Any measure that focusses on getting our young people equipped with essential skills and knowledge for the future is a smart outcome for our city.
It was therefore pleasing to see a strong investment in the City of Logan’s future in the recent State Government Budget.
A committed $50 million will go towards upgrading and building new schools with a further $26.9 million in 2020-21 to construct a new primary school in North Maclean. That’s great news for our city, our students and our dedicated teachers.
It will also help us to cater to the growing education needs of the city.
Funding also continued for several high-profile projects that Council has advocated for, including the extension of the south-east busway to Loganholme ($500 million) and upgrades to the Mt Lindesay Highway ($10.6 million).
Another Budget ‘wins’ for Logan includes; a state-wide $15 million Community Infrastructure Investment Partnership program established to deliver additional and improved community infrastructure to support social services in communities.
A flagship initiative under the program will be in Logan – the Access Economic Hub. The pilot project will provide a full range of employment readiness, job training, social enterprise and business incubator services and link people to social services. The project will support up to 22 construction jobs in Logan and makes good on an election commitment of $7 million.
There’s also a new $1 million commitment for intersection improvement works at Waterford-Tamborine Road and Easterly Street at Waterford to ease congestion issues, and additional funding for the planning of the Park Ridge Connector. While Council is pleased that planning for the Park Ridge Connector continues, we would like to see the State Government bring the project forward as a priority to open up employment-creating land and to create new jobs.
Council’s Digital Infrastructure and Connectivity Program also received funding to identify opportunities to build or extend digital networks.
With previous funding commitments for the exciting revamp of the Kingston Butter Factory, streetscape upgrades in Loganlea, the Logan Village to Yarrabilba Rail Trail and upgrades to the Beenleigh Town Centre, the city is in pretty good shape.
And our economic recovery is gaining pace. It continues to buck the trend to attract billions of dollars in business investment when globally the economy has slowed.
This private sector investment, combined with the strong government investment we have seen in the State Budget, contributes to the appeal of Logan as the best place to live and do business in South-East Queensland .
