Logan wins on key infrastructure

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Christmas has come early in the City of Logan after new funding was announced by the State and Federal governments for two major infrastructure projects that have long been on Logan City Council’s wish list.

The Loganlea train station will be relocated as part of a $95 million project, while a $20 million business case will be developed for the Salisbury to Beaudesert rail line.

A further $94.3 million for M1 Pacific Motorway upgrades (to be shared between the Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill, Daisy Hill to Logan Motorway and Varsity Lakes to Tugun stretches) will be provided earlier than previously announced.

In addition, both governments have reached an agreement on the $9.3 billion Inland Rail project, paving the way for the delivery of the project in Queensland. Council continues to seek a commitment of accountability around environmental impacts such as noise, vibration and dust – and for those impacts to be carefully considered and appropriately mitigated.

The funding is part of a total $1.9 billion road and rail package for Queensland. It was announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Brisbane.

The Federal Government will bring forward almost $650 million in funding and provide more than $680 million in new funding, while the State Government is committing $606 million.

Logan projects to receive funding

  • Salisbury to Beaudesert passenger rail business case (total $20 million, split 50/50 between State and Federal governments)
  • Relocate Loganlea train station (total $95 million, $50 million from Federal Government, $45 million from State Government)
  • Pacific Motorway (a total of $94.3 million of Federal funding will be brought forward for the Eight Mile Plains-Daisy Hill; Daisy Hill-Logan Motorway and Varsity Lakes-Tugun sections)

Loganlea Train Station Relocation

Logan City Council has long been advocating for the relocation of Loganlea Train station. Relocating and upgrading the Loganlea Train Station is critical to the future growth of Meadowbrook as a world class health and education precinct, and for the liveability of the area for local residents. An integrated transport hub will provide increased connectivity to an upgraded Logan Hospital, and improved connections to the TAFE campus and Loganlea State High School.

Following feedback from the community and relevant stakeholders at the Meadowbrook Summit in 2018, advocacy for the relocation of the station was listed as an action in the Meadowbrook Implementation Plan (Action 37). The relocated station is also depicted in the Meadowbrook Master Plan.

The current station was already scheduled for required upgrades to conform with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. This additional funding will allow a new station to be built that is both accessible and connected, and can also accommodate future upgrades of the proposed Kuraby to Beenleigh Capacity Improvement Project. $15 million has also been pledged by the Federal Government for a new carpark for the station, as part of their 2019 election campaign.

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Demand outstrips supply in Logan accommodation market

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A surge in private and public investment, growing visitor numbers and game-changing tourism projects underway is driving the demand for short-term accommodation in the City of Logan.

Located just 30 minutes’ drive to major destinations – Brisbane to the north and the Gold Coast to the south – Logan welcomes 1.4 million visitors each year and continues to have strong levels of growth in domestic and international overnight travel.

The $12 billion of tourism infrastructure injected into the wider region, places the city in a strategic position to take advantage of the boom in visitors to South East Queensland.

However, recent growth forecasts suggest occupancy rates in Logan will exceed 80 per cent by 2021, set to trigger a severe undersupply of rooms and leakage of trade by 2026.

Logan’s current supply is limited – at around 300 rooms across 12 facilities, it comprises primarily of motel style accommodation concentrated along arterial roads.

Despite high occupancy rates, no new hotel stock has been developed in more than a decade.

As cities like Brisbane focus on servicing the leisure travel market, Logan has the potential to grow its stake in the business travel market.

Home to more than 21,000 registered businesses, many headquarters and operational bases in Logan generate a substantial and continuous demand in overnight room stays.

Just one example is global company John Deere – its headquarters for Australia and New Zealand is located in Logan and receives around 700 domestic visitors every year for training alone.

The demand metrics on population and business growth indicates a need for 65,000 additional room nights in Logan up until 2036 – equivalent to 180 additional rooms.

When compared to similar areas, Logan is undersupplied in the number of commercial short term accommodation rooms relative to population, workers and visitors.

Table showing area, accomodation rooms, pop

Table: Data as at January 2019

As one of the largest employers in the city, the Logan Hospital in Meadowbrook is one of the busiest health service providers in the region and has recently kicked off its $460 million expansion project.

