New challenges and opportunities
The Plan was developed with an understanding of the impacts of global economic, environmental, social and cultural trends likely to affect the state over the next 30 years. The Plan identified the following global trends:
- Community profile
- Changes in demographics, including a growing and ageing population with an associated increased demand for public services such as health, education and infrastructure
- A new world economy
- Movement of the centre of the global economy from west to east, and north to south, with developing nations becoming major contributors of resources and innovation
- People becoming global citizens with increased mobility driving urbanisation and placing pressure on the environment, infrastructure, housing and employment
- Naturally Queensland
- Climate change, decreasing biodiversity, water and food scarcity and land degradation, as well as increasing demand for natural resources, driving a need for a global response for sustainable resource management
- Virtual reality
- Digital technology enabling exponential growth in the capture of data, increased connectivity, and advancements in artificial intelligence and automation; while also disrupting established industries and sectors.
Since 2014, ongoing challenges and emerging issues for Queensland have been identified. Some of the ongoing challenges we face include domestic and family violence, drought and its impact on families and local communities, youth unemployment (particularly in regional Queensland), the fluctuation in the resources sector and displacement of jobs, and risks to the Great Barrier Reef. During this time, Queenslanders have also supported each other through several natural disasters.
Emerging issues, such as increasing demand for technologies, the growth of the biofutures and renewable energy industries, the use of data and real-time analytics, and new ways of connecting, all present a range of opportunities for talented Queenslanders.
Under the Advance Queensland initiative, the Queensland Government has developed programs which seek to address emerging issues and harness opportunities from global trends. The government has committed a further $93 million over four years for the jobs and innovation initiative, lifting the total Advance Queensland package to more than $500 million. Advance Queensland is driving innovation across Queensland and positioning the state to take advantage of globalisation, digital transformation and new technologies.
In addition, the draft South East Queensland Regional Plan was prepared in 2016, with significant consultation occurring over 2016–17. A community attitudes survey conducted as part of this process noted that nearly 85% of South East Queensland residents ‘completely agreed’ with the survey statement ‘I really enjoy living in South East Queensland’. The draft North Queensland Regional Plan and formal public consultation is expected to be completed in the 2017–18 year.
Other plans and industry roadmaps developed in 2016–17 cover a range of areas including vocational education and training, transport, children and families, youth, trade and investment, biofutures, biomedicine, sustainability and health.
