Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

Partnership Supporting Regional Transformation

With the future economic prosperity of the Greater Whitsunday region the focus, Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) and BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) have launched the next phase of its strategic partnership: the Transformation Region Project.

Following on from an initial partnership of three years, focused on the future of work and enhancing our supply chains in the region, the Transformation Region Project is a five-year strategic partnership to support GW3’s regional communication and advocacy capacity and to continue to drive economic growth across the Greater Whitsunday region.

Greater Whitsunday Alliance Chief Executive Officer Kylie Porter said the partnership was focused on preparing the region for the increasing impacts of technology and diversification opportunities for the region’s industries and workforces.

“It’s a five-year program designed to think about what our region can be in the future and actually lay the foundations and start the work around thinking about all the things that we need to do as a region collectively to achieve that future,” she said.

“The key projects we will be delivering as part of the BMA partnership include focusing on regional workforce development activities; increasing the adoption of technology to drive increased efficiency and productivity across a range of local industries; leveraging regional water assets to value add and create new industry and jobs and support the region make value decisions based on evidence, research and analysis.

“Our focus is really about what the next 10, 20, 30 years look like in terms of our workforces and making sure that our people have opportunities, have a pipeline of jobs, but also have access to skills development and training to make sure that they can stay here in the region.

“We know that this work will have a direct and positive impact on our regional community, and we are very excited to be a part of such an innovative, long-term partnership.”

BMA’s Head of Technology Fernando De Mattos said the partnership with GW3 was critical in bringing key stakeholders together to address the challenges we all face, such as building economic resilience, supporting skills required for the jobs of the future, and working together to tackle global issues such as climate change.

“Queensland has the world’s best metallurgical coal which is needed to make steel.

“However, we need government policy that is both competitive and predictable to make new investments in Queensland.

“Partnerships like this help build a region which is strong and sustainable for the future.”

Ms Porter said the launch of the Greater Whitsunday Regional Digital Roadmap was a tangible example of the vital work the partnership was delivering.

“There is no simple, or easy ‘quick fix’ to improving digital infrastructure, and the roadmap identifies that collaboration between government, industry and community will be critical moving forward.”

Greater Whitsunday Alliance Chief Executive Officer Kylie Porter and BMA Head of Technology Fernando De Mattos

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