www.cqnrlbid.com.au
Wednesday, 29th August, 2012
New heights for QLD with economic building blocks laid by Central QLD icon
Geoffrey Murphy is responsible for three billion dollars in development and construction throughout Central Queensland over the past 50 years, however his leadership and service to the region must be considered just as valuable.
His contribution to Central Queensland, the heartland of the state’s booming resources sector, has long been second-to-none and all Queenslanders stand to benefit from his continued influence on the development and engagement of this area, so crucial to our state’s economic growth.
Commercially, Murphy’s impact in the area has largely come through the work of the JM Kelly Group of Companies, of which his is the Managing Director and owner, and which is Queensland’s largest diversified and privately-owned construction business. As well as overseeing billions of dollars of regional construction, he has led the education and training of more than 500 tradesmen and women across the JM Kelly Group. He also hosts more than a hundred apprentices and trainees each year over the four JM Kelly Group sites in Rockhampton, Gladstone, Mackay, and Brisbane.
Being the Chairman of Beef Australia Ltd and owning two commercial beef cattle properties in Central Queensland, he is also at ease with connecting with the region’s rural communities.
This connection with the Central Queensland community is also fostered through Murphy’s leadership and service to the area. Murphy has advised the state and federal government on the needs of small business, large private-sector organisations, as well as regional and rural providers. As a business graduate of Harvard University and a two-time Queensland Executive of the Year, his input is valued and sort-after. His Rockhampton-based air service, Kelly Aviation, also regularly flies individuals and families in need to and from Brisbane and most recently contributed resources to the 2011 flood recovery.
Murphy’s passion outside his family and work is Rugby League and from this passion stems the potential for Murphy to create an economic building block like none other for Central Queensland and Queensland as a whole.
His active support of Rugby League can be traced back to his role as a founding Director of the Rockhampton Brothers Rugby League Club and his membership of the 1980 Initiative, providing mentors to Queensland State of Origin players.
However as Chairman of the Central Queensland NRL Bid his current mission is to earn the go-ahead to establish the region’s own National Rugby League team, based in Rockhampton.
The Central Queensland bid has already received strong community, corporate and government support ahead of Australian Rugby League Commission’s decision whether to expand the National Rugby League competition as early as the 2015 season. Whatever decisions are made, Murphy has indicated that he and the Central Queensland NRL Bid team are here for the long run.
More than 40,000 rugby league fans have become members of the Central Queensland bid and more than 150 corporate partners, including QR National, have committed their support.
The Queensland Government has also committed to building a new state-of-the-art stadium in Rockhampton if the bid is successful and the financial strength of the region makes the venture low risk - according to data released by the Queensland Government in 2011, the economy of the Central Queensland NRL Bid territory represents nearly 20 per cent of Queensland’s economic activity and shows no signs of slowing up. CEO of the Central Queensland NRL Bid Denis Keeffe is also former CEO of the North Queensland Cowboys, who became National Rugby League grand finalists within four years of his leadership.
Keeffe says Geoffrey Murphy is the biggest asset of the Central Queensland bid team and the economic benefits for all Queenslanders to enjoy from the bid are very real.
“Geoff’s commercial success speaks volumes about his ability to lead not just viable, but lucrative ventures, and the fact he counts the love and loyalty of his family as his greatest accomplishment says even more about his character,” Mr Keeffe said. “It makes perfect sense that all Queenslanders stand to benefit from the development and engagement of the heartland of our booming resources sector and essentially our economy. “According to DEEDI, the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, the coal industry alone in Central Queensland is expected to continue to grow between 7 and 10 per cent per year over the next 5 to 10 years. “It’s clear the importance of Central Queensland to Queensland’s economic growth is not a passing fad and our message is, nor is the Central Queensland NRL Bid – we look forward to continued momentum as we gain more and more community, corporate and government support,” he said.
