GENG1010 Assignment 1 - Development in Far North Queensland

Overview

Task 1
- Literature review of current state of infrastructure development
- Identify key areas which engineers will contribute in next decade
Task 2
- Research in detail a key area of development identified in Task 1
- May include: impact, regional significance, local context that may be a barrier, how will engineers contribute to the development
Task 3
- Reflect on Task 1 & 2

What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is a survey of literature (primary, secondary, grey, etc) which describe the state of the art in an area or provide the reader with the necessary background material required to understand the motivation and/or scope of the project you are working on.

Misc. Research

FNQ Infrastructure Plan

Government Priorities
- Homes for Queenslanders
- Energy and Jobs Plan
- Emissions Reduction + Renewable Energy Targets
- Local Thriving Communities
  - Valuing, protecting and promoting indigenous culture
- Climate, Biodiversity and the Environment
20-Year Outlook
- Decarbonisation
  - Net-zero infrastructure
    - e.g. use of recycled materials and minimising construction waste
  - 75% emissions reduction target for 2035
- Adaptation to climate change
  - Natural disaster mitigation/precautions
    - FNQ susceptible to flooding and cyclones
    - 12 disasters during 2023-24
  - Requires innovation in many FNQ industries
    - e.g. agriculture, marine, fishing and tourism
- Resilient infrastructure
  - Withstand, respond to and recover from seasonal weather impacts and natural disasters
    - Reduce disaster recovery costs
    - Case Study: Cyclone Jasper leaves trail of road damage
  - Ensure supply chain security
- National Security
- Health and Wellbeing
  - Ageing population
  - Growing interest/expenditure in personal health/wellbeing
  - Accessible, specialist medical services
    - Community-based healthcare facilities
  - Poorer health outcomes currently for people living in rural and remote Australia
    - Higher for first nations
Future opportunities
- Critical minerals to grow in demand → FNQ could expand into being a global supplier
Adaptation to climate change (research)
$[3]$
- Region can expect in future:
  - Higher temperatures
  - More intense downpours
  - More intense tropical cyclones
  - Rising sea level and more frequent sea-level extremes
  - Warmer and more acidic seas
- Many cities in FNQ located around coast
- Quotes:
  - ‘Queensland often experiences climate extremes such as floods, droughts, heatwaves and bushfires’
  - We will increasingly be affected by changes in temperature, rainfall, sea level and extreme weather conditions
  - ‘Well-considered and effective adaptation measures can limit the adverse impacts of climate change on communities, the economy and natural systems’

Adaptation to Climate Change Research

Environmental Impact
- Preserving healthy, intact ecosystems can mitigate people and infrastructure from the impacts of extreme weather
  - Preserve environmental sites (social)
- Prevent coastal damage
  - Reduce inland flooding risk
- Managing FNQ’s emissions will reduce the greenhouse gas effect
  - Less extreme weather and slowed rate of temperature rise
    - Reduce coral bleaching
  - Less heatwaves:
    - Reduced pest and diseases for livestock
    - Less damage to landscapes and natural systems
    - Less heat related deaths
  - 50% renewable electricity by 2030 target
    - 80% by 2035 $[12]$
- Renewable energy plants use lots of land mass
Economic Impact
- Reduced long term costs:
  - Lower maintenance costs from environmental damage
  - Stronger recovery/resistance to natural disasters and extreme weather conditions
- Tourism sector benefits leading to increased revenue
- Reduced healthcare costs
- Short term costs are very high:
  - Renewable energy plants are very expensive
  - Initial $30 mi l l i o nin v es t m e n tt h r o ug h Q u ee n s l an d^{'} s C l e an E n er g y W or k f or ce R o a d ma p 2023 - 2035$ [13]$
- Skilled workers needed to install solar panels/wind turbines
  - Increase in jobs
    - 100,000 new Queensland jobs from Energy and Jobs Plan $[13]$
  - Increase in skilled labour, government increasing apprenticeships and traineeships $[12]$
Social Impact
- Preservation of environmental sites
- Preservation and protection of coastal communities
Regional significance of development:
- FNQ especially vulnerable to severe weather
  - Many coastal communities
- Industries are heavily impact by climate change
  - ‘Our local economy is heavily dependent on the health of our ecosystems for tourism and food production’ $[15]$
Local context that makes this development area so important:
- Coastal communities
Local barriers:
- Government needs to work closely with the Aboriginal population during renewable infrastructure development to make sure their needs are met and their values of the land are respected
  - Aboriginal representatives are heavily involved in this process through the Indigenous Engagement Strategy $[14]$
- Transporting infrastructure to remote communities is difficult, time consuming and expensive
- Limited access to reliable and affordable internet and telecommunications leads to poor digital connection in remote locations $[16]$
How engineers will contribute to the development area in the region
- Huge energy network infrastructure change as state switches to renewable energy
  - Skilled engineers are essential to upgrade transmission and distribution networks
- High demand for engineers to design, install and operate renewable energy systems $[13]$
- Queensland invests $1.2 bi l l i o nann u a l l y in s k i l l s an d t r ainin g; hi g h d e man df or s k i l l e d w or k er s$ [13]$

