Economic Development in Tropical Queensland & Net Zero
A Review of Challenges & Opportunities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25120/jre.4.2.2024.4151Keywords:
Regional development, Growth centre theory, Economic structure, Decentralised development, Southern Australia, Tropical northern AustraliaAbstract
The Paper reviews the realities of the economy of the Tropical Queensland region and the pathways to achieving further economic development. It identifies the need to continue developing industries based on the region’s mineral and biological resources and locational advantages that earn income from outside the region while pursuing opportunities to develop higher order manufacturing and services as population and the economy grows to replace goods and services currently imported into the area.
Satellite mapping of carbon absorption as indicated by plant growth indicates that tropical Australia’s absorption is roughly equivalent to southern Australia. But with only 5% of Australia’s population living in the area, CO2 emissions generated in the area will be very much lower.
However, the Paper provides evidence that the structure of the economy of the Tropical Queensland region results in it being very energy dependent on a per capita basis and the overwhelming majority of the energy consumed is currently from fossil fuels. On top of this, the economies of the Mackay and Central regions are heavily dependent on exports of fossil fuels overseas.
Against this background, the Paper canvasses a number of major challenges net zero poses to future growth and development including the threat of higher energy costs to the competitiveness of the region’s agricultural, fishing, mining and tourism industries’ ability to compete in international markets, the threat that restrictions on tree clearing pose to the further realisation of the area’s large underdeveloped agricultural potential, and the potential demise of fossil fuel exports.
However, the Paper also explores some opportunities, pointing to the region’s strong solar generation potential, the high potential role of tropical agriculture in biofuels and potential in hydro electricity generation.
References
Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). (2020-2021). Electricity consumption data for South Australia. Retrieved from https://www.aemo.com.au
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). (n.d.). Estimated net primary productivity Australia [Map]. Australia: CSIRO.
Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. (2023). Australian petroleum statistics. Australian Government. Retrieved from https://www.energy.gov.au/publications/australian-petroleum-statistics-2023
Ergon Energy. (2020-2021). Electricity consumption data for Queensland. Queensland, Australia: Ergon Energy.
Flinders Port Holdings. (2023). Port statistics for South Australia. Retrieved from https://www.flindersportholdings.com.au/port-statistics/
Gladstone Ports Corporation. (2023). Annual report 2022-23 financials. Retrieved from https://gpcl.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Annual-Report-2022-23-FINANCIALS.pdf
Government of Queensland. (2023). Annual coal statistics. Retrieved from https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/annual-coal-statistics
Individual Ports in Tropical Queensland. (2023). Annual reports on petroleum product consumption.
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Copyright (c) 2024 W S (Bill) Cummings

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