Night Time Economy Strategy

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Logan City Council will pave the way for more businesses to open their doors at night, allowing the economy to thrive after the sun goes down.

Council’s Night Time Economy Strategy will include a range of measures to grow the City of Logan after hours, creating a safe, diverse and inclusive city which champions local business.

Council will review costs for businesses applying to open later, and revisit requirements placed on venues such as bars to reduce noise which impacts the surrounding area. Development application fees will be reviewed.

Council will also look to utilise vacant shopfronts as ‘pop-ups’ for businesses and services. Land acquisition for a standalone dining precinct is also being considered.

It is hoped targeted investment attraction funding will encourage large food and entertainment brands to open in the city.

Economic Development Chair, Councillor Jon Raven, is excited about creating new evening dining and entertainment options, while ensuring residents’ safety.

“Our residents and families want to enjoy a night out in Logan and support local businesses rather than travel to another city,” Cr Raven said.

“We can build something tailored for the needs, tastes and budgets of our residents.”

The strategy will also encourage more footpath dining.

Division 10 Councillor and Deputy Economic Development Chair, Miriam Stemp said the strategy was a priority for locals.

“The development of a night time economy has been a common theme from our residents in giving feedback at city centre summits undertaken by Council,” Cr Stemp said.

The strategy follows a month-long public survey answered by more than 300 respondents.

Of those, 67 per cent said they wanted more to do in the city at night, while 50 per cent said they didn’t feel safe after dark.

FLAME provides proof of concept for great events in the City of Logan

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This month Logan City Council delivered the FLAME BBQ street festival in Jimboomba.

Over 18,000 people attended the festival on Saturday 17 September 2022, well in excess of the original target of 8,000 and anticipated attendance of 13,000. The registration page experienced over 5,000 registrations in the 4 days leading up the event.

The street festival was developed as a result of feedback provided by the community at the 2019 Jimboomba Summit. Activation of Cusack Lane and street-based parties were identified from the Summit Outcomes, as well as delivery of a range of events from small-scale to large events in the centre.

During event planning a BBQ event was selected from a range of options and BBQ and Beer Roadshow was engaged to help deliver the event. Economic Development and Strategy Branch staff secured funding from the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund to deliver the event.

The event featured BBQ food trucks, dessert and snack food trucks, market stalls, rides, car show, 2 stages with bands and competitions, beer garden at the local tavern and connections to local food and retail businesses.

Aerial photo of FLAME Festival at Jimboomba

Activation of Cusack Lane and Brisbane Street at Jimboomba

Data from event registrations show that residents from across Logan travelled for the event. 33% of attendees were residents of another Local Government, namely Brisbane, Gold Coast and Ipswich.

Feedback on social media was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees praising the concept of the event (music, bbq food trucks, family friendly) and asking for the event to become a common occurrence.

Logan City Council hosts a number of regular events in the city, including Eats and Beats, LEAF, Christmas events, Small Business Month and Seniors Month. The city also has great events spaces including Logan Entertainment Centre and recently opened Kingston Butter Factory.

Council is focusing on strategies that help build the city’s event calendar and grow the value and benefits of existing events through an events acquisition program and community event sponsorship fund.

Events help us to feel more connected and boost the economic, cultural and social fabric of Logan.

The FLAME event in Jimboomba and feedback received proves there is a large demand for great events in the City of Logan, and people will travel from across Logan and South East Queensland for the right events.

Council’s Economic Development Strategies Report

This month the Economic Development and Strategy Branch (ED&S) at Logan City Council tabled the annual Economic Development Strategies Report, to inform Council of the implementation of strategies and action plans for the 2021/22 financial year.

ED&S Branch, through the implementation of the new Economic Development Strategy 2022-2027, enables, facilitates, and promotes economic development to deliver thriving businesses and valued employment opportunities that strengthen our communities.