Task 1

The Australian Government has a major focus on developing new infrastructure projects for Far North Queensland (FNQ) with a planned $1.8 bi l l i o n s p e n d in g in 2025 o n p r o v i d in g esse n t ia l in f r a s t r u c t u r e$ [1] $. T h ese p r o j ec t s a r e g o in g t o in f l u e n ce man y in d u s t r i es an d sec t or so f t h er e g i o n, so m ee x am pl es in c l u d e im p r o v in g man u f a c t u r in g an d minin g t os t r e n g t h e n t h e F N Q^{'} seco n o m y an d p r o v i d e j o b s f or w or k er s, im p r o v e d e d u c a t i o nan d h e a l t h c a r e t os u pp or t an d e m p o w er t h e 300, 000 r es i d e n t s in c l u d in g 43, 000 A b or i g ina l an d T or r es S t r ai t I s l an d er s$ [2] $, t a c k l in g c l ima t ec han g e t h r o ug him p r o v e m e n t s t or e n e w ab l eco n s t r u c t i o nan d e n er g y, an d in v es t in g in r es i l i e n t in f r a s t r u c t u r e t o w i t h s t an d t h e in cr e a s in g se v er i t y o f w e a t h er im p a c t s an d na t u r a l d i s a s t er s$ [3]$.

In their recent update to the FNQ Infrastructure Development Plan in July 2024, the Australian Government outlined some of its goals of increasing housing for Queenslanders, transforming FNQ’s energy system with an emission reduction target of 75% for the area and to maintain local communities through working closely with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people $[3]$ . Engineers were key in the planning and construction of FNQ’s initial infrastructure with key roles in the development of the cattle, gold and sugar industries. Their innovation was key in creating jobs, prosperity and increasing population of the region $[4]$ . This literature review will give an overview of the future of adaptation to climate change and resilient infrastructure development which will require the work and ingenuity of engineers over the next 10 years in FNQ.

Adaptation to Climate Change

FNQ is often prone to extreme weather events and natural disasters, such as floods, droughts, heatwaves and bushfires and is likely to experience sea level increase, hotter dry seasons and wetter wet seasons under projected climate change scenarios $[5]$ . The Australian Government has recognised the importance of FNQ’s adaptation to climate change through both managing the region’s environmental impact, to natural disaster recovery. FNQ has major industries including agriculture, marine, fishing and tourism, all of which are continuing to expand $[3]$ . Additionally, the impact of extreme weather on the Australian economy has tripled over the last three decades $[6]$ .

Innovation, through engineering, is crucial in ensuring the region can adapt to climate change in the future, caused by worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Engineers are crucial in the design process and implementation of all major infrastructure projects, including renewable energy systems and coastal protection. Currently, engineers are heavily involved in the development of large scale solar and wind farms that make use of Queensland landscape highly suitable for renewable energy generation $[7]$ .

Resilient Infrastructure Development

With the continued change in FNQ over time, it is believed that changes to the FNQ regional plan are essential to capture the shifts in population and latest forecasts $[8]$ . In order to mitigate the pressing climate risks over the next decade, the Australian Government updated the regional plan in 2024 to include a focus on resilient infrastructure for their 20-year outlook. Resilient infrastructure is essential in supporting the FNQ population in responding to and recovering from the rising severity of seasonal weather impacts and natural disasters $[3]$ .

Careful planning for resilient infrastructure as FNQ undergoes its infrastructure development will significantly reduce the economic impact of natural disasters as well as ensuring supply security and connectivity for the region. Engineers can innovate and find ways to improve or create the resilient infrastructure needed to transform FNQ and improve its long-term security. They are essential in the planning of the design, operation, maintenance and protection of infrastructure and must ensure to consider FNQ unique weather conditions throughout the engineering process to mitigate disaster risks $[9]$ .

