to form connections that will be invaluable moving forward.”

“If you look at the State Development Area at Abbot Point, for example, there is a huge amount of potential from both an industry and an employment perspective. The Coordinator-General, who is directly responsible for those State Development Areas, was on hand to not only provide an insight into the future of the area, but also to speak directly with locals who will benefit from the projects undertaken in that area.”

“We also heard directly from the Director-General of the Department of Transport and Main Roads on both the Bruce Highway and the Bowen Boat Harbour Master Plan. Both the upgrades to the Bruce Highway and the Master Plan of the harbour offer immense opportunities in areas like transporting produce, ensuring access to services and also from a tourism point of view.”

Mr Last said that while the focus of the forum was the future, the government was also acutely aware of the challenges that Bowen faced.

“Right now, housing availability is one of the biggest challenges in Bowen and it’s a challenge that was raised during the forum,” he said. “You can’t drive investment and create jobs if there is nowhere for people to live.”

“We have invested over $30 Million in the Bowen area to help unlock housing because we recognise both the challenges and the potential benefits. It’s the complete opposite of the last 10 years, where people have flown in, told the community what to do and then left without making a meaningful contribution.”

“The best way to help regions grown and realise their potential is to listen and to work cooperatively. That is exactly what we are doing through these forums and through our investment in the Bowen area.”

“Unlocking potential is about providing benefits throughout the community and that is exactly what we are focusing on.”