Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia

Conference Location 2010

Townsville, Queensland

Townsville is Australia’s largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast with a population of 180 000 and a 5% growth rate. Popular attractions include The Strand, a long tropical beach and garden strip; Riverway, a riverfront parkland attraction located on the banks of Ross River; Reef HQ, a large tropical aquarium holding many of the Great Barrier Reef’s native flora and fauna; the Museum of Tropical Queensland, built around a display of relics from the sunken British warship HMS Pandora; and Magnetic Island, a large neighbouring island, the vast majority of which is national park.

History
Townsville developed out of a need for a seaport north of the Burdekin River for the nascent inland cattle industry.  In 1866, Robert Towns visited for three days, his first and only visit.  He agreed to provide ongoing financial assistance to the new settlement and Townsville was named in his honour.

Townsville developed rapidly as the major port and service centre for the goldfields in areas including Charters Towers.

In 1896, Japan established its first Australian consulate in Townsville, primarily to serve the 4000 Japanese workers who migrated to work in the sugar cane, turtle and pearling industries.

During World War II, the city was host to over 50 000 American and Australian troops and air crew and it became a major staging point for battles in the South West Pacific.  Defence forces continue to have an important role in Townsville, as the deployment point for a majority of strategic military activities and as home to the largest Defence facility in Australia.

Economy
The Townsville Regional Economy is widely credited as being the most diverse of its kind in Australia. Tourism has of late helped in the city’s expansion, though its traditional role is an industrial port for exporting minerals from Mount Isa and Cloncurry, beef and wool from the western plains, as well as sugar and timber from the coastal regions.  Townsville is the only city globally to refine three different base metals – Zinc, Copper and Nickel and it is currently in strong contention for an aluminium refinery.

Townsville is also the home to several key research and teaching organisations – Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Australian Institute of Marine Science, CSIRO and James Cook University. James Cook, the first University in North Queensland, has a strong and internationally recognised expertise in marine and tropical biology.  The JCU Medical School is linked with the adjacent tertiary-level Townsville Hospital.  The University is currently constructing a billion dollar expansion, aimed at completely redeveloping the University campuses, facilities and attracting more students to JCU and Townsville.

Demographics
Townsville traditionally experienced a high turnover of people, with the army base and government services bringing in many short or medium term workers. However, this has changed in recent times, with people now choosing to remain in Townsville beyond their postings. Major improvements to the lifestyle infrastructure over the past 10 years, including the spectacular Riverway and award winning Strand and a redeveloped Mall area, have led to a higher living standard and supported the population boom. By 2031, the population is expected to reach approximately 300,000 which gives rise to a range of challenges for the city to manage this growth.

For more ideas on how to maximise your Townsvile experience please visit Townsville Enterprise.