By the year 2036, the Rockhampton Regional Council estimates that its population catchment will top 113,000 – from a current base of 85,067. This is expected to push current infrastructure to its limits meaning that the state government and local councils will need to work hard to ensure there are adequate community facilities.
Planning for such population increases start now with Queensland government announcing new funding to address this earlier this month. According to the announcement, an 80 hectare section of the current CQUniversity (CQU) campus will be transformed into a $140 million urban village.
Encompassing a mix of everything from residential and retail to community and recreational areas, the construction will create close to 500 construction opportunities over the coming years.
“With more than 2,000 dwellings expected to be delivered as part of the venture to transform the Priority Development Area into a vibrant urban community which integrates the university with residential, educational, retail and community facilities, this area will become part of the Rockhampton landscape,” Minister for Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning Jackie Trad explained.
“This development will activate a large parcel of development-ready land in Rockhampton ripe for growth, with social benefits for the community and retail precincts.”
Highlighting Rockhampton’s potential
As Queensland’s eighth-largest urban centre, Rockhampton is expected to see considerable growth over the coming years – not only in population, but construction activity as well.
State Member for Rockhampton Bill Byrne explained that the CQU project is the first step in raising the city’s profile.
“This is an exciting announcement for Rockhampton and will pave the way for new jobs and development opportunities for our local residents.”
Funding for private sector projects
As part of this stimulus, The Morning Bulletin reported that the Rockhampton Regional Council will allocate funding for further building and construction project.
“The measures that we announced today are designed to support local jobs and to target areas where we can readily push money out into the community,” Mayor Margaret Strelow said in a November 10 article.
“We have also decided to extend the Infrastructure Charges Concessions for a further twelve months in recognition of the current economic conditions.”
With Rockhampton’s construction credentials set to soar in the coming years, it seems like this could be the place to start an apprenticeship or traineeship.
By Leanne Macnamara, Public Relations Coordinator
