Trade and employment
A FORMER Woodridge High School student has been appointed Queensland’s inaugural Pacific Trade Commissioner.
Ms Leata Alaimoana is spearheading the Pacific Trade Strategy that will bolster the vital trade and investment relationship between Queensland and Pacific nations.
Ms Alaimoana moved to Logan from New Zealand as a teenager, a familiar journey for many in the community which has one of the largest populations of Pacific Islands ancestry in the country.
The relationship with our Pacific neighbours is also a vital economic link for Queensland.
In 2021, Queensland exports to Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu were valued at $856 million.
That’s more than three of every ten Australian export dollars to the region.
To bolster the relationship, I announced Queensland’s inaugural Pacific Trade Strategy in Port Moresby last year.
Ms Alaimoana will drive this strategy with the help of two regionally based business development specialists.
She started her professional career in investment attraction and industry development for the Queensland Government 20 years ago.
In that role she was pivotal in securing Queensland as the home of Qantas’s fleet of Dreamliner aircrafts.
Ms Alaimoana spent the past five years as Pacific Trade Invest Impact’s Investment Manager for the region’s peak economic organisation the Pacific Islands Forum.
Ms Alaimoana said she was “thrilled” to be leading the Queensland Government’s Pacific Trade Strategy Plan.
“Bringing my proud Pacific Island heritage to Queensland is a distinct privilege,” she said.
“There are so many synergies and great opportunities that we can explore with Queensland’s closest neighbours and I’m confident that this targeted focus will result in very positive trade and investment outcomes that will benefit our state and the entire region.”
The new position is funded under the Queensland Trade and Investment Strategy 2022-2032, which highlights that one in five Queensland jobs is supported by exports.
The state government’s programs, such as this, has allowed more than 1000 Queenslanders to find a job each week over the past year.
Last month’s Labour Force data showed there were an extra 6400 jobs created across the state.
The Logan-Beaudesert region added 7100 jobs over the past 12 months.
Other economic data news
QUEENSLAND is the best place in Australia to live and continues to be the best place to work and do business.
The strength of the Queensland economy was evident in the latest NAB Business Survey released this month.
It showed business conditions in Queensland were the strongest of all the states, and well above the historical average.
Queensland’s gross state product grew by 4.4 per cent over the 2021-22 financial year.
By comparison, the national average was 3.6 per cent.
Consumer spending is up 17 per cent on the same time last year, according to card data provided by the major banks.
The value of Queensland’s exports over the 12 months to February was $135.8 billion, remaining at record highs.
Exports are up 49 percent on the previous 12 months.
Queensland’s tax settings remain competitive, with the average Queenslander paying $647 less than the average Australian, and $1067 less than the average NSW resident.
But notwithstanding the strength of the Queensland economy, the global outlook remains uncertain.
Our government is acutely aware of the challenges that lie ahead.
The International Monetary Fund’s latest forecast saw a downgrade in its global economic outlook.
The IMF now expects economic growth to slow over the next two years, amid the impacts of higher global interest rates and persistent inflation in many countries.
These global trends are likely to also impact on economic growth outcomes in Queensland in the near-term.
But as we face these challenges, we do so from a position of unrivalled strength.
Our diverse economy, our highly skilled workforce, and above all, the resilience of Queenslanders, mean we are well positioned to confront whatever lies ahead.
QLD day awards
Know someone that goes above and beyond for our local community in the Woodridge Electorate?
Nominate them for a Woodridge Queensland Day Award 2023.
Our Woodridge Queensland Day Awards aim to recognise the volunteers who’ve made amazing contributions to our local community.
Queensland Day is held annually on 6 June and commemorates Queensland’s official separation from New South Wales as an independent colony on 6 June 1859.
Queensland Day 2023 marks 164 years since this occasion.
This is a great opportunity to celebrate what is great about Queensland, be it a community worker or volunteer, a local nurse, teacher or police officer who works in our community, or just a good neighbour.
Last year Diverse Connections founder and facilitator Rose Karlo was awarded for her valuable contribution to the local community.
If you know someone who has gone above and beyond to make our part of Queensland such a great place to live and work, I encourage you to nominate them for a Woodridge Queensland Day Award.
To nominate someone call my electorate office on 3445 4100 or visit https://forms.gle/1n14rg6xngKpr63a9.