This is achieved with a focus on close collaboration with internal and external stakeholders across 5 strategic areas – Business and Employment Support, Investment Attraction, Emerging Industries, Youth Pathways and Place Development.

Key highlights include:

  • A month-long program for Small Business Month saw 18 events delivered in Logan during May 2022, including the How to Start a Home-based Business workshops, partnering with our Libraries team for events and the Multicultural Small Business Expo hosted by DESBT.
  • Continued successful allocation of the Investment Attraction Incentive Fund which attracted/retained 7 businesses, 403 new and retained jobs and $24 million in capital expenditure.
  • Australian Unity proceeded to Development Assessment of a proposed multi-faceted healthcare precinct with development plans including a new private hospital, medical centre, medical office space, aged care facility, and health education service.
  • In response to the severe weather event in February 2022, the Logan Office of Economic Development (LOED) led several initiatives in conjunction with the Local Recovery Economic Sub Group, including the launch and delivery of the Small Business Recovery and Reinvigoration Fund.
  • Launched the Mayor’s Local Jobs and Skills Taskforce.
  • Progressed various reports and internal workshops towards identifying new sporting facility opportunities and a roadmap that assists in capitalising on Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
  • Launched a new destination brand ‘Explore Logan’ and associated marketing campaign, including the development of 6 hero videos. Gained 2000 new followers across digital channels.
  • Delivered major improvements to the LoganJobs.com.au platform, providing users with more flexibility and access to significant job support information.

A more detailed overview of key activities in the strategic areas is detailed below.

LOED staff at Flowerhub

Business support

Through Logan Office of Economic Development, Council provides business support services to help business start, grow, employ and thrive. The annual report highlighted key activities for 2021/22:

  • 157 of Logan’s major businesses were directly engaged and supported.
  • 12 events were coordinated or directly supported for delivery to the small business community, including the Multicultural Business Engagement Forum.
  • 8 workshops on How to Start a Home-based Business were delivered at various Logan community centres, empowering 51 individuals, with 13 Logan start-ups.
  • A further 71 events were sponsored or actively promoted to further enhance the growth of Logan businesses, including collaboration with The Yunus Centre at Griffith University.
  • 3 Joint Chamber of Commerce breakfasts were delivered by guest speakers Shane Webcke, Karen Jacobsen and Michael Kasprowicz, sharing a common theme of business resilience.
  • 61 one-on-one business advisory sessions were provided to small business owners.
  • 20 local businesses were assisted with export opportunities into existing or new global markets. This was done through one-on-one business meetings, introductions to potential buyers and networking events held by Local, State, Federal and Chamber Events in Logan and Brisbane.
  • Queensland Small Business Month was celebrated with LOED hosting 11 events and supported an additional 7 events.
  • Council joined the Small Business Friendly program (September 2021), led by Queensland Small Business Commissioner (QSBC), Maree Adshead. The QSBC enhances the operating environment of small businesses through collaborative advocacy, fast and fair assistance.

Students at local business with Mayor Power and LOED staff

Mayor’s Local Jobs and Skills Taskforce (The Taskforce)

The Taskforce focuses on delivering practical solutions in the fields of employment, job placement, youth unemployment, workforce skills, career pathways, training and further education. Since launching in November 2021, it has:

  • Developed a Local Jobs Action Plan and undertaken an unemployment analysis.
  • Delivered major improvements to the LoganJobs.com.au platform.
  • Untaken 140 employment related businesses engagements.
  • Placed 121 jobseekers in employment.
  • Created 7 skills shortage programs with business and network providers.

