Minister's foreword

The Honourable Dale Last MP

Minister for Natural Resources and Mines
Minister for Manufacturing
Minister for Regional and Rural Development

Queensland's manufacturing industry is a sleeping giant, ready to be awakened.

Around 175,000 Queenslanders make things, solve problems and support their families through manufacturing. The industry alone contributes $29 billion to our economy. I want to see both those numbers grow.

Whether it's food processing, defence technologies or metals refining, products made in Queensland are in high demand. But we're not blind to the challenges that lie ahead. Global uncertainty and rapid technological advances have made it clear that we need a plan
to sharpen our competitive edge and unlock new opportunities for exports. That's exactly what the Transforming Queensland Manufacturing Strategy is all about.

The strategy is our roadmap to making Queensland the most attractive place in the nation for businesses to invest, build and grow. Designed in collaboration with the Queensland Manufacturing Advisory Council, it sets out a clear vision to drive innovation, lift productivity and grow our export markets over the next 5 years. It aims to build on Queensland's traditional strengths like value adding in mining and agriculture, while expanding our capabilities in growth sectors such as defence and biomedical.

Queensland manufacturers are well positioned to seize the emerging opportunities, with a strong regional workforce, world-class natural resources, a productive agricultural sector and a strategic location in the Asia–Pacific.

Along with this strategy, we're backing Queensland manufacturers with targeted grants, more regional support through our expanded Manufacturing Hub network and a commitment to cutting red tape and putting downward pressure on energy prices.