Six councils spanning one of Queensland’s most distinctive outback regions have launched a Future Economy Strategy: a practical, community-led plan to diversify local economies and manage change on their own terms.
Developed by the South West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (SWQROC) in partnership with economic development agency The Next Economy (TNE), the Strategy covers the Maranoa, Balonne, Murweh, Quilpie, Paroo and Bulloo local government areas – a vast region defined by deep community resilience, extreme weather events and a changing agriculture and gas sector.
The Strategy was shaped by more than 77 contributors – council staff, producers, First Nations organisations, local businesses and community members – and identifies seven opportunity areas tailored to how the South West Queensland economy actually works.
From converting waste to energy at the Roma saleyards, to green ammonia feasibility in Balonne to stabilise fertiliser costs, to the Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation for Health coordinating 33 visiting services for remote residents – the plan is grounded in what is already working and what communities say needs to come next.
“This region has capable communities that pride themselves on practical problem solving.” Simone Talbot, SWQROC Executive Officer, says. “Global changes such as geopolitics, weather extremes and the cost of living are prompting us to consider what does ‘transition’ mean for our region. Our vast distances mean we are at the very limits of energy infrastructure and are heavily reliant on road transport and so we need to think differently about future opportunities and how we participate in a future economy.”
The Strategy includes a tailored roadmap for each of the six councils, scaled to real staff and budget constraints. In Quilpie, that means exploring microgrids and back-freight opportunities to cut costs. In Murweh, it means expanding on tourism assets like the Cosmos Centre and WWII heritage sites. In Maranoa, it means managing the coexistence of wind, gas and agriculture through early community engagement on the Bottle Tree Energy Park.
“What struck us most was how much is already happening here,” says Saideh Kent, project lead at The Next Economy. “These communities are progressing local solutions that suit their context. Our job was to listen carefully about their experience of transition and change, connect the dots, and build a plan that reflects the unique assets of South West Queensland and reflects what the community actually wants and needs. Not what someone from outside thinks transition should look like.”
The publication of the Future Economy Strategy follows a significant milestone earlier this year, when a delegation of SWQROC mayors travelled to Canberra to present key messages directly to federal politicians and agencies. There, they made the case for coordinated investment in local solutions to housing, digital connectivity, freight infrastructure and workforce transition for fossil-fuel-exposed regions.
“We went to Canberra because we wanted decision-makers to hear directly from us, to understand our context and consider an approach to change that is appropriate to our economic, social and climatic environment,” Simone says, adding: “This region has always contributed to the national economy. Now we’re asking for support to back our own solutions so we can keep contributing into the future.”
Where to from here
SWQROC will now move into implementation, with councils progressing priority actions from their individual roadmaps while coordinating on regional challenges too large for any single council to tackle alone. This includes on waste recovery, energy advocacy, freight and logistics, housing and workforce initiatives.
The Strategy also sets out clear asks of industry, the Queensland Government and the Federal Government: from proactive planning for gas expansion and contraction and transparent local procurement, to rural grid upgrades, regional waste solutions, improved telecommunications and co-investment in worker housing.
“This region is already managing change and transition, adopting innovative approaches that build on their local strengths,” Saideh says. “This Strategy brings together and builds on this ingenuity looking at the opportunities to create a resilient future.”
The South West Queensland Future Economy Strategy is available here:
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