LOED staff at B&C Plastics

Investment attraction & emerging industries

  • A total of 16 projects were attracted and facilitated to the city. This included a diverse range of businesses, ranging from health and medical, shopping centre developments, transport and logistics and manufacturing.
  • A combined value of $70.95 million of capital expenditure was invested in the city from these projects, which created 231 new and retained 624 jobs.
  • Successful allocation of the Investment Attraction Incentive Fund attracted/retained 9 businesses, 1,071 new and 1,424 retained jobs and $462.10 million in capital expenditure.
  • 59 engagements were made with key state and federal government stakeholders to raise the profile of the City of Logan in identified target markets, promote investment opportunities and gather current information related to target markets.
  • 85 engagements were undertaken with industry networks, intermediaries and contacts that can assist in the process of facilitating trade related opportunities.
  • Australian Unity proceeded to Development Assessment of a proposed multi-faceted healthcare precinct with development plans including a new private hospital, medical centre, medical office space, aged care facility, and health education service.
  • Progressed various reports and internal workshops towards identifying new sporting facility opportunities and a roadmap that assists in capitalising on Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games opportunities.
  • Supported various Logan Plan 2025 studies including the Logan Tourism Opportunities Report and Economic Review (Centres).
  • Ongoing investment-focused marketing campaigns and collateral were undertaken to position the City of Logan as an ideal investment location, with a focus on both greenfield and infill development.

Loganlea Road Healthy Street project

Place Development

The Place Making and Urban Design Program have delivered a range of projects and initiatives that support the objectives and action plans of the current Economic Development implementation plan, including:

  • Delivered a number of city centre implementation fund projects for key activity centres in Beenleigh, Meadowbrook and Logan Village and are progressing projects in Springwood,
    Jimboomba and Logan Central over the next 2 years.
  • The City Centre Implementation plans are being updated to identify priority projects completed as well as identifying short term projects to be prioritised over the next 5 years.
  • The first round of the Facade Improvement Program has been allocated to 15 applicants. The next round of funding will be launched by the end of the year, which will contribute towards
    rejuvenation of smaller centres.

Group of people having fun at Kingston Butter Factory

Destination Management Plan

The Destination Management Plan (DMP) 2018-22 has come to completion and a new DMP is being developed. There were 6 activation categories, with 31 actions established that set the groundwork to activate the City of Logan’s vision for its visitor economy. Of these actions, 4 game changing projects and 17 actions were prioritised by the external Tourism Advisory Group and Councillors. 16 of these actions were successfully delivered or progressed.

Being Council’s first DMP, significant investigations of new experience opportunities and industry development initiatives were completed including:

  • Launched Logan’s new destination brand “Explore Logan” with an experience framework, marketing campaigns and new image library.
  • Feasibility/concept and business case development for the catalyst projects: Riverine Discovery Centre, a White-Water Park, Destination Holiday Park and the Bethania to Logan Village Rail Trail.
  • Various studies and strategic analyses: short-term accommodation demand study, business case and investment attraction incentives, Food Tourism Development Plan, events economic analysis and review of tourism uses to inform the new planning scheme – Logan Plan 2025.
  • Delivered a range of business development workshops, including mentoring, packaging, and collaboration programs and facilitated industry networking nights.

Indoor facility location studied

Logan City Council has completed a comprehensive study into the best location for a multi-purpose indoor facility.

While a large indoor complex is a much-needed community facility in the City of Logan, it also would have the potential to be used for training at the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A range of metrics identified Logan Central as best-suited for the construction of a venue that could be configured for a range of sports and other events with crowds of between 5000 to 10,000 spectators.

Mayor Darren Power said building a multi-purpose venue in Logan Central would revitalise the suburb and help build a stronger local economy.

“While our community needs this kind of facility, constructing it before 2032 might also provide an opportunity to capitalise on the city’s location between the two major Olympic zones of Brisbane and the Gold Coast,” Cr Power said.

“Logan Central ticks so many boxes with handy access to key rail and transport nodes and a local population that thrives on sport.

“It also makes sense economically as it would enable Council to bring forward and value-add to the already endorsed Logan Central Civic and Community Precinct Plan.”

Council’s study, led by industry experts, did modelling across the city based on the dimensions of the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre.

That venue was built for netball and gymnastics at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and has since been reconfigured into a multi-sports and community facility.

