As a cultural hub of the Darling Downs for more than 100 years, The Empire continues to serve our community with a focus on developing the arts in our region, delivering world class entertainment locally and telling the important stories.

What if we could turn our landfills into producers of renewable, clean energy – if the waste gas from our non-recyclable and non-reusable rubbish were a resource that had a second life?

That’s exactly what we’re doing in collaboration with the Toowoomba Regional Council. LGI is transforming the Toowoomba Waste Management Centre into a renewable energy superpower in the fight against climate change.

Our new renewable energy power station at this landfill is the first in Queensland to convert methane from landfill into electricity. Council’s most demanding energy user will now be mostly (90-100%) supplied with renewable power fuelled by waste gas the tip.

This new project at the Toowoomba Waste Management Centre is the first in Queensland to convert methane from a landfill into electricity to power a Council’s waste water treatment plant.

Toowoomba for Climate Action is playing our part to keep global average temperatures in a safe, liveable range, so that all humans, other species, and living systems can flourish.

Did you know that Toowoomba Regional Council was the first in Queensland to capture landfill methane for energy production?

Council has both reduced the emissions it is responsible for by 80% and now saves ratepayers over $1 million/year in energy savings!

Council’s most demanding energy user, the Wetalla Water Reclamation Facility, is now 90-100% supplied with free renewable power.

Dozens of other Councils have been inspired by Toowoomba Regional Council to do similar projects on their own landfills.

Africa is a diverse continent of great dynamism and economic potential. Australia is committed to supporting African nations as partners for regional and global stability and a rules-based international system that delivers economic growth, security and human development. We have a vibrant African diaspora who are making a valuable contribution to our relations with the African continent.

We also have strong and growing trade and investment connections with Africa.

Australia's two-way goods and services trade with Africa was valued at $9.6 billion in 2021. Our largest export is wheat, valued at over $900 million in 2021, with the majority going to South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, and Sudan.

The Australia Africa Chamber of Commerce (AACC) is a national organisation that is dedicated to facilitating trade with Africa.

We also facilitate trade missions to and from Africa and offer access to both African and Australian business & investment opportunities.

The AACC will accelerate Australia's export business to Africa through the identification of business opportunities, and by matching these to Australian industries in target markets, including: education, agribusiness, mining, tourism, energy, green tech and manufacturing.

Email us here: support@australiaafrica.com to express your interest.

The world is changing around us. Digital technology has become a core part of our everyday lives. Advances in technology impact everything, especially the world of work. Entire job sectors are emerging or disappearing, and workforces are rushing to keep up with change.

Automation and globalisation are changing the way we think about, and define, careers. Employment is becoming fluid, and people will go from having one profession to several in their working life. These may be entirely different roles, across entirely different sectors.

As the world of work changes, we will need to change our skills to match. The gap between the knowledge generated in the education system and the skills demanded by employers and individuals is widening.

Overcoming these limitations requires a priority focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), including the development of workplace skills in STEM.

Virtual Contact Centre Limited (VirtualCC) was created to benefit unemployed older Victorians (50+) by employing them to provide outsourced support functions to Business and Government. VirtualCC is a Not For Profit Company Limited By Guarantee.

In the future, we intend to extend this criteria to include those disadvantaged by their cultural background, long term employment status, or gender. In providing these services we aim to increase self respect and improve the mental health outcomes for disadvantaged regional Victorians.

Apollo Care brings best-practice frameworks for care provision and governance, staff culture, quality and compliance oversight and technology development to deliver exceptional resident experiences and improved business performance. Our communities enjoy the benefits of large-scale efficiencies and specialist expertise at a local level.

Apollo takes on the governance, compliance, administration and financial support for each facility that joins the Alliance, while aiming to ensure that each operator preserves its not-for- profit status, brand and connection to the local community – in effect, ‘de-risking’ the business of residential care.

In an Australian first, The City is also creating an advanced Innovation Hub for the blue economy to test and develop new marine practices and technologies that could help sustain vibrant blue economies across the globe.