Task 2 - Adaptation to Climate Change

Adapting to climate change is a huge priority for the Queensland Government due to the huge threat that climate change has to the FNQ’s key industries. The region’s economy is heavily dependent on the health of their ecosystems for tourism and food production $[10]$ . Additionally, FNQ’s many coastal communities face threats from rising sea levels, increased coastal erosion, and storm tide inundation. Adapting to climate change will be a long and expensive process and will require innovation and support from engineers. Three key areas that are part of this process is FNQ’s transition to renewable energy, severe weather and natural disaster mitigation and establishing coastal protection built to minimise coastal hazards $[3]$ .

The Queensland government has planned to have 50% renewable electricity by 2030 and 80% by 2035 $[11]$ . Over the next 10-20 years, this will have a great environmental and economic cost. Queensland’s Clean Energy Workforce Roadmap 2023-2035 allocated an initial $30 mi l l i o nin v es t m e n tt o w a r d sso u r c in g s k i l l e d l ab o u r$ [12] $an d t h e nana dd i t i o na l$ 26 billion in the 2024-25 state budget towards their renewable energy plan $[7]$ . While this is a great cost in the short-term, the building of renewable farms is estimated to create over 100,000 new jobs $[12]$ and increase the level of skilled labour $[11]$ providing the state with a great source of economic growth.

FNQ’s investment in renewable energy will reduce Queensland’s greenhouse gas emissions, a driving factor in climate change due to the greenhouse gas effect. This is the region doing its part in the global battle against climate change and will only slow the rise in temperature and severity of weather conditions, however, is an important step in preserving the local ecosystems. The reduction in climate change should reduce the effect of coral bleaching and hopefully preserve the Great Barrier Reef, a significant environmental site off the coast of FNQ and a popular tourist destination $[3]$ .

It is essential that the Queensland Government works closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities during this energy transition, due to the large land mass used for solar and wind farms, in order to respect their needs and values of the land. Currently, this is being done through the Indigenous Engagement Strategy where Aboriginal representatives are heavily involved in the planning and development process of renewable energy infrastructure across Queensland $[13]$ .

Queensland’s transition to renewable energy will also require large changes to its energy network infrastructure. Skilled engineers from many broad backgrounds will be essential, especially electrical engineers, to upgrade the transmission and distribution networks. Engineers will also be involved in the installation and operation of FNQ new renewable energy systems $[12]$ .

Additionally, reducing climate change should reduce the number of and severity of heatwaves, which have caused droughts in the region and led to increased pests and diseases for livestock, damaging FNQ farming industry. It is also key in protecting the natural landscape and ecosystems, which are highly valued by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and also contribute to FNQ tourism and marine industries.

There are several barriers the government and engineers will need to consider during FNQ infrastructure development. Due to the many remote towns across the region, it is difficult, time-consuming and expensive to transport materials and labour needed to build infrastructure. Remote regions also have poorer digital infrastructure with limited access to reliable and affordable internet and telecommunications resulting in poor digital connection, an essential part of the development process $[14]$ .

Many areas threatened by coastal hazards also cannot be relocated due to communities already being well established and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s connection to the land. This poses a significant challenge for engineers who must find ways to develop reliable coastal protection for these areas that are heavily threatened. Preventing coastal damage also reduces the risk of inland flooding leading to reduced natural disaster recovery costs and increasing the general health of the population $[3]$ .

Overall, FNQ will face a great challenge requiring the innovation and hard work of many engineers responsible for FNQ great transition to renewable energy and task of facing the growing threat of climate change and worsening coastal hazards. There is a huge demand for skilled labour with Queensland investing $1.2 bi l l i o nann u a l l y in s k i l l s an d t r ainin g f or w or k er s w i t hi t b e in g e v er soc l e a r t h e im p or t an ceo f e n g in eer ’ sr o l e in t h er e g i o n ’ s f u t u r e$ [12]$.

Task 3 - Reflection

Throughout this assignment I have learned just how important engineers are for developing and maintaining infrastructure. The Queensland government has made it clear that engineers are in high demand from their spending on training and encouragement for engineers to get involved with infrastructure projects across the state. Their skills are crucial in FNQ’s growth in the future.

During this exercise, I developed skills underneath section 3. Personal and Professional Attributes: $[15]$

3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.
3.4. Professional use and management of information.
3.5. Orderly management of self, and professional conduct.
My writing skills and information management were further developed through practise in creating this assignment through the research and written aspects of the task. I was required to manage my time in order to complete this task effectively and meet the deadline. Through using in-line citations and matching the formatting of the assignment brief, I have additionally developed professional writing skills.

