Transforming the economy of Australia’s third largest Council is an enormous undertaking, but it’s exactly the kind of challenge that attracted former trade commissioner Paul Martins to Moreton Bay Regional Council, Queensland.
As Chief Economic Development Officer (CEDO) he will drive the implementation of Council’s new Regional Economic Development Strategy (REDS).
Mayor, Peter Flannery said Council had been working on a host of economic initiatives to boost the region through COVID-19 and Mr Martins was the vital piece to guide that change.
“Ever since I stepped into office this year, economic stability and recovery has been my number one priority.
“We are investing into our new economic development team now, so that residents will reap the rewards well into the future as we come out of COVID-19.
“Part of that is hiring 10 new staff to fill roles, including new industry and investment leads to help support industry and attract investors to our region.
“Our economic strategy has been designed to diversify and evolve the local economy, with the aim of more than doubling it to $40 billion, supporting 16,000 new businesses and creating 100,000 new jobs by 2041.
“We want to be the easiest council in Queensland to do business with, and we want to help both our existing businesses and new ones tap into national and
international supply chains.
“While COVID-19 has created a lot of business difficulties, it has also seen several of our advanced manufacturing businesses at record levels and the opportunity for growth remains strong.
“The new economic strategy is just the tip of the economic iceberg that Mr Martins has to work with, with a number of region-shaping projects on offer in the Moreton Bay Region.”
