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.

New private hospital planned for Meadowbrook

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A private hospital and health hub development being assessed by Logan City Council could help alleviate health service demands in the city.

Australian Unity has lodged an application for a $150 million facility to help meet the demands for medical and surgical services in one of South-East Queensland’s fastest growing health precincts.

The first stage of the proposed Meadowbrook development will deliver up to 90 inpatient beds, nine operating theatres, 60 specialist consulting suites, an onsite pathology laboratory and diagnostic imaging centre.

It will sit opposite Logan Hospital and is well connected to public transport services.

If approved, construction could begin in early 2023.

Meadowbrook will become a major health and wellbeing precinct, with recent Council upgrades improving pedestrian access to vital services.

View the transcript for this video

Mayor Darren Power welcomed the project application as Council continues to drive private health investment in the city.

“The Australian Unity Private Hospital lodgement aligns with Council’s vision for the Meadowbrook health and wellbeing precinct and will help address the huge demand for health services in our city,” Cr Power said.

“A new private hospital will attract doctors, nurses, specialists and health operators while also creating new local jobs.

“While the development application still requires approval, Council welcomes this project and other health investments proposed for the City of Logan.”

Australian Unity’s General Manager of Health Care Property, Chris Smith, said the facility would deliver critical services to the local community.

“Australian Unity is delighted to be leading the delivery of this high-quality asset, which will improve health outcomes and provide long-term income and capital growth for our investors,” he said.

“It builds on our well-established track record as one of Queensland’s most trusted private healthcare developer-managers.”

More than 30,000 square metres of private health and medical services are expected to be delivered across the city in the next 12 months to three years.

Artists render of planned Meadowbrook Private Hospital

Artists render of planned Meadowbrook Private Hospital

Council has a history of campaigning for more medical services in the city.

In 2018, Council commissioned research to identify medical development and investment opportunities in the city.

“The research analysed current and future demand for health services, identified service delivery gaps and explored investment drivers in health services,” Cr Power said.

Earlier this year, Cr Power called on the Queensland Government to work with the private sector to ease the burden on Logan Hospital and state health services.