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Townsville 2.0 – Why North Queensland is on the rise

The shape of Townsville as a city is changing. We talked to some of Townsville’s key business owners to look at where our city’s heading.

“This is a region that is on the cusp of some phenomenally exciting things and I think that the city you see today will not be the city that you see in three to five years time,” says Patricia O’Callaghan, Townsville Enterprise CEO.

It’s not just Patricia – or Townsville Enterprise – who have faith that our great city is on the rise either.

“We’re moving into a period where Townsville is going to have the luxury of a number of large ticket projects that are not only big for Townsville but might actually shine the light on Townsville nationally and perhaps internationally,” says Patrick Brady from UDP Group.

“Townsville will just continue to grow and in fact, it will grow, I believe, faster than the rest of the nation.”

‘Construction is great’, I can hear you say, ‘but what about jobs?’

Well, on top of all the jobs that construction is bringing, it turns out that the job opportunities here also allow employees to move up the ladder far quicker than their big-city counterparts.

“The opportunities, particularly in my kind of professional circle, in working for a regional firm and a regional business, means you actually are able to shine,” says Moya Steele from Macdonnells Law. “I see Townsville in a very strong position, and the opportunities here are huge. Look at the investment that is now being pushed into Townsville by all levels of state government. Those things are key indicators of growth.” she adds proudly.

That’s the thing: Townsville is growing and so is the support for positive, local projects. It’s now up to us to support those growth makers and changers so that we can see our city flourish.

“The region as a whole is growing in a dynamic way,” Frank Dallmeyer from Tropical Energy Solutions says.

“If you feel that places like Melbourne of Sydney are too stagnant and are not moving forward at the pace you want, come to Townsville, because this is where the action is.”

There’s still going to be people who would be more than happy to stamp their feet about water, without realising that both it and all our major issues will get fixed. But while you’re doing that, kindly step to the side – because our leaders are ready to march and make Townsville 2.0 an era to remember.

Originally published by BD Mag.