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Steering Committee for the Atherton Tablelands - terms of reference
Background
The Honourable Tim Mulherin, MP, Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Rural and Regional Queensland announced a fresh approach to growing Queensland's primary industries in a speech to a Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) forum in Townsville on 24 June 2008.
The Fresh Approach Initiative refocuses the way Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries (QPIF), part of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (formerly the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries), works to achieve the vision of a $34 billion industry by 2020 - almost three-times today's value.
The Fresh Approach is based around three pillars:
- building skills for our future
- delivering innovative research partnerships to grow investment
- networking and modernising services.
The Minister used his CEDA address to outline his vision for the Atherton Tablelands. Central to plans is to have one purpose-built facility on the Tablelands, which capitalises on the uniqueness of the Tablelands and its potential for economic growth and potential opportunities such as molecular bio-pharming, value added food products and tropical products.
The facility would replace the Australian Agricultural College Corporation's (AACC) Mareeba campus and the ageing facilities of Kairi, Walkamin and Southedge. To this end, the Minister has committed to an independent review to assess a location for a purpose-built facility and its functionality. This review will include detailed consultation with staff, industry and the community. As the Minister stated in his address to CEDA, the facility on the Tablelands could be at a new or one of the above existing sites.
Role of the steering committee
The role of the steering committee is to:
- ensure effective and inclusive consultation processes are established to maximise industry engagement at a regional level
- report back issues of concern raised by regional constituents
- identify any potential opportunities for future partnerships and investment
- provide input into and oversee the independent review on the site selection for a purpose-built facility on the Tablelands
- provide strategic advice on potential locations for one facility on the Atherton Tablelands to the Tablelands independent review consultancy team.
Membership
The steering committee will be chaired by QPIF's Associate Director-General and comprise members from industry, research and development (R&D) providers and financial institutions.
Meetings
The steering committee will meet at least three times over the duration of the Tablelands review. Committee members will be provided with an agenda prior to each meeting. Committee members will also be provided with minutes of proceedings and decisions of each meeting as soon as practicable after each meeting.
Secretariat support will be provided by QPIF.
Timeframe
The consultancy will begin on 18 August 2008 and will provide a final report by end of September.
