Australia’s first City Deal continues to deliver for Townsville

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Press Release, Friday 21st February 2020

The Townsville City Deal continues to shape a bold new future for Townsville with significant progress on major infrastructure projects that create jobs and improve liveability, according to the third annual report on the Deal released today.

Federal Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said progress over the past 12 months on Australia’s first City Deal showed the power of the Deals to change the face of a city.

“Tailor-made to meet the needs of each location, City Deals harness the collective muscle of investment and resources from all three levels of government.” Minister Tudge said.

“This report shows the benefits of delivering real projects that employ local people and support the economy.”

Minister Tudge also noted the importance of the ongoing delivery of the City Deal throughout 2019 in helping local industry and enterprise to recover from the catastrophic North Queensland floods.

“The Townsville community has shown incredible leadership and resilience in recovering from the devastating effects of flooding in early 2019.”

The City Deal has played a critical supporting role through the economic stimulus delivered by the infrastructure projects currently underway as part of the Deal.

Projects such as the $195 million Haughton Pipeline Stage 2, which is fully funded by the Australian Government, will create almost 700 construction jobs, 30 new ongoing full-time positions, and increase agricultural output in the region by $3 million per year.

Queensland Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Jackie Trad said the City Deal had helped Townsville take significant strides towards a secure and prosperous economic future and making the city an attractive place to live, work and visit.

“The City Deal has secured full funding for game-changing infrastructure projects, such as the Port of Townsville Channel Upgrade, which will help to unlock the economic potential of Townsville as the largest city of North Queensland,” Deputy Premier Trad said.

“I’m also incredibly excited about the impending opening of the Queensland Country Bank Stadium, which has engaged almost 500 local businesses in the extended supply chain and employed more than 2000 people during construction, including a huge number of Townsville locals and Indigenous Australians.”

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill joined Minister Tudge and Deputy Premier Trad in acknowledging the success of the City Deal, particularly its focus on water security, as well as in attracting investment and economic activity to Townsville.

“The City Deal has now delivered full funding for both stages of the Haughton Pipeline, giving Townsville an uninterrupted water supply from the Burdekin River, which will secure the city’s water supply for decades to come,” Cr Hill said.

“The City Deal has also led to a range of flow-on projects in the city, attracting both government and private funding, such as the Townsville waterfront promenade upgrade, North Queensland Cowboys high performance centre, Flinders Lane development, and Doubletree by Hilton hotel.”

The Federal Member for Herbert said “the City Deal is a great example of all three levels of Government working together for the benefit of the community.”

“It’s imperative that the leaders of our community continue to work together to deliver the projects that our city and region so desperately need. Projects such as these not only deliver jobs but importantly deliver the critical infrastructure needed for our City’s future growth and prosperity,” Phillip Thompson said.

The Townsville City Deal – signed in 2016 – is a 15-year agreement to transform the city’s economy and central business district, and the Australian Government, Queensland Government and Townsville City Council will continue to work together to deliver the commitments in the Deal.

The findings of a formal review of the first three years of the Deal, as originally committed at the signing of the Deal, will be released later in 2020.

The Annual Progress Report is available at: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/cities/city-deals/townsville/

© Copyright, Commonwealth of Australia

Press Release, Friday 21st February 2020

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