The study found there was significant demand within the local community for more indoor sporting facilities in the city.

Sporting trends and participation rates were also examined while access to transport and accommodation were taken into account.

The City of Logan was not included when 2032 Games organisers initially allocated sports to venues across South East Queensland including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Moreton and Redland council areas.

Cr Power said community benefit would be significant as sporting facilities in the city were stretched.

“I’ve made no secret of my desire to secure world-class venues and associated infrastructure to support our population growth,” he said.

“We understand Games organisers have a huge job ahead of them and their plans are already underway.

“But we just hope they can give some more thought to ensuring the City of Logan doesn’t miss out on being part of the Games action and legacy.”

Council will now conduct a feasibility study and business case into the proposed location, which can’t be made public at this stage because of possible commercial considerations.

Congratulations to Logan Business Distinction Awards 2022 winners

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Last week the Logan Chamber of Commerce hosted their 2022 Business Distinction Awards, supported by Logan Regional Chamber of Commerce and Beenleigh-Yatala Chamber of Commerce.

Held at Distillery Road Markets, it was a fantastic opportunity congratulate and celebrate businesses in the City of Logan.

This year, there was 17 industry categories for businesses to nominate for and 6 major awards including the coveted Business of the Year.

2022 Major Award Winners

  • Business of the Year – B&C Plastics
  • Inclusiveness – Wheelnutz Garage
  • Sustainability – Bee All Natural
  • New and Emerging Business – The Picket Fence
  • Judges Encouragement Award – Moovn Coffee
  • Innovation – BathCalm
  • Community Contribution – DMH Realty
BathCalm team at the Logan Business Distinction Awards 2022

Caroline Woodman of BathCalm and team, winner of the Innovation 2022 Award and Beauty, Health and Wellbeing Award

2022 Industry Category Winners

  • Automotive and Transport – Browns Plains Mazda
  • Beauty, Health and Wellbeing – BathCalm
  • Education, Employment and Training (Large) – Marsden State High School
  • Education, Employment and Training (Medium) – YMCA Vocational School
  • Education, Employment and Training (Small) – Dr Karen Lonsdale
  • Event Services – Big Swing Golf
  • Financial Services – Bank of Queensland, Jimboomba
  • For Purpose (Charity and Not For Profits) – YMPCA Vocational School
  • Hospitality (Small) – Devon Pixies
  • Hospitality (Medium) – The White House of Waterford
  • Legal Services – McLaughlin & Associates Lawyers
  • Manufacturing and Construction – Snapfresh
  • Media and Advertising – Rebel Connect
  • Medical Services – Choice Dental, Browns Plains
  • Professional Services – Sentinel Safety Services
  • Real Estate, Building and Construction – Clarence Property, The Zone Underwood
  • Retail – Animal World Pet Resorts
  • Sports Services – Addictive Pole Fitness
  • Technology and Innovation – CE Group
  • Tourism – John Paul College
  • Trade Services (Small) – Signs Etc
  • Trade Services (Large) – Munster Services Group
  • Veterinary Services – Daisy Hill Vet
Bert Van Manen, Federal Member for Forde, Jim Chalmers MP, Federal Member for Rankin, Arwen McGregor of Devon Pixies, winner of the Hospitality (small) Award, and Jon Raven, Division 5 Councillor

Arwen McGregor of Devon Pixies, winner of the Hospitality (small) Award, with Bert Van Manen, Federal Member for Forde, Jim Chalmers MP, Federal Member for Rankin, and Jon Raven, Division 5 Councillor

See the list of winners and photos at the Logan Business Distinction Awards website.

Logan Office of Economic Development and Logan City Council are proud supporters of the Logan Business Distinction Awards. We have engaged and supported most of the winners and nominees through their business journey, and would like to congratulate their success.

