PRESTIGIOUS PLANNING AWARD
13 November 2024
There’s an extra spring in CHDC’s step after winning a prestigious award at the weekend.
The Central Highlands Workforce Development and Accommodation Strategy (WDAS) received a Commendation in the ‘Improving Planning Processes’ category of the 2024 Queensland Awards for Planning Excellence.
CHDC shares the accolade with Infinitum Partners and the National Property Research Company, who helped develop the WDAS, and came second only to the Brisbane City Council.
The judges were particularly impressed by the engagement with over 30 stakeholders, which not only facilitated the development of the WDAS but also fostered ongoing commitment through the establishment of the Workforce and Accommodation Collective (WAC), meeting monthly to ensure continued collaboration and progress.
CHDC Regional Development Coordinator Deb Barns is immensely proud of the achievement.
“This kind of endorsement from the Planning Institute of Australia affirms that the Strategy is a true game-changer for our region,” Ms Barns says.
“This award gives all of us at CHDC and in the WAC a fresh burst of determination to keep up the momentum.
“It also helps to raise awareness about our region with the movers-and-shakers in Queensland’s capital.”
The WDAS was launched in April this year to tackle a broad range of challenges, especially housing supply and workforce shortages, to realise the Central Highlands’ full potential.
Early progress includes:
- Securing QLD Government funding for a project to boost our region’s childcare availability
- Collaborating with Kestrel Coal Resources, Duke Housing and Central Highlands Regional Council to secure a display home using Modern Methods of Construction
- A major marketing campaign to attract talent to hard-to-fill industry sectors, such as childcare and construction.
- A position paper to try to bring down airfares.
Read more about it in the Awards Winners booklet (we’re on page 52).