Meadowbrook has been identified as a hotspot for potential accommodation facilities, aligned with Council’s master plan to develop the centre as a medical and health precinct.

With projects like the hospital underway and large private enterprise investing in Logan, the demand could outstrip supply faster than predicted.

In the last financial year, building activity in Logan was valued at over $800 million.

A stream of commercial activity saw large companies including national coffee franchisor Zarraffa’s Coffee, global logistics leader DHL and world-first commercial drone delivery service providers Wing (an Alphabet company) establish their operations in Logan.

Zarraffa’s Coffee moved into their $20 million purpose-built national headquarters from the Gold Coast to Logan in August this year.

The company’s new HQ will support 90 plus stores across Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia and provide the space to progress their future expansion plans.

Spanning 18,000 sqm, the site also combines a roastery, a warehousing, packaging and distribution hub, factory concept café, and the $50 million Distillery Road Market project being delivered by the company’s development arm Tonken Property Group.

Headed by founder of Zarraffa’s Coffee, Kenton Campbell, Distillery Road Market is set to become a world-class food experience destination akin to iconic markets such as Chelsea Market in New York and The Grounds of Alexandria in Sydney.

Campbell said the timing was right to relocate to Logan, given its central location along the growth corridor between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

“From the point of view of customers, staff and suppliers, there is no better place, than where we are right here,” Campbell said.

“Logan has given me the ability to create something special at Distillery Road Market and for Zarraffa’s.”

Distillery Road Market will be the first of its kind in Logan and Queensland, and is part of a growing tourism cluster in the Beenleigh and Eagleby area.

Local attractions such as Beenleigh Artisan Distillery, Australia’s oldest registered distillery, and award-winning Aboriginal live theatre experience, Spirits of the Red Sand, draw in both domestic and international visitors.

In the next few years, the city’s strategic focus on developing its capabilities in the business, cultural and sports events sectors, will see Logan’s relatively youthful tourism industry continue to evolve.

Over the past 6 months, Logan City Council’s events acquisition program in partnership with Sports Marketing Australia has since attracted attendance of more than 14,000 competitors and spectators across 50 event days.

Rick Sleeman, Managing Director of Sports Marketing Australia said that Logan had an accessible location and the right event infrastructure in place to host major sporting events.

“A capacity and capability assessment identified Logan’s potential to become a sports super centre in South East Queensland,” he said.

“Logan has world-class facilities from PGA standard golf courses, sporting fields, indoor courts and 2000-capacity arenas, plus access to national and international airports making the city an ideal host.”

Crowd watching an indoor basketball game

Image: Logan Metro Sports and Events Centre is the third largest venue in Greater Brisbane accommodating up to 2,100 guests 

In 2018, the Brisbane Roar Football Club invested $9 million to develop a state of the art training facility and operations base at Logan Metro Sports Park and has plans to host tournaments.

And the recent $65 million whitewater adventure park proposal, now at the pre-feasibility stage, will be a game-changer for Logan and the region – with the potential to become an iconic tourism asset and future Olympic Games venue.

The demand for short term accommodation continues to escalate as the line-up of major sporting tournaments join Logan’s events calendar.

Given the strong demand fundamentals and opportunities across business, events and the emerging tourism industry in Logan, there is a demonstrated gap for a business style, specialist hotel or serviced apartments.

To support this shortage in supply, Logan City Council offers incentives for eligible new short term accommodation developments that achieve a 3.5 to 5 star rating.

For more information on development incentives and to download the study on short term accommodation investment opportunities visit www.loed.com.au/investinlogan.

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Global businesses invest in Logan

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With a strong economic track record, historic levels of infrastructure investment in the pipeline and business confidence on the rise – the City of Logan has emerged as a global investment hotspot in South East Queensland.

The launch of autonomous drone delivery services in Logan by Wing – a subsidiary of global technology company Alphabet – is just one of the businesses that have funnelled a total of $100 million of private investment into the city over the past 12 months.

Logan is just one of four locations in the world that now has access to Wing’s air delivery service, which flies a range of convenience items by air in just minutes.

