TropLinks Inc: Further submission to Green Paper
We wish to comment further on the Green Paper after making our submission previously.
While we are very grateful for the opportunity to make a submission to the development of the White Paper
on Developing Northern Australia and be heard by the Committee, we feel that key parts of our submission
were not adequately reflected in the Green Paper.
May we take the opportunity to emphasise again some of these key points:
1. Northern Australia business is mainly made up of the SME sector. Unlike SME’s located in the
southern regions, there are very few large companies co-located with northern SME’s. Any effective
Northern Australia policy needs to reflect the business environment of the region rather than
transplanting a metropolitan-centric model.
2.
SME’s often lack the critical mass to pursue larger opportunities domestically and internationally
both in opportunity identification and the winning/servicing of the opportunity. Policy and
environment which support SMEs working collaboratively to exploit opportunities will be critical to a
successful Northern Australia region.
3. While often being at the forefront of their sectors, these SME’s often lack the branding power to be
recognised domestically and internationally when compared with businesses in southern Australia.
4. Although the regional research community has capability which often leads the world in a range of
tropical-related sectors, the capability exists mostly within small groups or relatively few individuals
previously without effective coordination.
5. State and Commonwealth Government agencies are able to offer very limited support due to the
comparatively small population base in Northern Australia compared with southern metropolitan
regions where greater “bang for buck” is achievable, and local government has little capacity or will
to offer such support.
6. The limited support is not due to any failing of public servants but is a result of the direction given to
them and the resources made available to service the Northern region. Business, researchers and
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POST PO Box 6388 Cairns QLD Australia 4870 O ABN 22 114 712 507
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the Northern Australia community must look within their own capability to a greater extent to
advance their economic development.
7. There is a need for a mechanism that services SME’s in northern Australia that is properly resourced
and will service their needs for establishment and growth of theise businesses. Taken as a whole,
these needs are quite different to those of SME’s in the southern regions
8. This mechanism needs to be independent and would put private business/researchers/economic
development agencies together to:
- Create the critical mass required to pursue larger economic opportunities by matching
complementary capabilities amongst business, research and community organisations.
- Coach and guide SMEs in the pursuit of economic opportunities
- Advocate for the advantages of employing Northern Australia’s “Tropical Expertise” brand in
economic and social development
- Develop a “one-stop shop” within the region to facilitate the consolidation of Tropical
Expertise messages to the rest of the world, domestically and internationally
TropLinks is already providing some of these services but presently is largely comprised of a membership
living/working in Far North Queensland. But it has the capacity and the vision to expand and serve SMEs
across the whole of northern Australia. To do so however it needs to have the financial and human
resources to scale up.
OFFICE Suite
12, Woree Business Plaza, 12-24 Toogood Road Woree Cairns QLD Australia 4868
POST PO Box 6388 Cairns QLD Australia 4870 O ABN 22 114 712 507
P +61 7 4033 0586 O E info@troplinks.com
www.troplinks.com
In the next few sections we provide a brief overview of TropLinks for your information.
TropLinks Vision
To grow the Tropical Economy of Australia
TropLinks Mission Statement
TropLinks will maximise the capacity to develop, commercialise and export Tropical Expertise (science,
knowledge and innovation) in:
 Tropical Environmental Services
 Tropical Agriculture
 Tropical Health
 Tropical Living (including built environment, education, tourism, services to mining)
Membership Basis: Those with a desire to develop, commercialise and export tropical expertise (science,
knowledge and innovation)
Membership-base includes:
 Private sector businesses
 Businesses and industry groups
 Individuals
 Research bodies
 Educational Institutions
 International members
Membership will be fee-based though free currently
OFFICE Suite
12, Woree Business Plaza, 12-24 Toogood Road Woree Cairns QLD Australia 4868
POST PO Box 6388 Cairns QLD Australia 4870 O ABN 22 114 712 507
P +61 7 4033 0586 O E info@troplinks.com
www.troplinks.com
Assistance with Critical Issues for Members:
Business matching/Opportunity Identification: especially collaborative bids/alliances
 Stakeholder engagement: build critical mass to pursue larger projects
 Promotion of “Tropical Expertise” branding
 Advocacy and coordination
 Funding and capital raising: investment for projects, industry development
Opportunity Engagement with Members:
 Distribution of Business Opportunities to Members: Free of Charge, Benefit of Membership
 Initial Information and Advice: Free of Charge, Benefit of Membership
 Targetted Assistance, Market Research: Fee for Service
 TropLinks Participation in Projects, Tenders: Fee for Service, Equity Participation
Strong support from Qld & Federal Government business units
Qld Government
Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
 Trade and Investment Qld
 Agriculture, Food, Tourism and Regional Services
 Environmental Technologies
 Technology and Commercialisation
 HEAT initiative (Creative Industries Unit)
 R&D Forums and Tech Clinics (Commercialisation & Innovations Networks Team)
 Regional Offices
Department of Environment and Resource Management
Federal Government
 Austrade
 AusIndustry
OFFICE Suite
12, Woree Business Plaza, 12-24 Toogood Road Woree Cairns QLD Australia 4868
POST PO Box 6388 Cairns QLD Australia 4870 O ABN 22 114 712 507
P +61 7 4033 0586 O E info@troplinks.com
www.troplinks.com
Working Partnerships and Alliances
 Advance Cairns
 Cairns Regional Council
 Townsville Enterprise
 Townsville Chamber of Commerce
 Cairns Institute
 Qld Tropical Health Alliance
 Regional Development Australia (RDA)
 Pacific Power Association
 Cairns Chamber of Commerce
 Mareeba Chamber of Commerce
 Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce
 Australia-PNG Business Council
Past Activities Highlights
 $14M earned by TropLinks members
 Treasurer’s Trade Mission to PNG
 Member’s Trade Mission to PNG
 Trade Mission to Asian Development Bank
 Pacific Power Association Annual Conference
 NT Engagement Mission
 TropLinks International Symposium
 Inaugural Sponsor Tropical Innovation Awards
 2 Trade Missions to Guam
OFFICE Suite
12, Woree Business Plaza, 12-24 Toogood Road Woree Cairns QLD Australia 4868
POST PO Box 6388 Cairns QLD Australia 4870 O ABN 22 114 712 507
P +61 7 4033 0586 O E info@troplinks.com
www.troplinks.com