Page 25 - Tropic Magazine Issue 29

TROPIC • BUSINESS

Cautious

optimism

TROPIC’S TOP THREE REASONS
ECONOMIC UPDATE
FOR OPTIMISM
As the dust settles on the end of DOMESTIC TOURISM RECOVERY
JobKeeper payments, there’s still 1 Australian tourism to regional
plenty to be optimistic about Queensland increased by 79 per cent
when it comes to the Tropical last year – and that was with interstate
borders closed most of the time! The
North Queensland economy. Federal Government’s latest tourism
and aviation stimulus, in the form of
Words: Renee Cluff subsidised flights, has already led to
Qantas adding 21 new services from
Before the COVID-19 Federal Sydney and Melbourne to Cairns
Government support scheme ended each week and Virgin is expected to
in March, CONUS Quarterly’s figures follow suit. 3 SUGAR PRICES UP
showed the trend unemployment rate in Queensland’s sugar industry has
Cairns was 5.4 per cent, with an estimated 2 CONSTRUCTION BOOMING emerged with a bang from a period
15,000 people still on JobKeeper. Building approvals were at 13-year of low prices caused by a global
Community leaders are watching closely highs late last year and the upshot is oversupply of the sweet stuff. The
to find out how the employment rate that the construction sector is now flat price for raw sugar has climbed 42 per
changes but as Tropic has discovered, out. While the latest figures suggest the cent on last year’s lull, and analysts
there are some positive indicators for the approvals boom has slowed, years of think it will remain buoyant for a little
region’s economic future. construction work have been secured. while yet.

Made in Cairns

LOCAL MANUFACTURING
Last year’s focus on locally made products seems to have waned,
so Tropic is now shining the spotlight on local companies that make
stuff. First up is globally renowned Freedom Prosthetics.

About five years ago, amputee Neil modification of sporting equipment for
Greening set out to improve the lives athletes, but we get equally excited when
of other people who’ve lost limbs. He we see our client achieve basic mobility
brought in senior prosthetist Jeremiah goals like being able to go shopping,” said
Vella, who not only had the required Mr Vella. “We have invested in the latest
degree, but also a background as a bicycle manufacturing systems which aren’t
mechanic and nurse. The pair provide readily available in most of Australia’s big
a holistic approach, treating clients for cities, and we’ve explored new materials
limb loss while taking into account other and techniques. We feel like shifting our
factors of their well-being. manufacture to a bigger city would only
This, and the state-of-the-art, highly impact our FNQ way of life and slow the
customised prosthetics they create, have service delivery to our clients.”
clients seeking them out from across
the world. “Our favourite cases involve MORE: freedomprosthetics.com

25 • tropicnow.com.au