My assignment was completed over three days within a strict time frame, balanced between events running every day. I thought my time management was highly effective for this task; the effort I spent on it was concentrated and focused within a small time frame and I did not compromise on other areas of my life outside of GENG1010 to meet the deadline. The task could have been started at an earlier time; however, I believe that no more time than what was needed was spent completing the paper.

Reference List

IEEE Formatting

Queensland Government, “Far North Queensland Major Projects Pipeline,” State Development Queensland, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/regions/queenslands-regions/far-north-qld/far-north-queensland-major-projects-pipeline#:~:text=In%202024-25%20the%20Queensland,support%20an%20estimated%204%2C900%20jobs [Accessed: Mar. 27, 2025].
Queensland Government, “Strengthening Far North Queensland,” State Development Queensland. [Online]. Available: https://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/regions/queenslands-regions/far-north-qld [Accessed: Mar. 26, 2025].
Queensland Government, “FNQ Infrastructure Plan,” State Development Queensland, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0029/93962/far-north-queensland-infrastructure-plan.pdf [Accessed: Mar. 26, 2025].
Engineers Australia, “How Engineering Developed Queensland’s North - One Volunteer’s Work to Document Our Heritage,” Engineers Australia, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/news-and-media/2022/07/how-engineering-developed-queenslands-north-one-volunteers-work-document-our [Accessed: Mar. 27, 2025].
Queensland Government, “Climate Change in the Far North Queensland Region (V1),” Queensland Government, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/68371/far-north-qld-climate-change-impact-summary.pdf [Accessed: Mar. 26, 2025].
Insurance Council of Australia, “New Data Shows Long-Term Cost of Extreme Weather,” Insurance Council of Australia, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://insurancecouncil.com.au/resource/new-data-shows-long-term-cost-of-extreme-weather/ [Accessed: Mar. 27, 2025].
Queensland Government, “Energy System Planning - What is Changing?,” Energy and Climate Queensland, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.energyandclimate.qld.gov.au/energy/energy-system-planning/what-is-changing [Accessed: Mar. 26, 2025].
Queensland Government, “Planning Far North Queensland’s Future,” Queensland Government Statements, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/96120 [Accessed: Mar. 26, 2025].
University of New South Wales, “Resilient Infrastructure - Now and for the Future,” University of New South Wales, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.unsw.edu.au/canberra/about-us/our-schools/engineering-technology/our-research/resilient-infrastructure [Accessed: Mar. 27, 2025].
Cairns and Far North Environment Centre, “What Does Climate Change Mean for Our Region?,” Cairns and Far North Environment Centre, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://cafnec.org.au/climate/#:~:text=Here%20in%20Far%20North%20Queensland,for%20tourism%20and%20food%20production [Accessed: Mar. 27, 2025].
Queensland Government, “Future Energy Jobs Guide Overview,” Queensland Government, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.qld.gov.au/jobs/career/energy-jobs-guide [Accessed: Mar. 27, 2025].
Queensland Government, “Future Energy Jobs Guide,” Queensland Government Publications, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/ckan-publications-attachments-prod/resources/57272966-0265-4a95-87b4-fcbc92a30ed6/future-energy-jobs-guide-interactive-pdf-version-final.pdf?ETag=0aa487ce72a1cf5b5cfb991edf3eb93c [Accessed: Mar. 27, 2025].
Kabangreen Power Hub, “Community Benefits - First Nations Engagement,” Kabangreen Power Hub, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://kabangreenpowerhub.com.au/community-benefits/)[Accessed: Mar. 27, 2025].
Infrastructure Australia, “Regional Strengths and Infrastructure Gaps,” Infrastructure Australia, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-03/5_RSIG_Regional%20Analysis_QLD.pdf [Accessed: Mar. 27, 2025].
Engineers Australia, “STAGE 1 COMPETENCY STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER,” Engineers Australia, 2019. Available: https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/2019-11/Stage1_Competency_Standards.pdf [Accessed: Mar. 28, 2025]

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GENG1010 Assignment 1 - Development in Far North Queensland

Overview

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

Misc. Research

Adaptation to Climate Change Research

Task 1

Adaptation to Climate Change

Resilient Infrastructure Development

Task 2 - Adaptation to Climate Change

Task 3 - Reflection

Reference List

IEEE Formatting

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