South East Queensland South

The South East Queensland South (SEQ South) region comprises the local government areas of Gold Coast, Logan and Redland City Councils.

The regional economy has a diversified industrial structure with employment opportunities and economic activity driven across several industries, including knowledge-based and services-based sectors such as advanced manufacturing, health and medical, education, retail and transport, as well as traditional drivers such as construction and tourism.

We support all industries; however, we maintain a strong focus on priority industry sectors and roadmaps relating to:

• advanced manufacturing (including food processing)
• aerospace
• biofutures
• biomedical
• defence
• mining equipment, technology and services (METS)

Gold Coast

Population

606,774 (June 2018) – projected to increase to 870,425 by 2036.

Employment

Labour force 348,925 (unemployment rate 4.7% March 2019)

Strengths

• direct international air access
• three world-class universities
• strategically located of the edge of the Asia-Pacific Rim
• established and diverse local supply chains
• innovative culture
• diverse economy
• welcoming more than 13 million visitors each year
• robust economy valued at $31.3 billion
• home to Village Roadshow studios
• diverse student community and highly skilled workforce

Main industries

• education
• film
• health and medical
• manufacturing
• information communication technology (ICT)
• marine
• sport
• tourism
• construction

Key projects

Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct/ Lumina

A key priority for the region over the short-term is to sustain the momentum for increased economic activity generated by the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. This event left a lasting legacy for business, industry, sporting and community groups in Queensland. This includes the transformation of the 2018 Commonwealth Games™ Athletes Village on a 29-hectare site, including seven hectares of parkland and over nine hectares of land which is now available for targeted commercial development as the next stage of growth in the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct. This $550 million residential and retail development provides the foundation for a vibrant community in which to live, work and learn. It is projected to inject $2.9 billion annually into the local economy and employ up to 26,000 people.

Griffith University's Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies Institute (ADaPT)

Griffith University’s new $80 million institute will be a flagship innovation facility for the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct, translating university research and technology, together with world-leading industry partners and collaborators, at the cutting-edge of additive manufacturing and new personalised medicine technology.

ADaPT will merge the university’s expertise in micro and nano-technology, new materials, biomechanical and biomedical engineering, big data and artificial/augmented intelligence, complex medical imaging and 3D printing design and technology, with the innovation of partner companies to engineer next-generation medical and industrial applications.

Logan

Population

326,615 (June 2018) – projected to increase to 500,881 by 2036.

Employment

Labour force 162,296 (unemployment rate 7.5% March 2019)

Strengths

• easy access to major motorways and rail corridors
• 69 unique suburbs
• diverse skilled workforce
• affordable housing and land
• 1.4 million visitors to the city annually
• access to two international airports and Port of Brisbane
• Logan City’s gross regional product (GRP) was $11.768 billion (June 2018)
• source: Logan Office of Economic Development

Main industries

• construction
• education
• health care and social assistance
• manufacturing
• professional services
• retail

High-level projects

Meadow precinct

The Meadowbrook Master Plan was endorsed by Council on 6 December 2016 and describes how Council and a range of stakeholders propose to create a place focused on health, education and wellbeing. At the Meadowbrook Summit held in September 2018, 160 summit participants, including representatives from the health, education and investment sectors, supported the vision to progress Meadowbrook as the City of Logan's premier destination for healthcare investment and advanced education, and identified 22 actions and 40 initiatives that will help Meadowbrook become Logan's place for health, wellbeing and community, and develop into a true health and knowledge precinct.

Redland

Population

156,863 (June 2018) – projected to increase to 185,631 by 2036.

Employment

Labour force 88,672 (unemployment rate 5.8% March 2019).

Strengths

• access to two international airports and Port of Brisbane
• gateway to Moreton Bay and the Bay islands
• Redland City’s GRP represents around 1.6 per cent of Queensland’s Gross State Product
• Redland City has a number of world-class educational facilities
• a multi-purpose health hub is also proposed for the Southern Redlands

Main industries

• construction
• education and training
• health care and social assistance
• manufacturing
• retail
• rural enterprises
• tourism (accommodation and food services)

High-level projects

Pilot hydrogen plan

A $7.5 million pilot hydrogen plant research project is being set up at the Queensland State Government’s Redlands Research Centre. Hydrogen is a clean, renewable fuel that can be used in transport, power supply and a range of industrial processes. The pilot plant aims to demonstrate different technologies for renewable energy and will help determine the viability of establishing hybrid renewable energy plants to generate hydrogen for export and local use. Professor Ian Mackinnon, from Queensland University of Technology, is leading the project with the aim that the success of the pilot hydrogen plant would open the door for the commercial development of hydrogen-generating plants throughout regional Australia.