Page 24 - Tropic Magazine Issue 10

Tropic
Feature

32

28 Macro-economic

Multi-million-dollar trends are positive
renovation of CoCA As a regional city, Cairns will always
be at the mercy of macro-economic
Our city’s reputation as an arts and trends, from the Aussie dollar and
culture hub will be further boosted when 30 interest rates to global events and
a $3.5 million makeover of the Centre of geo-political incidents. Thankfully,
Contemporary Arts on Abbott St is On-site student most economists predict a positive
completed by year’s end. Plans include a year ahead. In a recent assessment,
stunning new façade, more work spaces accommodation at JCU the Queensland Investment
for creatives and a new Kick Arts shop. Corporation noted: “We expect 2018
We just hope the famous jelly baby This year will finally see James Cook to be a positive year for the
sculptures out the front stay put. University welcome its first on-campus Australian economy, with growth
residents at its Smithfield base. Stage one reaching a trend-like pace of 2.7 per
of the new on-campus accommodation cent following a sub-trend year of 2.4
will be home to 300 students, with plans per cent growth in 2017.”
to expand the capacity to 1,000 in the
33
future.

Northern Australia
gets funding

Despite being based in Cairns for
over 18 months, the Federal
29 Government’s Northern Australia
Infrastructure Facility has only
concessional loan – and it’s in
Reef To Reef mountain recommended one project for a
Western Australia. On the plus side,
bike event NAIF is currently assessing five
potential Queensland projects
seeking loans. But there’s no hint yet
Events-based tourism continues to grow that any of them are based in the
in TNQ, with another major sporting Tropical North.
spectacle added to the annual line-up. The
very first Reef To Reef event will be a
multistage mountain bike race taking 34
riders from Smithfield to Port Douglas 31
via the Davies Creek mountain bike park
and Mt Molloy. Hundreds of riders and CQUni to launch new Remember Frank
their supporters will descend on our city flight school Gelber’s prediction
in August.

The vibrant crew at CQUniversity One of the most-read articles ever
continue their expansion in Cairns with published on TropicNow.com.au is
plans to launch new aviation courses titled “Will Cairns boom in five
including airline pilot education and years?”, based on the predictions of
training. In partnership with Hinterland renowned economist Frank Gelber.
Aviation, the flight school will be based at Back in 2016, Mr Gelber said Cairns
Cairns Airport in another important step would be a “boom town” in 2020.
down the path of economic Keep in mind his prediction was
diversification beyond the main game of made before the arrival of the
tourism. massive investment by the
Crystalbrook Collection. As we enter
the third year of Mr Gelber’s five-year
prediction, it appears his optimistic
view is proving to be prescient.