Category Archives: Townsville

Top 10 posts from the first 1,000

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Yesterday I posted my 1,000th post, and below are links to the most clicked from the first 1,000. Having grown up in Townsville, and knowing the intense debate the issue causes up North, it didn’t surprise me that a post … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Climate change, Labour market, Townsville | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The problem with economic development agencies such as Townsville Enterprise & Brisbane Marketing

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Gene Tunny

It can be very stressful to be responsible for outcomes over which you have very little control. This is the predicament faced by economic development agencies such as Townsville Enterprise and Brisbane Marketing. This predicament was highlighted by the sacking … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Townsville | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

High insurance costs likely to impede development of Northern Australia

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Since Cyclone Yasi, insurance premiums have soared in North Queensland as insurance companies have reassessed the risks of insuring properties in the region. Just how much premiums have increased is illustrated by some figures provided to the Joint Select Committee … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, North Queensland, Townsville | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Reality check for Townsville – no metropolis of 1 million before end of century

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Judging by recent articles in the Townsville Bulletin, Townsville appears obsessed with the idea it will grow to 1 million people from its current population of just under 200,000. The Townsville Bulletin reported yesterday (Townsville tipped to hit 1 million … Continue reading →

Posted in Townsville | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

North Qld struggling to recover – Cairns looking slightly better, but not Townsville yet

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Gene Tunny

North and Far North Queensland have had lacklustre economies in the years since the financial crisis, with Cairns especially having suffered from the combined impact of the tourism downturn and an over-supply of properties due to a pre-financial crisis construction … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Townsville | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

QCA should investigate V8 Supercars funding in industry assistance review

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The Townsville V8 Supercars event appears not to have delivered the huge visitor numbers and economic benefits that were once forecast by its organisers, given the announcement of a new joint marketing campaign with other V8 races. The Townsville Bulletin reports (V8 … Continue reading →

Posted in Gold Coast, Industry policy, Ipswich, Townsville | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Should Townsville port long-term lease earnings be earmarked for NQ?

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Gene Tunny

It would be poor public policy to earmark the earnings from the long-term leasing out of the Port of Townsville for investment in North Queensland, as desired by Townsville community leaders. The Townsville Bulletin reports today: A LONG-TERM lease on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Townsville, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Will laneway cafes revive Townsville CBD?

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Some Townsville business people appear excited by the prospect of laneway developments in Townsville CBD, which has struggled for years to compete as a retail centre against the big suburban shopping centres at Aitkenvale and Willows (see CBD set to … Continue reading →

Posted in Retail trade, Townsville | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

NQ and Mackay region builders the least optimistic

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Gene Tunny

I just noticed Master Builders Queensland released its latest survey of industry conditions last week. While it shows a positive outlook on average across all regions, the outlook is only just positive in the North Queensland and Mackay regions (see … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Mining, North Queensland, Townsville | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Top twenty largest cities and towns in Queensland by population

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Gene Tunny

I get quite a few hits on my blog from people searching for the populations of Queensland cities, particularly Townsville, given an old post of mine: Is Townsville or Cairns the capital of North Qld?. Hence I’ve decided to chart Queensland Treasury’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Population, Townsville | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments