Australia’s leading social, generational and demographic commentator, and The Australian social columnist, Bernard Salt, has profiled Townsville in 2050.
Mr Salt was in Townsville to present at the Redefining Townsville: Townsville in 2050 forum, presented by Townsville Bulletin and James Cook University, late February.
According to Salt, Townsville has the bones to be a regional powerhouse; those bones or “hard-gets” being:
- A university
- A CSIRO division
- An airport
- Regional TV
- A military base
This foundation, along with Townsville’s key involvement in proposed national plans for North Australia, make few cities as well-positioned for growth and prosperity as Townsville.
To build on the foundation set by these “hard-gets”, Mr Salt emphasised a need for strong local enterprise and a can-do attitude.
Mr Salt also predicted Townsville’s population will grow from 180,000 people in 2014 to 340,000 people in 2050, which would place it as Australia’s eleventh largest city.