10 August 2022
Published 26 November 2019
The future development and investment decisions to unlock The Mill PDA will be determined by an independent board of experts, free of political influence.
Mayor Allan Sutherland said today’s vote in Council to create ‘MillCo’ is about taking the politics out of decision making at The Mill.
“Just as Brisbane has achieved with South Bank and Sunshine Coast Regional Council is doing with SunCentral, this is about good governance that’s focussed on long-term objective well beyond the four-year electoral cycles of Councils,” he said.
“I’m thrilled Council supports the logic of establishing an independent board to make strategic and hopefully daring decisions for our region’s most exciting project.
“So we are now on the hunt to recruit the nation’s best and brightest minds in law, accounting, land use planning and the property industry to form the inaugural board of MillCo.
“Mark my words, this moment will forever change the future of Moreton Bay, by allowing the board the agility and freedom to pounce on future trends without bureaucratic or political complications.
“This is about creating local job opportunities for decades to come, not just a term or two of whoever’s in council.”
Queensland’s Chief Entrepreneur Leanne Kemp said it was an exciting decision that marked the start of something big.
“The Mill PDA is a bold new vision for the region. As Queensland’s Chief Entrepreneur, and a proud local from Samford Valley, I am excited at the prospect of what’s been proposed to transform a large site into an innovation hub,” she said.
“The Mill is driven by a strong vision, based firmly in the community and will be a technology-enabled precinct which will become a shining example of a space that will help us as we transform smart cities into intelligent communities.
“Mayor Allan Sutherland should be congratulated on this vision for what is a future-focused, connected, liveable city. He has embraced innovation at a transformative time and I would say thus defined his legacy as a leader.
“Queensland’s recently released ‘Building Our Innovation Economy’ policy provides for a well-considered blueprint and framework for how technology hubs like The Mill can be the catalyst to create digital corridors, digital trade windows and innovation precincts in our state. Alongside new internet connectivity and digital infrastructure, this will spark entirely new businesses, jobs and economy opportunities.
“We are so fortunate in Queensland to have incredible natural resources, natural beauty and natural talent; there are thousands of innovators, inventors, entrepreneurs and startups across the state and this new precinct gives us the opportunity to foster innovation and put Queensland on the map internationally.
“This announcement and proposal for The Mill is a point in time we will look back on in 10 years’ time as the acorn of an idea that grew into a mighty oak.”
Australia’s leading futurist and demographer Bernard Salt said this decision was not just improve the current quality of life, but improving the quality of life of future residents.
“I absolutely do think it’s the right thing for the local Council to get right behind the university and the railway and anything else that delivers job opportunities and fluidity to this part of southeast Queensland,” he said.
“At the end of the day it’s about more than just maintaining the status quo, you have a responsibility in elected political office to think about the future.
“I would not want to see this region in the 2020s and 2030s develop as a dormitory suburb of Brisbane. I’d actually want my kids to have the option of having a fulfilling career locally.
“I’d love to see a greater emphasis on the development of professional jobs and I think once the university’s up and running, then five or six years later you’ll see a stronger professional job element moving into the demographic.”
To find out more about The Mill at Moreton Bay, visit mbrc.qld.gov.au/The-Mill