New enterprise launched aiming to boost regional economy
AN INDEPENDENT and member-driven economic development organisation has been established to represent and support growth throughout industry across the Surat Basin.
The Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise was formally registered in January and officially launched by Premier Campbell Newman at Parliament House in September last month.
It covers the three local government areas of Maranoa Regional Council, Western Downs Regional Council and Toowoomba Regional Council with an estimated population of close to 200,000 residents.
Chief executive officer Shane Charles said the purpose of the enterprise was to act as the go-to organisation linking business with opportunity to provide sustainable growth and diversity for the region.
"The Surat Basin region is known for its thriving agriculture, manufacturing and energy industries and offers plentiful business opportunities, as well as being a great place to live and raise a family," Mr Charles said.
"(The enterprise) has hit the ground running, with a number of strategic tasks already on the go including advocating the Western Freight Corridor (Range Bypass) project, the development of relevant marketing collateral for the region, the Food in the Resource Sector project, investment attraction and facilitating the growth of small business within the region."
He said the focus of the organisation was based upon five strategic themes, including to identify and influence industries to the region, to encourage business proponents to invest in local communities, to identify key infrastructure blockages and assist in facilitating solutions, to provide an information centre for the region and to encourage the availability of skilled labour resources within the region.
For more information, visit tsbe.com.au
