Cairns Regional Council has adopted an Investment Attraction Policy which aims to promote the region as "a base for business opportunity", but benefits to the Douglas region remain unclear.

Acting Mayor Margaret Cochrane said the policy focuses on strategies to attract investment that would create new jobs and infrastructure.

“The policy includes provisions for financial incentives and other support to potential investors in the region.

“Economic diversification is vital to the future of the Cairns region, and that means attracting new industries and growing emerging ones."

READ THE POLICY HERE 

Council’s Economic Development and Innovation Manager, Fiona Wilson, said she had been dealing with numerous business enquiries in recent months.

“Many companies are looking at Cairns as a potential base or area for expansion,” Ms Wilson said.

When The Newsport asked Council who these companies are, media coordinator, Lea Guy, said "I can confirm that no companies can be named - any such discussions are confidential."

While some parts of the new policy mention efforts to increase investment in the Cairns region as a whole, other sections neglect to mention the region outside of the city of Cairns.

"In July 2011, Council endorsed the development of a policy to define Council’s role and scope to support and attract investment in Cairns," the policy background states.

Ms Guy added that, although the policy states new investment "provides significant net economic benefit to Cairns," the policy is relevant to the entire Cairns region.

"We encourage businesses to look at the region as a whole then offer support based on the specific needs of that business."

The Newsport has also posed the question to Council whether areas outside of Cairns who have an unhealthy reliance on just one industry should be top of the list for Council to promote to potential investors?

No response has been received at the time of reporting.

UPDATED Thu 8.55am

The following statement has been provided by Council in relation to the question posed as to whether areas outside of Cairns who have an unhealthy reliance on just one industry should be top of the list for Council to promote to potential investors?

The policy provides a framework to allow Council to help businesses meet their needs. It refers primarily to large companies investing significant capital (large scale construction, etc) and hiring large numbers of people (ie major call centres, etc).

Part of the support process would include helping to determine suitable locations, based on the business needs, such as land for development and proximity to existing infrastructure and services and balancing against any potential impact on the surrounding area (ie additional traffic, noise, etc).

The aim of the policy is to create flow-on effects that would benefit the entire region - "This policy is focussed on targeted investment support, whereby the nature and scale of the proposed investment will stimulate significant economic benefits and value-add to the wider regional economy beyond the growth of the business itself" (quoted from Police document under title 'Scope') 

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