Under the helm of Chief Executive James Ryan Burgess, Wing will focus their Queensland expansion plans in Logan first, with select households in the suburbs of Crestmead and Marsden already having access to the service.

Mr Burgess said what made cities like Logan most attractive for investment was not only the demographic factors but the opportunities driven by growth.

“Logan is one of the fastest growing areas of Queensland, so that’s a great fit for us because drone delivery makes it much easier for people to get the things they need in rapidly expanding metropolises. Logan is also a very innovative community, and the growth and excitement around the city makes it a great place for us to start our Queensland operations.

Logan is located in the heart of South East Queensland where around 70 per cent of the state live, and is predicted to be the second fastest growing city in this region.

In just over 20 years, Logan’s population is predicted to grow more than 50 per cent to around 548,000 residents.

This has led to an unprecedented level of infrastructure investment, with more than $18 billion of publicly funded projects underway to support the growing residential population.

Earlier this year, a $1.2 billion agreement – the largest of its type by any government in Australia, was signed by local authorities and private developers to build essential infrastructure in Logan’s Priority Development Areas Yarrabilba and Greater Flagstone.

This follows the completion of Transurban Queensland’s $512 million Logan Enhancement Project in August, which increased freight productivity by reducing road travel times along some of the busiest transport routes in the region.

Major infrastructure projects in the pipeline has triggered a surge in commercial activity along the Logan Motorway corridor, with large national and multinational businesses including Metcash Hardware, DHL, Queensland Logistics Service, Huhtamaki and Pinnacle Hardware setting up operations in Logan’s industrial precincts.

It’s not only the city’s efficient transport connections and affordable land driving this investment, Logan has advantages beyond its borders.

Within a 40 kilometre radius, Logan has access to a regional catchment of over 2.6 million people, a vast network of suppliers and a diverse pool of potential talent for employers to draw from.

GO1.com, the world’s largest on-boarding, compliance and professional development platform, recently relocated their headquarters from Brisbane to Logan to take advantage of this accessibility.

Co-founder Vu Tran said running a global company from Logan was a strategic decision for GO1.com and their future plans.

“Being in Logan has provided us with the opportunity and space we need to grow and also attract the talent that we need for our growing markets,” he said.

“Having businesses like Ikea, John Deere, Avery Dennison all based in the area means they are potential partners for us to engage with.”

GO1.com has offices in the United States, South Africa, Vietnam, United Kingdom and Malaysia, and is on track for further expansion, recently securing more than $30 million of investment led by M12, Microsoft’s venture fund.

The increasing investment in Logan is reflected in the city’s economic report card – an annual 3.9 percent increase in the Gross Regional Product in the year ending 2017-2018 and the highest percentage of jobs growth in over fifteen years.

The arrival of businesses like GO1.com and Wing could mark the beginning of an exciting chapter in the city’s development.

For Wing, the city of Logan will be their largest investment in Australia to date and will play a role in shaping what the company will do in cities around the world.

“We’re really going to be investing here in Logan, learning as much as we can from the community and over time looking to apply that to other countries and cities that we may go to.” Mr Burgess said.

“For now, it’s all our attention on Logan and making sure we offer a great service for the community.”

Why invest in the City of Logan?

Find out more by visiting www.loed.com.au/investinlogan.

 

Contact our specialist team for investment and development related enquiries

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Commercial confidence in Logan builds with $100m underway

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MORE than $100 million in business investment in the past 12 months has funnelled into the City of Logan – South East Queensland’s newest growth region where almost 170,000 sqm in commercial property will be taken up by the end of next year.

International tech companies, a national coffee franchisor and an array of multi-nationals are setting up shop in Logan due to its prime location, spread between Brisbane and Gold Coast, where commercial property opportunities are abundant and affordable.

Sparking this growth fuse is the Berrinba Industrial Area, where Mitre 10 has just constructed a $50 million warehouse. The 27,000 sqm operation will create 110 jobs. Pinnacle Hardware has also taken up 14,000 sqm with a new $22 million distribution centre.

Neighbours will include Queensland Logistics Service (15,000 sqm) Huhtamaki (12,000 sqm) and global technology giant Alphabet who will bring its autonomous drone delivery service Wing to Australia this year and will occupy 15,000 sqm at Berrinba.

