Brisbane: a year of growth with much more to come

In October this year Purple celebrated the one-year anniversary of the opening of our Brisbane office.

The year has passed very quickly, which probably confirms the adage that time flies when you’re having fun (and keeping busy).

The feedback from clients confirms that having a physical presence in Queensland has been enormously beneficial. While technology has shrunk the world to an extent, there’s still something significant to be said for the kind of face-to-face contact that enables us to get to really know a client and understand their opportunities and challenges.

Much like Perth and Western Australia, the resources sector is at the heart of the economic fortunes of Brisbane and Queensland. I’m grateful for the way Purple has been welcomed into the local resources community through involvement in a range of events including exploration showcases, major conferences such as the Noosa Mining Conference, oil and gas panels and Women-in-Mining events.

We have also forged a successful partnership with the Brisbane Mining Club, helping promote its events and activities and producing videos for its digital channels.

You’ll notice I used the word “we”, because mid-way through the year our Brisbane office expanded with the addition of media intelligence officer Tonisha Kelleher. Tonisha is a talented writer and emerging communications professional and her east coast location has enabled our clients across the country to receive daily media intelligence reports early in the morning.

Speaking of location, Purple is well placed to connect with Brisbane from our offices at Level 34, 1 Eagle Street. Not only do we enjoy rooms with a view (and a top vantage point for River Fire!) – we have great meeting spaces available. If you ever want to pop by for a visit, just drop me an email or give us a call!

I guess the biggest story I would tell out of our first year in Brisbane is one of “growth.” Partly growth for Purple but also sustained growth for both this city and state.

Queensland’s population hit five million in June, an increase of more than 11 per cent in the past eight years. By the year 2041, the population of Brisbane alone is forecast to reach 1.5 million, with more than 260,000 jobs created in that period.

The Queensland economy is projected to grow by a healthy three per cent in 2019-20 and mining and resources will continue to be the biggest single contributor to growth.

One of the more exciting initiatives for Queensland will be the bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games. If successful, this would result in major investment in infrastructure, transport and sporting facility construction.

Slightly lower-key, but no less intriguing to watch in the shorter term, will be the machinations around the Queensland election due in October 2020. It’s no secret that there was a sizeable swing against Labor in regional Queensland in this year’s Federal Election and it’s going to be fascinating to see how the incumbent State Labor government approaches next year’s poll.

My tip – we’re in for an interesting ride!

Peta Baldwin is Purple’s State Director in Queensland and an expert in investor relations and the resources industry, who has worked in in-house roles at Mount Isa Mines, Alcoa and most recently AngloGold Ashanti. She also has expertise in government relations and previously worked for Biosecurity Queensland. Contact Peta

Purple is a specialist communications consultancy with market-leading expertise in investor relations, government relations, stakeholder engagement, design and digital, corporate affairs, crisis communications, media training, media intelligence, video production and bespoke content creation.

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• The how-to guide for a successful Canberra lobbying trip
• When WeWork doesn’t work, what next for the property sector?
• How the resources industry keeps the Queensland economy ticking over