Small Business Recovery and Reinvigoration Fund reopened

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Due to community interest and need, Council has reopened the Small Business Recovery and Reinvigoration Fund. This is part of a wider flood recovery package in response to the 2022 floods.

The program will help businesses that were inundated by the 2022 flood event to improve their resilience, adapt their business for future growth and fast-track their recovery.

Support measures include up to $5,000 per eligible business to assist with the following:

  • Professional advice and support.
  • Digital and marketing activities to assist local businesses discover new customers and grow revenue.
  • Relocation costs for affected local businesses wanting to move to other locations within Logan.
  • Replacement, repair or restoration of essential items for business operations such as signage or furniture.
  • Rebates on approved business development courses to develop disaster preparedness and mitigation skills.
Apply

To be eligible you must meet the eligibility criteria, which includes

  • be a small business owner who provides local employment opportunities.
  • hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at the time of the eligible disaster.
  • employ up to, but not exceeding, 20 full time equivalent employees.
  • located in the Logan City Council local government area and has suffered direct inundation and damage, caused by riverine and/or creek flooding to premises as a result of
    the disaster.
  • have been engaged in carrying on the small business when affected by the eligible disaster.
  • be primarily responsible for meeting the costs claimed in the application.
  • intend to re-establish the small business in the City of Logan

Full eligibility, and terms and conditions can be found by downloading a preview form from the Smartygrants website

What assistance is available?

Businesses will have the ability to use any of the financial support programs outlined below to a combined value of $5,000 per eligible business.

  • Small Business professional services support: Connecting critically impacted local businesses to professional advice (preferably provided by businesses located in Logan) to assist in addressing and recovering from the disaster. Eligible businesses will be able to receive rebates for professional advice in four categories Accounting and Insolvency, Grant writing, Human Resources and Legal Services.
  • Small Business kick start and go digital: Kick starting promotion and marketing activities for critically impacted local businesses to discover new customers and grow revenue, through new digital and marketing campaign expenditure and participation in an approved digital shop front/ e-commerce programs.
  • Small Business Relocation: Relocation assistance provided for critically impacted local businesses seeking to relocate to other locations within Logan. Add in examples of costs that will be covered
  • Small Business owner development: Invest in business owner disaster preparedness and mitigation skill development on approved business development courses.
  • Small Business reinvigorate: Support the replacement, repair or restoration of essential physical items for business operations such as signage or furniture for critically impacted local businesses.

New look for LOED and new Economic Development Strategy

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Logan Office of Economic Development has undergone a brand uplift, to align with the new City of Logan brand.

In conducting the brand review and strategy, it was apparent the LOED brand had significant brand equity with stakeholders including local businesses, investors, Councillors, Council staff and government partners. Thanks to the people at the helm and a keen culture of helping businesses seize opportunity in the city, LOED has established itself as a world class office of economic development with an expansive network of decision makers within all levels of Government in addition to key connections in the private sector.

LOED and City of Logan Logos

A brand strategy was completed with new logo, style guide and brand statements to guide the team and the way we communicate with our customers.

The brand values underpin our strategy

WE ARE A WELL-CONNECTED, PEOPLE-FIRST AND PURPOSE-DRIVEN COHORT, COMMITTED TO PROVIDING AN EXPERT ECONOMIC SUPPORT SERVICE AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY. WITH AN UNDENIABLY LOGAN SPIRIT, WE ARE PROACTIVE, TENACIOUS, RESILIENT AND SUPPORTIVE, MOTIVATED BY PRAGMATICALLY MAKING THINGS HAPPEN IN OUR GREAT CITY.

LOED brand USP

EMPOWERING BUSINESSES AND DRIVING ECONOMIC PROSPERITY THROUGH TAILORED, EXPERT ECONOMIC SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE.