The world’s largest online education and training aggregator GO1 will also call Logan home following a Logan City Council initiative to attract investment and projects that provide significant economic benefits and job creation for Logan.

GO1 co-founder vu Tran said running a global company from Queensland made practical sense.

“Logan is a high-growth area and well-connected with its transport infrastructure, making it easy for our staff to travel and have a work-life balance that is the envy of many,” he said.

Nearby at Eagleby, national coffee franchisor Zarraffa’s Coffee has relocated its headquarters from the Gold Coast with a $20 million open plan head office space, combined with a roastery and an expanded warehousing, packaging and distribution hub spanning 18,000 sqm.

It is part of the $50 million Distillery Road Market project undertaken by Zarraffa’s founder and managing director Kenton Campbell.

Set to open before 2021, it will become world class destination, focused around peoples’ love of great food experiences and the communal activities food provides.

The American ex-pat said the timing was right to relocate midway along the growth corridor between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

“The alignment and relocation of facilities for Zarraffa’s and the launch of Kiwanda Café also signifies the start of an incredible destinational opportunity within our new home at Distillery Road Market,” he said.

“Australia really is the land of opportunity and this particular part of the country is the perfect location to grow business, to foster dreams and deliver experiences like no other.”

This entrepreneurial ethos has also spurred others to base in Logan including Dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers offering ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services across five continents; packaging giant Avery Dennison; global logistics company DHL; vehicle transport freighters CEVA; wholesale distributor Metcash; Evolve Group and National Tiles.

Logan City Council Director of Strategy and Sustainability, David Hansen, said Logan boasted a number of key attributes which made it attractive for big business.

“This investment is a great example of the increased business confidence we are seeing in Logan as an increasing number of multinational companies now call the City of Logan home,” he said.

“City of Logan is in a premium location near the M1, has great access to major transport nodes and Brisbane International Airport and has plenty of open space.”

Economic analysis of Logan showed a 3.9 per cent increase in Gross Regional Product (GRP) to $11.77 billion for 2017-18.

In the last financial year Logan’s population grew by almost 2 per cent to 326,615, the number of businesses grew by 3.4 per cent to 21,978 and the number of jobs based in Logan grew by 7.8 per cent to 115,575.

Data shows the number of Logan residents working in the city has increased with the majority of jobs in construction, health and social, retail and manufacturing sectors.

Berrinba’s Third Avenue extension is open

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The green light has been given at Third Avenue in Berrinba with the new road link open to traffic.

Traffic signals were switched on at the Third Avenue and Wembley Road intersection today.

Third Avenue now connects Wembley Road to the Gilmore Road roundabout.

The extension will improve traffic flow through the growing industrial zone.

The project is also expected to lessen congestion during peak hours at the nearby Berrinba East State School, as general through traffic now has the opportunity to conveniently bypass the school precinct.

Logan City Council Roads and Water Director Daryl Ross said the road extension was a huge boost for Berrinba.

“The extension of Third Avenue will ensure traffic flows are efficient and will make the suburb’s businesses more accessible and more connected,” he said.

“This road link is also a win for residents and families in the area, particularly those accessing the local school.

“Logan City Council is proud to continue delivering the infrastructure our community needs.”

Wing lands in Logan

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Residents in the Logan suburbs of Crestmead and Marsden will be among the first residents of Queensland to experience air delivery, as Wing will be delivering a range of items to their homes, by drone, within minutes.

Using the Wing app, customers will be able to order hot coffee, fresh eggs and milk, hot roasted chickens, and hardware products from three Logan businesses: Extraction Artisan Coffee, Friendly Grocer Crestmead, and Browns Plains Hardware.

Delivery service will initially be available to a small number of households in the suburbs of Crestmead and Marsden as part of Wing’s Early Flyer program.

“We’re excited to be bringing our fast, safe and environmentally friendly service to South East Queensland,” Wing CEO James Ryan Burgess said.

“Our service helps busy parents who’ve forgotten to pick up a bottle of milk, hosts who need a meal for guests that pop around on short-notice, or weekend DIYers who need the right drill bit to complete their project.”

