20 April 2010

Welcome to RRD's Inside the Region for the 20th April 2010. Below you'll find links to this fortnight's articles. Click on the link to jump to the article.

Jump to article:

• From the Desk of the Chief Executive
• Lunch with Savanth Sebastian
• SEQ Daylight Savings Feedback
• Business is Booming Seminar
• CQUni Upgrade
• Networking Promotional Expo
• Essentials for Business Workshop Series

CommSec’s recent State of the States report which ranked the economic performance of the eight Australian states and territories has created considerable interest and discussion.

We must remember the economic league tables compared current activity levels with decade averages.

Some states such as Queensland and Western Australia have had faster growth rates due to historically faster population growth. While their economic performance may have continued to grow, it did not do so at the same rate as other states which had traditionally lesser growth rates.

We must also bear in mind the powerhouse performance put in by the Australian economy as a whole. Many other developed countries can only look at Australia with envy.  In comparison, all Australian states and territories are growing significantly. It’s a matter of which is growing fastest.

Queensland’s performance to fall from fifth to seventh in the State of the States report is unfamiliar territory, and there’s no doubt it shows the considerable impact of the global financial crisis on the state. There’s no doubt the GFC has had and continues to have impacts in Central Queensland. For example, retail activity continues to be patchy with some areas being surprisingly weak.

In the medium and longer term the resources sector should stand CQ in good stead.  Primary production is the other factor which we shouldn’t forget about. The widespread summer rains will add billions to Australia’s GDP.

Rick Palmer

Acting Chief Executive

Rockhampton Regional Development
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Lunch with Savanth Sebastian

The RRD and Commonwealth Bank’s Lunch with Savanth Sebastian was held last week with around forty people attending.

RRD would like to thank all those people who attended the event.

A copy of Savanth’s presentation from the lunch is available here.
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SEQ Daylight Savings Feedback

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has asked regional MPs to provide feedback on the government’s plan to introduce a SEQ trial for daylight savings.

Residents from Coolangatta to Cooktown are also invited to join the debate online through the Premier’s website.

The forum will be open until 31 May 2010 and can be accessed here.

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Business is Booming Seminar

ActionCOACH business coaches Ian Kayes, Don Butler and Donna Kayes are bringing the Business is Booming seminar to Rockhampton on Thursday 22 April.

Presented by international guest speaker, Master Coach and entrepreneur Bruce Doyle, the seminar is designed for business owners and leaders who are open to learning simple new techniques and tips to run their business and are passionate about improving their business.

Attendees will walk away with key winning strategies that they can implement in their businesses.

Registration is essential for this free business seminar. For more information about registering, click here.
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CQUni Upgrade

CQUniversity has announced plans to inject more than $20 million into the Rockhampton campus.

A new Engineering Precinct, new laboratories and renovations to the library and refectory are all included in the project.

The $6 million renovation of the Bruce Hiskins Library will double user capacity and expand collaborative learning spaces and quiet study areas.

The Rockhampton campus project is the beginning of a long-term investment and growth phase for CQUniversity.

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Networking Promotional Expo

The 2010 Networking Promotional Expo will be hosted by Juwarki Kapu-Lug on Tuesday 29 June.

Government departments, businesses and community groups are encouraged to attend to promote their services.

Mick Gooda, ATSI Social Justice Commissioner, will be one of the guest speakers for the evening.

For more information, click here.
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Essentials for Business Workshop Series

The Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation with the Corporate Business Centre are hosting a series of workshops to assist people in starting and operating their business.

The workshops will be held in Rockhampton and Yeppoon throughout April, May and June.

The topics covered range from defining your business and managing customer service to smart marketing and planning for success.

For more information, download a brochure.
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