Moreton Bay on fighting foot with a long-term COVID Recovery Plan
Published 02 September 2020
A whole-of-community action plan to help get the region back on track from the coronavirus pandemic has been unanimously endorsed by Council today.
Mayor Peter Flannery said the Moreton Bay Recovery Plan 2020-21 is a roadmap for the region to continue to respond and recover from the economic and social impacts of Covid-19.
“We’re being pragmatic in the face of this pandemic which means, at least in the short-term, we need to embrace a new kind of ‘normal’ and this plan has been devised with that in mind,” he said.
“We’ve developed a list of 163 actions derived from consultations undertaken with more than 480 businesses, industries, community groups, government agencies and non-government organisations, and feedback from the community.
“This extensive engagement means the Moreton Bay Recovery Plan 2020-21 doesn’t just consider financial recovery, it actually articulates how Council can respond to the human and social impacts of coronavirus and mitigate future risks to our broader economy.
“The good news is that the stimulus packages we rolled out immediately after the pandemic hit have helped, but now we need to turn our attention to the medium-term and longer-term actions needed to ensure we stay on track and then bounce back even stronger on the other side of coronavirus.
“That’s what this plan does.”
Immediate actions to be undertaken include:
- Reviewing Council fees and charges to support red tape reduction and make it easier to do business in Moreton Bay.
- Improving the efficiency of development applications assessments.
- Continuing Council’s free pre-lodgement advice service.
The Moreton Bay Recovery Plan 2020-21 identifies medium term initiatives to keep our region on track, like:
- Evaluating the success of the initial $32.9 million stimulus package and determine which actions should be continued.
- Creating an environment that promotes innovation and developing The Mill Precinct to create new technological opportunities.
- Continuing to support community organisations to rebuild their services, memberships, and volunteer base.
- Facilitating sharing of resources, knowledge and skills between community organisations.
In the longer-term the Recovery Plan recommends building community and business resilience by:
- Creating local jobs through a thriving economy, as well as facilitating business investment through promotional campaigns and incentive programs.
- Improve local food security and build sustainable local buy networks.
- Increase local access to education and training.
- Assist community groups to improve their organisational disaster resilience.
Mayor Flannery said he believed Council has a role to play in providing locals with some certainty through this uncertain time.
“That’s why we’ve already rolled out $32.9 million in coronavirus stimulus measures to provide rates rebates for residents experiencing financial distress, support local jobs by fast-tracking our capital works program, give local businesses more opportunities to tender for maintenance contracts, and refund food licenses for hundreds of local operators,” he said.
“That’s why our new Regional Economic Development Strategy sets the ambitious target of building a $40 billion economy with an additional 16,000 new businesses to support an additional 100,000 new jobs by 2041.
“That’s why we’ve established the independent MILLovate Board to focus on attracting new investment to ensure this enormous knowledge and innovation precinct is developed with longer-term strategies in mind, free from the four-year election cycles of Council.
“All of these actions are because my overriding concern right now remains supporting local jobs, which is why this year’s $220 million capital works budget was designed to support an estimated 3,000 direct and indirect jobs.
“Currently we’re advertising 16 positions at Council and we’ll be hiring 100 through this financial year across a range of skills including: engineering, asset maintenance, sport and recreation, planning and many more.
“I encourage everyone to get online and read the full report and also keep your eye on the careers section of our website for upcoming positions.
“I want locals to know that while times are tough, Moreton Bay is tougher and we’re doing everything in our power to put this region’s recovery on a fighting foot.”
For more information, please visit www.mbrc.qld.gov.au/covid-19