Western Downs State of the Region Address Delivered

Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) hosted a sold out Enterprise Evening in Dalby last Thursday, discussing the state of the region in the Western Downs to a crowd of business, industry, government and community leaders.

Held at the Dalby Leagues Club, TSBE CEO, Ali Davenport, said the state of the region address, presented by Western Downs Regional Council Mayor Paul McVeigh, discussed the future of the Western Downs and the exciting projects in the pipeline that capitalise on the elements of the region.

“The Western Downs is built on a strong sense of community pride and diverse economic opportunities which make the region a wonderful place to live, work, and visit,” said Ms Davenport.

“This growing and diverse economy has also led to brand new opportunities for the region.”

Mayor Paul McVeigh said the Western Downs was open for business and Council was excited about the opportunities ahead.

"There's enormous opportunity in our region, with ongoing strength in our economy's major industries, and new investment potential in other areas such as tourism," Cr McVeigh said.

"Our prime location, environmental conditions, and access to key transport networks all contribute to our ability to harness new investment and build economic growth.”

"We’re excited about the future of the Western Downs and the opportunities that lie ahead," Cr McVeigh said.

Guests also heard from Arrow Energy CEO, Cecile Wake, who spoke about the opportunities for businesses with regards to the Surat Gas Project.

“It was fantastic to hear from Ms Wake about Arrow Energy’s multi-billion dollar Surat Gas Project,” said Ms Davenport.

“The world-scale project will commercialise most of the Surat Basin gas reserves and will operate for over 27 years.”

“Arrow will commence construction of more than 600 phase one wells in 2020 and is on track to deliver first gas from the project in 2021,” said Ms Davenport.

TSBE also launched the Western Downs Development Status Report at the event.

“The Development Status Report identified $6.91 billion of development within the region at various stages, further demonstrating the confidence and opportunity that exists in the Western Downs,” said Ms Davenport.