Academics, businesspeople and government officials will come together on Thursday, 11 August to participate in a half-day conference which will consider whether the Sunshine Coast is positioned to successfully deliver an economic ‘ripple effect’ similar to those being experienced by comparable health precincts nationally and internationally.
The ‘Realising the Ripple Effect’ conference – being hosted by the Sunshine Coast Business Council – will take place at the Maroochy RSL Events Centre and will focus largely on the impacts posed by the multi-billion-dollar Sunshine Coast Health Campus.
Brian Haratsis
Sunshine Coast Business Council Chair Sandy Zubrinich said the upcoming event would feature a keynote address from Macroplan Dimasi Executive Chairman Brian Haratsis who will share his insights as to how the Sunshine Coast region can better leverage the enormous investment that has been made to-date in the Kawana health precinct and how it could become a centre of excellence for medical research and innovation.”
“Brian is a best-selling author and futurist and is regarded as one of the country’s leading economic and strategic advisors operating in the property sector,” Ms Zubrinich said.
“He has a wealth of experience in the delivery of major projects and forecasting future trends, so I am confident he will be able to share some valuable information around how the new health precinct will influence our region and what needs to be done to prepare for the changes.”
Ms Zubrinich said with the Sunshine Coast Health Campus forecast to inject more than $3 billion into the local economy followed by a further $447 million per year once the Sunshine Coast Public University Hospital is operational, it was essential that secure foundations were in place to support the strong economic growth predicted for the region.
“The Sunshine Coast is already beginning to experience some of the economic benefits presented by the health campus and now is the time to ride the wave of opportunity and attract further investment to the region.”
“Business, industry and government need to work together to identify how we can best leverage off this significant development and put steps in place to ensure our region prospers. This conference will strongly encourage forward-planning so our region can thrive over the long term and capitalize on the opportunities.”
Ms Zubrinich said while Kawana-based businesses would undoubtedly reap the rewards of having the Sunshine Coast Health Campus in their backyard, the positive impacts would also be felt across the broader Sunshine Coast region.
“The ripple effect stemming from the new development will be widespread and extend far beyond the health sector and the suburbs immediately surrounding the precinct.”
“The impact will be vast and across all industries — whether it’s the provision of accommodation, laundry services, floral arrangements, servicing of equipment, IT support or even hospitality offerings, a broad range of services will be required to support the new health hub.”
In addition to the keynote address being delivered by Mr Haratsis, event attendees will also have the opportunity to hear presentations from KPMG’s James Matthews, University of the Sunshine Coast Professor Marianne Wallis, Kawana Chamber of Commerce President Linda Delamotte, Stockland Sunshine Coast Regional Manager Ben Simpson and Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson.
“We are delighted to have such high calibre speakers presenting as part of the event and look forward to hearing about the opportunities available for small-to-medium-size enterprises as well as the learnings we can draw from other existing health campuses.”
Ms Zubrinich said the upcoming conference would also include a panel discussion regarding the readiness of the public and private sectors to harness the economic and health benefits on offer.
The ‘Realising the Ripple Effect’ conference will be held at the Maroochy RSL Events Centre on Thursday, 11 August from 2pm. Tickets cost $85 for Sunshine Coast Business Council members and $95 for non-members and can be purchased at www.trybooking.com/207448. Bookings close on Friday, 5 August.