No Images? Click here The numbers tell the storyAs a Council, one of our key mantras has been “if you get the money right, everything else will follow”. In the past six years, things have certainly turned around in terms of Council’s financial health. Our financial position ranks very favourably when measured against all Queensland Councils, with our residential rates and debt levels amongst the lowest in the State. Provided we maintain discipline, the current trajectory can continue well into the future. Council finished the 2017-18 financial year with a $1.8 million operating surplus, we spent $381 million in the community, notably with 89% spent in the local area through materials, services and employment. The Cairns LGA Unemployment Rate for the September Quarter 2018 was 5.8% and this remained unchanged from the June quarter 2018. Our total labour force (smoothed) was 84,582. The Gross Regional Product of Cairns rose again this year to $8.83 billion, recording 3.3% growth – the most positive movement in this metric since 2007. One of the more interesting metrics that demonstrates the advances the Cairns economy is experiencing is the increase in the value added of our industry sectors. Value added by industry is an indicator of business productivity in Cairns. Out of 19 sectors, 12 showed an increase in value added - construction is up by 10% on the previous year, manufacturing is up by 23%, and administrative and support services up by 20%. Learn how .id can help inform your businessThe .id suite of data is a free resource available to be used by businesses, community groups, researchers and the general public. This workshop, presented by Jim Myhill from .id, will provide an overview of the information available and how it can be used to assist your organisation for planning, reporting, business cases, grant and funding submissions and more!
RSVP by Wednesday 13 February. Making 'cents' of solar and storageSolar is here and batteries are coming … is now the right time to invest? Cairns Regional Council and Ergon Energy presents this workshop for all residents or businesses considering installing solar or battery storage. Meet local experts who can help you cut through the hype and work out what makes sense for you.
Cairns Regional Council is a proud sponsor of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce's February luncheon and workshop with Naomi Simson. Join us on Tuesday 26 February at the Cairns Convention Centre and learn in more depth the strategies and techniques for running a small to medium business with confidence. Please note there are limited spots available.
Indigenous business workshopIBA runs workshops for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have well-researched business proposals and are ready to start their own business. Attendees are asked to bring documented business proposals and work undertaken to develop a business idea. For more information or to RSVP email supportteam@iba.gov.au or phone 1800 107 107 and ask for Russell Schmidt.
Social Media workshopSocial media marketing (SMM) is a powerful way for businesses of all sizes to reach customers and if you're not speaking directly to your audience through social platforms, you're missing out! During this workshop we will take a look various social media platforms and identify which platforms are more beneficial to individual businesses based on their SMM objective:
Support the Cairns 2050 Shared VisionThe Cairns 2050 shared vision has been released and all residents are now asked to 'sign on' to deliver a prosperous future for our city. Community and economic leaders have joined together to develop a plan for Cairns that will deliver an improved quality of life for the community both today and into the future. To help secure State and Federal investment in the vision, we need to be able to demonstrate that the Cairns community backs it. Your support is critical. 'Sign on' and show your support for the vision by clicking the button below and help us deliver an even better future for Cairns. Plan ahead for all possible disruptions to your business!Resilience is a shared responsibility so it’s up to everyone to make sure they’re prepared for the current cyclone/summer season. Your risk assessment and impact analysis need to include all the hazards that could affect you in the Cairns region – not necessarily just cyclones, storm surge or flood. Click the following links to access helpful resources and tools: Download the My Cairns App todayMy Cairns is a FREE APP designed to make life easier for residents, business owners and visitors. Opt-in to receive information about events, services and alerts such as works programs, beach and road closures, severe weather warnings and key events that may impact their business and customers. My Cairns also makes it easier for businesses to report a problem. My Cairns is available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Nominate an outstanding woman today!Do you know a woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the Cairns community? Nominations are now open for Woman of the Year and Young Woman of the Year, as well as Council’s $2000 International Women’s Day Scholarship. Nomination forms are available at Libraries, Council’s Spence Street building and the Council website. Nominations close on Wednesday 27 February. Winners will be announced at the International Women’s Day Breakfast at the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino, Urchins Room, on Friday 8 March. Enjoy motivating speakers, prizes and a gourmet breakfast. Tickets for the award ceremony will be available for purchase on Monday (4 February). Contact Ticketlink on 1300 855 835 or visit the website. Australia Day Awards CelebratedMayor Bob Manning presented the 2019 Australia Day Awards, including the Citizen of the Year and the Young Citizen of the Year, at a special breakfast event held at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre on Friday 25 January. All of the award recipients and nominees have displayed exceptional service to their communities.
Share in local dollars?Did you know ... ? Council injected $381 million directly into the Cairns economy last financial year through materials, services and employment. Council advertises tenders, expressions of interest and Requests For Quote in The Weekend Post and on our tenders web page. Free economic dataNeed sound data to keep abreast of key economic changes and make business decisions? Make use of Council's FREE Cairns Economic Profile tool. Powered by economy.id®, it presents easy-to-use data on local industry and economic performance, industry sectors, employment characteristics, infrastructure and assets. The Black Business Finder (BBF) is Queensland's online Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business directory. Commissioned by the Queensland Government's Industry Capability Network, the BBF connects project owners to Indigenous suppliers of goods and services. See more at www.bbf.org.au Want more Council news? Subscribe now!Keep up to date with all of Council's news, events and projects by signing up to our monthly community e-newsletter, Living in Cairns. We'd love your feedbackWe’re always interested in improving our communications and welcome your feedback on what you’d like to see more or less of. Email us with your thoughts! |