Minister for Innovation Kate Jones said the Government was working hard to make Queensland the capital of drone technology in Australia.

“Today’s launch of Wing’s drone delivery service to Logan residents is another feather in Queensland’s cap. Being able to take advantage of drone deliveries will not only mean greater convenience for consumers but will also allow businesses to capitalise on the opportunities provided by technological advancements.”

Minister for State Development and Manufacturing Cameron Dick called Wing’s decision to choose the electorate of Woodridge and the City of Logan as one of its first drone delivery locations on the planet “a huge vote of confidence in our community”.

“The business is eager to grow in the south-east, and once at full capacity, it’s expected to generate millions for our economy while offering greater buying convenience for residents and reducing traffic on our roads,” Mr Dick said.

Logan City Council Director of Strategy and Sustainability, David Hansen, welcomed the Wing technology.

“This is exciting for the City of Logan and for the residents of Crestmead and Marsden who will become Wing’s first customers in Queensland,” he said.

“Logan is fast becoming a city rich with innovation and Council is committed to supporting and attracting new business to the city. The arrival of Wing is a significant step in Logan’s evolutionary journey to become an innovative, dynamic city of the future.

“We are confident this new drone delivery service will be embraced by the community and we look forward to seeing the opportunities for local businesses selected to trial the technology. Council will continue to work closely with Wing on community awareness initiatives as it hosts flight demonstrations and information stalls in the coming weeks.”

Wing has obtained approvals from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to commence operations in Logan. They have also received development approval from Logan City Council for modifications to their delivery facility in Berrinba.

This week, Wing will continue hosting a series of information stalls and flight demonstrations, giving the community the opportunity to experience drone deliveries in person and share feedback.

Wing plans to begin air delivery to the first customers in Logan in the coming weeks. Residents of Crestmead and Marsden interested in joining the Wing service or wanting to stay updated on the latest delivery areas, can visit wing.com/australia/logan to sign-up.

Anyone with questions about the service, can email support-AU@wing.com.

Distillery Road Market – Australia’s Next Food Experience Destination Commences Leasing

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Distillery Road Market, a compelling destination designed to celebrate Australia’s love of fresh produce, dining and entertainment, is now calling for expressions of interest for a range of retailing opportunities.

Situated halfway between the Gold Coast and Brisbane in Beenleigh, Queensland and set to open in late 2020/ early 2021, Distillery Road Market (DRM) was formally announced as the name of Australia’s next great food market.

Rising from the ashes of a reclaimed commercial warehouse, the 17,000 sqm site is now being reimagined as a space for families, a source of regional growth and a magnet for tourists and the global food generation.

Opportunities for kindred retailers, food vendors and marketeers are now being tendered through Colliers International with over 4,500 sqm of lettable area on offer.

There will be a diverse range of flexible spaces available for forward thinking operators to establish or grow their business. Flexible lease lengths, a range of fitout inclusions and a compelling events and marketing strategy will ensure DRM entices the best operators in the market.

Kenton Campbell, CEO of Tonken Property Group – the project developer of Distillery Road Market – said the retail mix would reflect a growing trend toward more enriching retail, dining and social experiences.

“DRM actually brings together all the things I enjoy most in life – a wide variety of great food and beverage options, curated shopping experiences and a knock-out environment to sit back, relax and take it all in,” said Mr Campbell, who is also the founder of Australian specialty coffee success story, Zarraffa’s Coffee.

“I’m also both a retailer and a consumer, and I wanted to create a hub for everyone – both locals and tourists, families and couples, the young and old – somewhere that fuels all five senses.”

DRM will be established and run like a world leading market; rather than a traditional shopping mall. Trading across four days per week, from Thursday through to Sunday, DRM will transcend what is on offer in traditional retail precincts and transform people’s expectations of what is possible from a lifestyle destination.

“DRM will be unlike anything the south-east of Queensland has seen and will emulate iconic market experiences such as Chelsea Market in New York, Borough Market in London and The Grounds of Alexandria in Sydney and the South Melbourne Markets.”

DRM will house a curated offering of fresh food markets, grab-and-go eateries, restaurants, an iconic brewery, a thriving exhibition hall, a flower wonderland, Smokehouse, outdoor gardens, stage and children’s playground, enveloped by a vibrant market environment and activations.

