A quiet revolution is taking place in Queensland. My Government is working with Queenslanders to make our State a place where ideas and innovation flourish, education is of the highest quality, the economy thrives and jobs are rewarding. It’s the SmartState vision and as Queensland forges an international reputation in education, training, research, development, commercialisation and new and exciting industries, the vision is becoming a reality.3
In December 1998, at the end of his first six months in office, Queensland Premier Peter Beattie set seven priorities for Government for the year ahead. The top priority was jobs, but among the others for 1999 was ‘…making Queensland “the smart state” by improving the workforce skills base and raising general education levels, and improving quality of life for all Queenslanders.’4 In the same month, in a number of forums, the Premier referred to Queensland as the “Action State” where businesses should seek to invest.
The Government’s Smart State vision strengthened over the next several years, with investment in new and creative industries including biotechnology, aviation and games, strengthening of research links, and reforms of the State’s education and training system.
In April 2005, the Queensland Government released the SmartState Strategy 2005 – 2015 for ‘…a state where knowledge, creativity and innovation drive economic growth to improve prosperity and quality of life for all Queenslanders’. The Smart State vision is to deliver on the seven key priority areas of:
In the 2005 Strategy, the Government’s vision of the Smart State clearly connected to its sunshine origins, with the Foreword over the Premier’s signature drawing links between Queensland’s sunshine past and its smart future, and the links between becoming smart and creating the jobs of tomorrow for Queensland’s children. ‘We have a brilliant environment, great climate and enviable lifestyle. If we don’t continue to change, the Sunshine State will still be a comfortable place to live. But we will be overtaken… Queensland will become a technological and education backwater, slumbering in the sun.’ The overarching message is ‘Continue to innovate or stagnate.’