Tech companies, start-ups flock to Logan, south of Brisbane, to create local jobs

ABC Radio Brisbane / By Lucy Stone
Posted Mon 6 Feb 2023 at 5:32am

A south-east Queensland city is attracting next-gen tech businesses and innovative start-ups in a bid to give its residents local, high-value jobs as it styles itself on Silicon Valley in the US.

Midway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Logan has a population of 350,000 residents and is one of the fastest-growing cities in Australia.

By 2036, that population is predicted to exceed 500,000.

But for many who live in Logan, a daily commute north to Brisbane or south to the Gold Coast is the norm — something Logan City Council wants to change.

"It's so important for Logan to have start-ups operating in our city because the jobs of the future are going to be the jobs for young people," Deputy Mayor Jon Raven said.

"Start-ups often create high-value jobs. The great thing about a high-value job is it isn't just one job for one person.

"When you create a high-value job, you create five other traditional jobs around it, whether that's in hospitality, retail, or other services.

"When people get paid more, they expect to have more services near where they work, and that creates more employment for everyone."

Innovative focus

In Loganholme's industrial area, a world-first textile-recycling facility is in full operation, a year after moving in.

Blocktexx recycles unwanted clothes, sheets, and fabrics and, through a chemical process, separates cotton and polyester fibres into cellulose and plastic pellets.

The broken-down compounds are then recycled.

The cellulose is turned into hydromulch to help fast-track landscaping on major building sites, and the polyester pellets are used for injection moulding for playgrounds, coat hangers, and other products.

Company co-founder Graham Ross said after a search along the eastern seaboard for the right location, Queensland and Logan came out on top due to financial support on offer from both the state and local governments.

"The Logan region is uniquely positioned from a motorway point of view — we've got access north and south, but also west," he said.

"We're about half an hour away from the Brisbane Port for export opportunity.

"There's a high percentage of our staff from this area who chose this area to live but are looking for really high-value work.

"They're looking for the jobs they'd probably get in the major cities in their local regions.

"And most importantly, Logan City Council was incredibly supportive out of all the councils we spoke to."

The company employs 10 people and plans to grow to 30 staff.

"People are choosing to move to the Logan region because they want a lifestyle change, but they want that work to be local," Mr Ross said.

"So, rather than driving to Brisbane every day, they can get it here.

"That's a great opportunity for companies like Blocktexx."