Mackay could soon be the new location of a thriving biofutures industry thanks to government plans to create a new hub for producing sustainable plant-based resources in the region.
With growing global demand for cleaner fuels, this industry is booming as it assists the aviation, maritime and heavy vehicle sectors to decarbonise and transition to more sustainable fuel sources.
If plans go ahead, Mackay will become one of 13 SDAs (State Development Area) with other locations including Cairns, Townsville, Abbot Point, Gladstone and Bundaberg.
“Now more than ever, consumers, governments, shareholders, corporations and their supply chains are looking for solutions to reduce carbon footprints and ensure they can participate in decarbonised markets,” said Deputy Premier Steven Miles MP.
“Queensland has delivered Australia’s first sustainable aviation fuel, first containerised shipping and renewable diesel trials and we’re continuing to build our local biofuel market by working with the aviation, construction, maritime and transport sectors.”
Touted as the industry that brings the old and the new together, many innovations are refining traditional practices to create new products.
An example of this is using the biproducts of cane farming to create a new resource.
Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbery, said that a Mackay State Development Area would transform the region into a space where businesses could be brought together to form value chains in industries like biomanufacturing and bioenergy.
“These are the industries that could utilise our wonderful locally sourced, plant-based organic materials to make everything from fermented foods to aviation fuel,” she said.
“An SDA could be the key to unlocking future opportunities and creating good jobs in exciting new industries while protecting existing jobs in traditional industries like sugar.”
To kickstart the project, a Queensland Government project team has been formed to investigate whether a suitable site in the region could be declared as a State Development Area (SDA).
The project team will be led by Queensland’s Coordinator-General and will consider the potential for a site for what would become Queensland’s newest SDA.
It’s possible a decision about an SDA could be made late in 2023 and work on a development scheme for an SDA could begin in 2024.
Mackay could be a biofutures hub thanks to new government plans
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