LOED Tagline 'Where Passion Meets Opportunity' with image of kenton Campbell from Zarraffa's Coffee

The rebrand coincides with the release of Council’s Economic Development Strategy 2022-2027, which highlights strategic directions and strategies to maximise economic growth in the City of Logan. As catalysts for growth and innovation, Logan City Council and LOED is well positioned seek, attract, support and enable economic prosperity, and position our city as an emerging centre of economic excellence in South East Queensland.

Our strategic directions are:

  1. Business support: every business matters
  2. Investment attraction: anchors for industry and job development
  3. Emerging industries: capitalising on strengths and growth opportunities
  4. Youth pathways: unlocking Logan’s future
  5. Place development: placemaking and improved amenity

Identified in the LOED rebrand process and Economic Development strategy planning, was an opportunity to improve communications with small to medium-sized businesses in Logan. A Logan Office of Economic Development Facebook page was established in June 2022 to curate and publish content for the specific purpose of communicating and sharing with Logan business owners:

  • business support information
  • resources
  • events

The City of Logan has an opportunity to build on its unique combination of strengths and position itself as a leading local economy in Australia. Achieving that requires effort and energy by government, industry, businesses and the community.

Budget: Bright future builds on today’s hard work

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The record $1.014 billion ‘Building on today for a brighter tomorrow’ budget celebrates the positive attributes residents love about the city – a city that is smart, active, safe, green and growing.

City of Logan Mayor Darren Power said Council was leading the way in South East Queensland by delivering critical infrastructure and quality services to the community.

“We enjoy something special in the City of Logan,” Councillor Power said.

“Where else can you enjoy urban and rural lifestyles, first-class facilities and a caring and connected community?

“Our city is affirming its reputation as forward-thinking and ambitious. We are not afraid to chase greatness.

“Council is ahead of the game with recent investments in state-of-the-art technology to turn sewage into energy and fertiliser, as well as the new Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct.

“Our business community is also becoming more innovative and entrepreneurial with emerging industries choosing to move to Logan for our ideal location and ready and reliable workforce.

“When we build on what we’ve already achieved, we can create a brighter future for coming generations, and that’s what today’s budget delivers.”

The 2022/2023 Budget invests in grassroots sport, the environment, innovation and infrastructure.

This includes:

  • $38 million over five years to improve facilities at local sports clubs, with ongoing funding after that
  • $9 million towards building an advanced recycling facility at Browns Plains in partnership with Ipswich and Redland councils
  • Ongoing investment to develop the skills of young entrepreneurs
  • $224.7 million in the essential road and water infrastructure for a rapidly growing population.

As this year’s budget was prepared, Cr Power said his fellow Councillors recognised the value of investing money in programs that bring long-term success to the city.

“We’ve really considered where we should allocate money so that it doesn’t just benefit people over the next 12 months,” he said.

“By planning towards how we want our city to look in the next five to 10 years, we’ve identified funding allocations that will improve quality of life and create a brighter tomorrow.”

Governance Chair, Deputy Mayor Natalie Willcocks, said Council continues to deliver an array of services to the community with efficiency, despite costs increasing.

“This year, we’ve seen the Brisbane CPI increase by 6 per cent in a year to the end of March, and everyone is feeling the impacts of higher fuel prices, including us.

“Additionally, the cost of materials for construction is through the roof, and we wear those costs when delivering infrastructure for the city.

“Council seeks alternative funding sources wherever possible, including grants from other levels of government, so we can keep rate rises to a minimum.

“Whether you visit our libraries, aquatic or sports centres, one of our many parks, play sport, turn on a tap, have a furry friend, put rubbish in your wheelie bin, visit a waste and recycling facility or drive on our roads, you are using facilities and services that need to be funded.

“Council staff deliver these services with a smile and are committed to the well-being of our community.

“We are proud of what we’re announcing in today’s budget, and I am proud of what we are delivering.

“And I thank my fellow Councillors and the Council staff who’ve worked hard behind the scenes for their diligence, support and advice.”

