Former prime minister and Space Centre Australia chairman Scott Morrison says western Cape York needs to “diversify and expand” its way to a prosperous future. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
If the energy, enthusiasm and ideas of the more than 250 delegates who attended the 2025 Western Cape Futures Symposium are anything to go by, our future is a bright one.
The biennial event attracted elected, business and thought leaders from across the country to help plot a path towards economic diversity and social sustainability across western Cape York over the coming decades.
A diverse range of industry experts presented on potential options for Weipa and the surrounding region, including expanding tourism offerings, embracing new and emerging technology, and ensuring small business operators have the political and community support to flourish.
Former prime minister and Space Centre Australia (SCA) chairman Scott Morrison spoke to a packed house at the Weipa Storm Surge Shelter on 7 May and drummed a message to “diversify and expand”, rather than replacing existing sectors like mining, before outlining SCA’s ambition for the region.
Western Cape Chamber of Commerce president Jai Christie tells the symposium about the challenges and opportunities confronting small business operators in the region. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
“We’re literally trying to build something like Cape Canaveral in Cape York,” he said.
He added he believed the region’s remoteness and challenging environment was viewed by others in more populated parts of the country as one of its strengths.
“You do ordinary things in extraordinary places,” he said.
Attracting high-value tourists to Cape York was also front and centre at the symposium, with prestige cruise ships currently sailing past the region identified as a major opportunity.
Australia Zoo also has plans to bring international visitors and their wallets to Weipa and the surrounding communities, but wants more controlled access on the gazetted road through the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve before committing to an investment.
“It is our dream to host international tourists from all over the world,” head of global sales Erina Kilmore told delegates.
“We would like to build exclusive accommodation, really luxury accommodation.
“The pressure of the road, and the behaviour of some of the users of the road, is our biggest obstacle to developing the reserve.”
Erina Kilmore, Australia Zoo’s head of global sales, told the symposium about the organisation’s ambition to build “really luxury accommodation” at the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve to attract high-spending international tourists. Photo: Supplied.
Weipa Town Authority and symposium Chair Jaime Gane said the event, which finished with a youth symposium on 9 May, had created plenty of discussion about what was needed and what could be achieved with a collaborative approach.
“I think the biggest take aways were just the level of interest and enthusiasm that people have for the western Cape, and the desire to see something great happen here,” she said.
“The forward plan will be following up with state and federal government reps and other people to talk about how to progress some of the ideas that were presented and thrown around at the event, and figure out how we can actually achieve some of the things that were discussed.”
It was a full house with about 260 delegates on hand for day one of the 2025 Western Cape Futures Symposium. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
