Ai Group Queensland director Chris Rodwell said the state’s businesses considered industrial land issues to be in the same league as more obvious issues such as road infrastructure and energy.“Industrial land affordability has consistently been a problem in Queensland, more so than in any other state,” he said. “There simply isn’t enough supply of land and the costs of bringing land to market have increased significantly. In the past five years some land has escalated in price by as much as 200 per cent. “In fairness, the Queensland government has made some smart decisions in relation to improving the situation; however, there is no quick fix.”Rodwell blamed local governments for allowing residential developments to encroach on industrial precincts, constraining the possibility of future growth.“Our hope is that recently introduced state government legislation will fix this problem for future developments,” he said.“However, there are many legacy issues that require a more balanced approach from local councils.”Queensland businesses responding to the survey, Infrastructure Impediments to Growth in Queensland: An Industry Perspective, were most dissatisfied with broadband infrastructure (43%) followed by local roads (42%) and state and national highways (41%).About one-third were dissatisfied with electricity supply.
