Queenslanders working together

Queensland industries, small businesses, universities, community groups and not-for-profit organisations continued to work together in 2015–16.

Queenslanders led by example in achieving outcomes for their local communities. Examples of community collaboration that aligned to the goals of the Plan include:

Working with traditional owners:

• the Deadly Choices Brisbane Broncos Partnership between the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health and the Brisbane Broncos helped Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to make good health choices
• the North Queensland Cowboys' Dream, Believe, Achieve program, funded by the Queensland Government, providing local Indigenous Australians with training, work experience and employment opportunities in the hospitality industry
• NRL Cowboys House has been launched and is now under construction.  In 2017, NRL Cowboys House will accommodate up to 25 Indigenous students from remote areas of north Queensland while they attend high school in Townsville. It is planned to move to full capacity of 50 students by 2018
• Researchers from the University of Southern Queensland are working with Aboriginal groups in six regional communities supporting their development of cultural heritage enterprises and the South West Queensland Indigenous Cultural Trail

Promoting health and wellbeing:

• Cancer Council Queensland has launched a five year research partnership with the University of Southern Queensland to find ways to close the urban-regional gap in cancer survival in Queensland
• Queensland researchers are crowd-sourcing compounds in a world-first effort to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria
• A new facility for the Pensions, Advocacy and Welfare Services was opened by the Moreton District Pensions, Advocacy and Welfare Services group and Lowood RSL Sub Branch to be a central hub for volunteers to provide services

Helping Queensland’s students:

• Griffith University’s Kungullanji Indigenous Summer Research Program is offering new pathways to upskill undergraduate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and prepare them for PhD study, through their innovative research initiative

Collaborating in the regions:

• The University of Southern Queensland’s Institute for Resilient Regions has partnered with the Remote Area Planning and Development Board and the South West Regional Economic Development group of shires to develop future pathways programs for regional resilience and sustainable development in central western and south western Queensland
• CQUniversity Australia is partnering with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland, to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Emerald, Yeppoon, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Biloela and Bundaberg
• Researchers Professor Rocky de Nys and Dr Nicholas Paul at James Cook University in Townsville have been harnessing algae to clean waste water, create human and animals foods, and produce biofuels for potential use in aviation, mining and marine industries

Managing the environment:

• Queensland roboticists have developed the world’s first robot designed to seek out and control the deadly crown-of-thorns starfish, which are responsible for an estimated 40 per cent of the Great Barrier Reef’s total decline in coral cover