Our research forecasts an exponential growth in Cockburn’s defence sector over the next decade.

Like many industries, there is a genuine skills gap within the defence sector, and it’s expected to grow as demand does. Without hubs like the one we’re proposing, this will only become a bigger issue.
Joining us in the world-class Innovation Hub will be researchers collaborating across four major universities. Specialised registered training organisations will provide training and upskilling, while PhD students from UWA will deliver research opportunities and help bring products to market. Finally, equity investor group Perth Angels and not-for-profits Business Station and Business Foundations are also onboard with a focus on providing business advisory support.

Up to 40 Blue Economy businesses will be guided to bring their ideas into commercial reality, with access to services which will build capacity and capability.

As an advanced research hub for the Blue Economy, Cockburn will test and develop new marine practices and technology.
This Innovation Hub was designed to help the City of Cockburn grow local jobs, all of which will increase the wellbeing and quality of life for our communities.

The Western Australian Government has committed to positioning the Western Trade Coast as a global advanced industries hub, and an investment and trade destination for new and emerging industries.

The Western Trade Coast is a major industrial complex in Perth’s south metropolitan area.

Covering 3,900 hectares between Munster and Rockingham, the Western Trade Coast includes the Australian Marine Complex, Kwinana Industrial Area, Rockingham Industry Zone and Latitude 32.

The Kwinana and Rockingham areas are home to a range of strategic and advanced industries, including existing critical minerals processing, chemical manufacturing, energy generation and most recently, large-scale ammonia and hydrogen production and export. Combined, the Kwinana and Rockingham areas contribute $20 billion to the State’s total gross output and support more than 13,000 jobs.

The Western Trade Coast will become even more significant with the progress of Westport, Western Australia’s new container port at Kwinana. Westport will unlock further industrial development, technology innovation and local jobs – linked directly to our export markets.

“We have five universities in the world’s top 100 and our university sector is our fourth largest export industry, bringing in about $18 billion per annum,” he said.

“In 2014, The Global Creativity Index ranked Australia fifth in the world; this year we came first.

“The Bloomberg Innovation Index rates Australia 13th in the world, and the Global Innovation Index rates Australia 17th, with our human capital and research capabilities ranked seventh in the world.

“But our innovation efficiency – that’s our ability to take new discoveries and turn them into economic benefits – is ranked at 81st in the world.”

Peter Klinken: Chief Scientist

Our start-up economy is on the rise, with the Gold Coast ranked fifth in Australia for new business starts. Our innovative business culture positions us among the top six cities in Australia for lodging patent applications on a per capita basis.

Our support for start-ups has never been stronger with funding and grants designed to turn great ideas into commercial reality and take them to the world.

The Gold Coast is moving to establish our city as an entrepreneurial hub that is globally recognised as a place where knowledge, innovation and commercialisation are the key drivers of growth in the local economy.

Sport is part of the cultural identity of many Australians. Sport isn’t just a favoured pastime for Australians. It is a significant contributor to the Australian economy.

In Australia, sports and recreational organisations attract more volunteers than any other type of organisation.

Major sporting events – grand finals, international cricket, grand slam tournaments, surfing competitions and cycling challenges – as well as less watched events – weekend matches, morning and afternoon training sessions and amateur competitions – fill calendars and recreational time.

Sport is part of the cultural identity of many Australians. Sport isn’t just a favoured pastime for Australians. It is a significant contributor to the Australian economy.

In Australia, sports and recreational organisations attract more volunteers than any other type of organisation.

Major sporting events – grand finals, international cricket, grand slam tournaments, surfing competitions and cycling challenges – as well as less watched events – weekend matches, morning and afternoon training sessions and amateur competitions – fill calendars and recreational time.

The world of sports won’t escape this trend and actually is already integrating robotics. Whether you are a trainer, a player, a club, fan, viewer, stadium owner or groundsman, you too will be affected by present and future robots (most of them equipped with AI).

Most robots in sports currently assist or help humans practice rather than replace them. The robots performing actual sporting activities are for now showcased examples, proof of concepts, part of researches