Transforming Queensland's industrial heartland into a green technology capital could be the key to tackling regional brain drain and inspire younger generations to chase their career dreams on home soil, a central Queensland mayor says.
Gladstone mayor Matt Burnett said like a lot of regional centres, Gladstone suffered from an exodus of teenagers when it came time to pursue higher education, and many did not return home from bigger cities.
But Mr Burnett and local school leaders are on a mission to stop their regional brain drain in its tracks and lure young people back to the fold.
For local mother Emma Smith, the industrial transition Gladstone is going through gives her hope for her family's future.
"It gives me a lot of joy to think that kids who are finishing school have got the potential to go into industries that even 10 years ago we didn't even think would be a thing," she said.
But she hoped the rollout of new industries was planned properly by governments so community members were not left behind.
Katie Windsor is a year 12 student at Gladstone State High School and has a lofty ambition to become an engineer.
She said the emergence of industries like green hydrogen in Gladstone "definitely" made her determined to stay in the city.
"I think it's an incredible opportunity," she said.
"And if in a couple years after I've done an engineering course I'd be able to be part of it, I would be thrilled."
New industry on the way up
Gladstone is slowly transforming into Australia's green hydrogen capital with several large project proposals in the pipeline including a $114 million electrolyser factory from Andrew Forrest's Fortescue Future Industries and the H2-Hub green hydrogen and ammonia production complex from The Hydrogen Utility.
There are also more than two dozen wind, solar, and storage projects proposed or under construction.
Schools in the region have begun offering new opportunities to train students in emerging industries to entice them to stay or come back to work.
Several hydrogen education hubs have been promised to schools in the region by the Queensland government, and last week it was announced a new manufacturing and technology precinct would be built at Gladstone State High School.
"We don't want to have a brain drain of our brightest and best going back into the south-east corner [of the state] so that we can actually progress our community and keep going," acting principal Leanne Martin said.
"So, it's incredibly important that they get the foundations here.
"Then we use that to help gear up partnerships with our local universities in our local industry to help continue that pathway after they've gone from here."
Census records youth drop
According to Census data from 2021, about 7.4 per cent of the Gladstone population is within the 10-14 age group.
That population percentage drops off for the 20-24 age bracket to 5 per cent.
It does not reach above 7 per cent again until the 45-49 age bracket, at 7.1 per cent.
Demographer Elin Charles-Edwards from the University of Queensland said the loss of young people from regional areas to larger cities was a common story across Australia.
"Young people move to access education, but also for their first jobs. The bright lights of the cities are really attractive for younger people," she said.
"But there is more and more evidence that certain segments of the population will return home, particularly during child rearing ages, as people want that family support.
"Also, things like house prices might induce people to move to areas for cheaper housing."
The energy and resources industry already employs thousands of people in Gladstone and several pathways exist for young people to enter those traditional industries.
The city is home to Queensland's largest multi-commodity export port, and the area is also home to vast alumina, aluminium, gas, concrete, and coal power industries.
Dr Charles-Edwards said there would probably always be some loss of young people from regional areas, but training and job opportunities offered them a good reason to stay.
Mr Burnett said the growing green hydrogen industry could be just what they are looking for.
"It's not just [jobs] in construction, there'll be ongoing jobs in operations," he said.
"You know, with this hydrogen industry particularly, there is a lot of technology that has to be developed around that too and certainly in other renewable industries as well.
"There's huge opportunities."
