Ideas ranging from from plastic recycling to arts sales in Brisbane were discussed during the visit of Queensland’s Chief Entrepreneur Leanne Kemp to Cherbourg on Friday.
Ms Kemp has been visiting various communities as Queensland comes out of COVID-19 shutdowns.
“How do we bring out the ‘give it a go’ spirit now that we are ‘good to go’ across Queensland?” she asked Cherbourg CEO Chatur Zala and Council representatives at a meeting at the Council chambers.
The CEO said unemployment was the biggest issue in Cherbourg, and what was needed was local jobs for local people.
Ideas raised during the meeting included:
- Hi-tech projects at Cherbourg’s material recovery facility. Ms Kemp was accompanied on her visit by Oliver Mackay, from blockchain company Everledger which Ms Kemp founded in 2015. Everledger is working with Coex – the not-for-profit organisation created to run the Containers for Change scheme in Queensland – on projects involving plastic.
- The Cherbourg Men’s Shed – projects that could be implemented (including furniture restoration) and items that could be marketed in Brisbane. Ms Kemp, who toured the facility, suggested an exploration of ways technology could bring older and younger participants together. She also suggested link-ups with other Men’s Sheds projects in Brisbane.
- Potential cultural projects at the Indigenous Knowledge Centre.
- Art sales, including creating arts from waste.
- Digital story telling, to accompany art as well as support mental health initiatives.
Ms Kemp said there was a capability in Cherbourg for transformation and change.