“Our goal is that Distillery Road Market will be a statement to the world about food’s ability to support life and instil wonderment.”

DRM is expected to open late in 2020 with leasing opportunities now available, with the anchor tenant – the national headquarters of Zarraffa’s Coffee, including its roastery and warehouse and its bespoke Kiwanda Café – already situated within the precinct, occupying almost 7,000 sqm combined.

“The accessible location just off the M1 Motorway will attract a wide range of customers from diverse geographical and demographic backgrounds, exceeding a traditional trade area,” he said.

“It’s essential that we have the perfect balance of retailers, vendors and operators to deliver the DRM experience.”

Distillery Road Market site in Beenleigh

Luke McGrath, Colliers International Associate Director, sees a real opportunity to change the retail landscape in South East Queensland.

“Colliers are fortunate to work across many significant national retail projects. DRM is going to demonstrate to the retail community that by understanding the fundamentals of the modern retail environment, we can not only create a truly compelling destination for tourists and locals, we can provide a business environment that supports long term financial stability for operators,” said Mr McGrath.

Mr Campbell believes food remains the social glue that brings people and families together and that DRM will offer a truly exceptional fresh food and dining offer that will excite and attract people from near and far.

“We are searching for the region’s finest operators to join us and make Distillery Road Market a reality.”

Expressions of interest can be made via the http://www.drm.market website or by contacting Luke McGrath – Colliers International – 0418 295 091 | Luke.Mcgrath@colliers.com

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artists impression of Distillery Road Market
Distillery Road Market site in Beenleigh
Distillery Road Market site in Beenleigh - internal view

Park Ridge potential to be unlocked

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A strategy by City of Logan to fast-track the development of commercial and industrial land to create jobs and attract new business will turn its focus to Park Ridge.

Council commenced its Next Generation Employments Lands Strategy in 2017. The project is designed to promote and facilitate the development of mixed-use, low-impact and medium-impact industry zoned land to provide greater certainty for business, investors and the community.

A key strategic action of the project is to undertake a Park Ridge economic corridor study to efficiently design and deliver infrastructure. The industry zoned area in Park Ridge forms an integral part of the major enterprise and industrial area defined in the Regional Plan of State Government (ShapingSEQ).

Park Ridge and Priority Development Areas Yarrabilba and Greater Flagstone collectively account for 45 per cent of the city’s economic growth, or almost 30,000 jobs, of the projected employment of 66,000 jobs for the city by 2041.

Council’s Director of Strategy and Sustainability David Hansen, said Park Ridge remains undeveloped and untested in the market.

“It is important to undertake more detailed land use and infrastructure planning to increase investor confidence and protect the industrial zoned area from encroachment,” he said.

“Failure to do so will result in Logan losing its regional competitiveness in the supply of major industrial zoned land within the next five to10 years.”

Mr Hansen said Park Ridge risked missing out on vital infrastructure investment unless this strategy is developed and implemented to ensure its future competitiveness.

“For Park Ridge to remain competitive, the efficient design and delivery of infrastructure, including roads, needs to be further explored. Issues such as improved accessibility for the north-south connectivity are essential to attract new industrial development,” he said.

“We want to develop a market-ready industrial land bank and Park Ridge is a crucial component of the strategy.”

Mr Hansen also noted some developer uncertainty brought on by a lack of detail around the timing and delivery of the proposed Park Ridge Connector by the State Government.

Payroll tax changes make QLD a more appealing place to do business

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Changes to payroll tax from this year’s State Budget came into effect on 1 July 2019, with an estimated 13,000 Queensland businesses to benefit from these changes.

Payroll tax changes will help more businesses grow and create more jobs.

Under this year’s State Budget $885 million has been committed to target payroll tax initiatives to support businesses to drive the economy and create more jobs.

“This includes increasing the exemption threshold for payroll tax for all Queensland businesses from $1.1 million to $1.3 million – this will mean 1,500 additional businesses will no longer pay any payroll tax.” Said Minister for Employment and Small Business Shannon Fentiman.

