Call for input into State plans

Southern Downs Regional Council is calling for input into two important State strategies to ensure the Southern Downs’ needs are represented.
The council’s economic develop-ment officer, John Randall, is preparing a submission in response to the State Government’s Queensland Regionalisation Strategy.
This will look at potential strategies for driving investment and development in Queensland’s regional areas, taking growth pressures off South-East Queensland, and ensuring all regions prosper from growth and are great places to live, work, and visit.
The draft strategy can be read at waytogrow.qld.gov.au/queensland-regionalisation-strategy
Residents are invited to make submissions directly to the Queensland Government by tomorrow.
Southern Downs community members are also encouraged to make submissions to the State Government’s Queensland Infrastructure Plan (QIP) by tomorrow.
As it currently stands, there are no major infrastructure project priorities planned for the Southern Downs region.
Cr Vic Pennisi said this was unacceptable.
“I am concerned that there is no focus in the QIP on much needed water infrastructure projects like Emu Swamp Dam or a Warwick Bypass in this region,” Cr Pennisi said.
“I think it’s very important that we at least identify future road or rail corridors so that local governments can appropriately adjust their town planning schemes to allow for that long-term vision to occur,” he said.
“I encourage people to have a look at the QIP and make a submission if they feel passionate about it – it’s absolutely necessary that every region has some input.”
The QIP will replace and build on the previous South-East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program (SEQIPP) and the Far-North Queensland Infrastructure Plan (FNQIP) to provide a plan which covers the whole of Queensland.
The QIP can be viewed at waytogrow.qld.gov.au/qld-infrastructure-plan.