Generating opportunities out of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan will be on the agenda in Gympie tomorrow, as members gather for a fourth and final Wide Bay-Burnett-Fraser Coast Regional Community Forum for 2022.
The latest Wide Bay-Burnett-Fraser Coast Regional Community Forum will include presentations on the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan and the Borumba Dam Pumped Hydro Project, as well as updates from the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning, and the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water.
A site visit to the Mary Valley Rattler is also planned, showcasing a contemporary tourism attraction and an iconic piece of heritage.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Minister for Women and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Shannon Fentiman and Minister for Children and Youth Justice and Minister for Multicultural Affairs Leanne Linard will attend tomorrow's forum in Gympie.
Member for Hervey Bay Adrian Tantari will chair the Forum, with Member for Maryborough, Bruce Saunders also attending.
Mr Tantari said the agenda would allow Forum members to review the region's new action plan and set targets for 2023.
"Over the past year, Forum members have settled on new priorities for the region – including regional livability, workforce attraction and retention, and housing access and affordability," he said.
"At the fourth Forum, members will have an opportunity to reflect on their work to date and identify short and long-term actions heading into the new year," he said.
Following the release of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, Minister Fentiman said Forum members had shown great interest in renewable energy opportunities across the region.
"With the highest levels of rooftop solar anywhere in Australia, the Wide Bay-Burnett-Fraser Coast has readily embraced a renewable future," Minister Fentiman said.
Minister Linard said more than $350 million had been invested in renewable energy projects in the region since 2015, with a further $800 million already committed.
"From wind farms to hydrogen and pumped hydro, the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan details the diverse and expanded role this region will play in transforming our state's energy sector," she said.
Alongside the creation of an action plan for the region, Mr Saunders said Forum members had supported local education, and the broader community's journey toward reconciliation.
"In 2022, Regional Community Forum members commenced the development of a new tertiary sector toolkit to enhance conversations between regional universities and industry – supporting skills and employment across the region," Mr Saunders said.
"And in the same year, the Queensland Government took the next steps on the Path to Treaty, with Forum members demonstrating their support for the establishment of a Butchulla monument."
The Wide Bay Burnett Fraser Coast Regional Community Forum is one of seven to be held in regional centres across Queensland tomorrow, with other Forums set for Western Queensland, Far North Queensland, Central Queensland, North-North West Queensland, Darling Downs South West and the Mackay Isaac Whitsunday region.
