Space Centre Australia chief executive officer James Palmer and AusWaste Environmental Services owner Kenny Read participate in a panel session at the inaugural Western Cape Futures Symposium, with the event scheduled to return to Weipa on 7-8 May 2025. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
Bringing key government and business stakeholders to the region to discuss its future in May 2025 will provide a strong platform for success, according to the chair of Weipa Town Authority (WTA).
Planning is well under way for the second Western Cape Futures Symposium, which will be held in the township on 7-8 May, after the inaugural event in 2023 was heralded an overwhelming success.
The long-term economic and social prosperity of western Cape York will be the only topic on delegates’ lips when doors open at the event and WTA Chair Jaime Gane said she was looking forward to having a diverse range of stakeholders, including politicians and business operators, on hand to have their say.
“The symposium provides an opportunity to bring people into our region to participate in a truly collaborative forum, and hear about local aspirations from the people on the ground,” she said.
“Usually, these type of events are held in and focused on the major centres, which makes it hard to get noticed if you are a small remote community or region.
“Holding an event on the western Cape means that the focus is totally on us, and with such a strong group of partner organisations working together, makes it hard for government to ignore.”
Cook Shire Council has joined the 10 partner organisations – including James Cook University – involved in the symposium and Jennifer McHugh, program co-ordinator of Development in the Tropics for The Cairns Institute, said there had already been plenty of interest from potential speakers and panel members on the strength of the inaugural event.
“Planning for this year’s event has been significantly different from the inaugural one in 2023,” she said.
“Unlike last time, we’re no longer promoting an untested concept for the western Cape.
“Instead of having to explain our vision, we now have people approaching us, eager to be involved.
“Interest in the 2025 symposium is already so high that we’ve decided to cap attendance; in 2023, we had 180 registrants, and we fully anticipate exceeding that number in 2025.”
Ms Gane said while key themes were expected to remain relevant, a diversity of speakers meant additional, potentially unique opportunities for the region, were likely to be discovered.
“I think we will keep many of the same themes from the last event, as they are all still relevant, but having different speakers can further highlight potential opportunities for the region.
“There are people all over the country doing exciting and innovative things which we could learn from and potentially replicate.
“One of the new themes will be around the transitioning economy, and what opportunities exist post mining.”