“We have also extended our 50 per cent payroll tax rebate for businesses taking on an apprentice or trainee and where Queensland employers have increased their number of full-time employees, they will be eligible for a payroll tax rebate for these additional employees from today.”

Starting 1 July, Queensland will have one of the highest payroll tax thresholds and lowest tax rates in the country. This makes Queensland one of the most competitive states to start and grow a small business.

Around 2800 businesses will be better off in the Greater Brisbane region as a result of the combined payroll tax changes under this year’s State budget.

The Queensland Government offers a range of information, support and programs to assist new businesses to start and existing businesses to grow.

“In addition to the payroll tax package, in this year’s State Budget we have committed a further $4 million to continue our successful small business grants, we will develop an online one-stop-shop for businesses and an online tool to make employing an apprentice or trainee easier for small business,” Ms Fentiman said.

“We have also recently released the Queensland Small Business Procurement Commitment, which is working to make it easier for small businesses to work with Government and reduce payment times from 30 days to 20 days.”

For further information visit www.business.qld.gov.au or call 1300 369 935.

View the full press release.

Summits shape exciting futures for city centres

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Two key city centres in Logan will receive $10 million in funding to deliver projects that will drive investment and economic growth.

Funding forms part of the 2019/20 Budget delivered by Logan City Council.

Meadowbrook’s evolution into a health and wellbeing precinct will be boosted with $5 million, with another $5 million set aside to unlock the economic potential of Logan Central.

Logan City Council Strategy and Sustainability Director David Hansen, said funding for the city centres was set aside following successful Council-hosted summits last year.

Officers from Council’s Economic Development and Strategy team collated the feedback from summit attendees and community members to compile a list of priority projects.

“This funding means we can take these projects from being ideas on paper through to the planning, detailed designed, and ultimately delivery stages,” Mr Hansen said.

“Meadowbrook is well-placed to become a leading health precinct.

“It is already home to the Logan Hospital, Griffith University and TAFE campuses, making it Logan’s prime site for health care and advanced education.

“This funding will allow for infrastructure upgrades along Loganlea Road, such as a new pedestrian crossing between the hospital and shopping centre, as well as projects aimed at attracting health-care and education investment to the area.

“Logan Central is another significant city centre, incorporating Council offices and chambers, the Logan Entertainment Centre, major retail centres and a richly diverse community.

“This funding will allow Council to proceed with projects that stimulate the local economy and enhance its standing as the cultural centre of Logan.”

Some of the key projects identified for Logan Central include:

  • A shared pathway and promenade from Wembley Rd to Logan Gardens, connecting to the upcoming water park, incorporating gathering spaces, street furniture, lighting and public art
  • Free Wi-Fi to Logan Gardens
  • A Streetscape Masterplan for the Croydon Road Precinct, including Croydon Road and its laneways, Station Road, Railway Parade and Blackwood Road and delivery of streetscape upgrades
  • Place Branding, Centre Activation and Building Improvement Strategies aimed to improve place identity, improving a night time economy and encouraging land owners and business to invest in upgrades to shop fronts

Projects for Meadowbrook include:

  • Delivering a new pedestrian crossing on Loganlea Road between Logan Hospital and Meadowbrook Woolworths Shopping Centre
  • Create a ‘Meadowbrook Leadership Group’ comprising of key stakeholders to champion Meadowbrook as Logan’s premier destination for health-care and education investment
  • Implement works to start the transformation of Loganlea Road into a ‘Healthy Street’, including street scaping and street trees, an improved pedestrian environment and off-road cycle infrastructure
  • Develop a transport and parking strategy for Meadowbrook, including a feasibility study for multi-level car parking

In addition to the above funding, an initial $300,000 has been set aside for the planning of place-making projects and programs for Jimboomba, to deliver on the key outcomes from the Jimboomba Summit, Council’s most recent summit.

Jimboomba’s centre provides essential retail, commercial, community and educational services to the regional community, including the rapidly-growing Flagstone development.

About 200 community members and business owners attended the March event to give their feedback on projects that could meet the needs of a growing community and boost the local economy.

A list of priority projects is still to be determined. In previous budgets, $5 million was allocated to Beenleigh and Springwood following similar summits in those locations.