Key numbers from this year’s budget include:

  • A 2.49 per cent bottom line increase for ratepayers on the minimum general rate – $70.30 a year, or $1.35 a week (excludes state bulk water charge)
  • A 4.29 per cent increase to the annual pensioner remission, providing $379.20 for those on a full pension and $189.60 for a part-pension
  • A 5 per cent discount for prompt payment
  • No increases to the Council components of water and sewerage charges
  • A $7 increase to the annual environment levy
  • A 2.5% increase to the community services charge
  • An expected modest operating surplus of $3.65 million (at June 30, 2023)
  • Borrowings of $69 million and loan repayments of $20.3 million

Read more about the budget at logan.qld.gov.au

To watch our Budget video go to https://youtu.be/CW67zt1rZlQ

Field Trip Builds Bridges

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City of Logan high school students have gone on an excursion of a different kind.

Students from several Logan schools have visited local businesses to get a taste of working life and hear the stories of business leaders and innovators.

The event is an initiative of Mayor Darren Power’s Local Jobs and Skills Taskforce, coordinated by the Logan Office of Economic Development, CityStudio and Catapult.

The taskforce aims to develop programs with employers, service providers and training organisations to ensure the skills being taught align with available local jobs.

Some of the 15 local businesses that took part in the bus tour include Munster Services Group, Frontline Manufacturing, Struddys and Evolve Group.

Mayor Power said Council wants to introduce local businesses to their future workforce.

“The connections being made today will help grow the city for years to come,” Mayor Power said.

“We hope students will get some idea of their future career options while businesses will get the opportunity to understand the wants and needs of their future employees.

“The businesses chosen for the tour come from a variety of backgrounds to give the students plenty of options to consider.

“My Local Jobs and Skills Taskforce has a strong focus on enhancing employment opportunities for Logan youth and this is just one of many strategies we’re using to support economic development and jobs growth.”

The taskforce, chaired by the Mayor, has developed a Local Jobs Action Plan to:

  • Identify key employment priorities and local labour needs
  • Support and drive employment and training opportunities across Logan
  • Implement programs and solutions to address local workforce issues
  • Investigate improving the LoganJobs platform

The taskforce will continue to pursue Australian and Queensland Government funding to support its work.

Innovation Precinct for Logan

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An ambitious plan for Logan will aim to attract leading and start-up technology and research businesses.

Logan City Council will investigate establishing an ‘innovation precinct’ in Underwood and Slacks Creek to house a range of cutting-edge industries including:

  • Aeronautical engineering
  • Biotechnology industries
  • Medical laboratories
  • Computer component manufacturing
  • Computer server facilities
  • Energy industries

The proposed precinct, adjacent to the Logan and Kingston roads intersection, has proximity to the M1 and the South East Busway extension.

The area is already home to edu-tech giant Go1 – where, every three seconds, someone in the world accesses one of their online training programs – and Council’s coLab Growth Hub for emerging entrepreneurs.

Economic Development Chair, Councillor Jon Raven, said the precinct could launch a new era for City of Logan workers as many of the targeted industries offer high-end salaries and contract work.

“A precinct like this can become an employment powerhouse for our city, with every new high-value job in the city creating another five jobs to support it,” Cr Raven said.

The proposed precinct is the next step in an investment boom over the past five years in the City of Logan, mostly in traditional industries such as logistics and manufacturing.

Division 3 Councillor, Mindy Russell, said the facility would benefit residents and those from outside the area.

“It will provide high-paying employment opportunities close to home for those nearby, and new customers for existing businesses in the precinct,” Cr Russell said.

Council’s Digital Infrastructure Connectivity Program complements the plan.

The program was endorsed as a key priority in the City of Logan Advocacy Strategy 2021-2024.

New industries have also seen the benefit of being based in Logan.

They include drone delivery service Wing, BlockTexx, a clean technology company that recovers polyester and cellulose from textiles and clothing, and Imaging Solutions, which manufactures cutting edge radiation protection and other medical products.