11 May 2015
Isobel Roe
ABC News
Townsville’s economic lobby group says it will apply to be part of a new Federal Government Northern Australia Alliance, after being left out of the group.
On Friday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced lobby groups from Cairns, Broome and Darwin would form an alliance to help the Federal Government further develop northern Australia.
Townsville Enterprise chief executive Patricia O’Callagan said she was in talks with Advance Cairns about being included in discussions.
However, she said a place in the alliance was not the only way to be heard.
“We want to be heard at every table when it comes to northern Australia, so obviously we will push to be a part of the alliance but at the end of the day we have our plan, we know what we want out of this paper and we’re going hard and have been for some time now,” she said.
“As the chair of Advance Cairns said, this isn’t a mutually exclusive group.
“This is about getting us together and singing with one voice, so happy to be at the table and want to be at the table with the Northern Australia Alliance as I said we’ve got our plan, we’re working well at a local level with our councils and our chamber.”
Courtesy of ABC News