There is a lot at stake. The region’s significant wealth has been underwritten by coal. Five of the top 10 postcodes for high salaries in Queensland were in the central Queensland coalfields.

Adding to the problem for the region was that politics had become more challenging with the new MP for Dawson, Andrew Wilcox, a former Whitsunday mayor, sits on the opposition benches.

But the Greater Whitsunday Alliance, a group consisting of the Isaac, Mackay and Whitsunday councils wants to redefine how people think of the region and is trying to draw some of the huge wave of interstate migrants to the region.

It points to a list of about 600 proposed projects worth about $43 billion, slated for the area.

GW3 chief executive Kylie Porter said the region wasn’t hitting the panic button – yet – over the coal issues although there was concern about the ripple effect of events like BHP’s capital freeze on the supply chain.

“We are, and continue to be, the golden goose for governments and industry as a driver of jobs and generator of revenue,” Porter said.

The district also had a decarbonisation and diversification plan to wean itself off coal. There was also an emerging space base in Bowen which was one of the new economies moving into the region, along with bio-products, aquaculture and future foods.

There is also a proposal for a $3 billion Urannah Dam, which would include pumped hydro and irrigation and create up to 1200 jobs in construction and 600 in operation.

Porter said the region had been working for many years to reinvent itself, but she also admits it may need to become a squeaky wheel in order to get support from the Federal and State governments.

“Regional economies are always trying to adapt and evolve, but the next decade is one of the most pivotal and most exciting for major regions such as Greater Whitsunday,” she said.

Harnessing the existing skills in the mining sector and adapting to the new industries in the region, such as Gilmour Space’s plans for Bowen, defence and critical minerals, was of major importance.

Porter said the region was focusing on decarbonisation and diversification, developing the workforce, becoming hyper-connected and supporting the growth of agribusiness.

“We want to redefine what people think of the greater Whitsunday region. There are hidden parts of our economy which the vast majority of Queenslanders and Australians don’t know about,” she said.

“We need people to realise that the opportunities in regional like Greater Whitsunday are far more than the myth of back-breaking jobs in mining and agriculture. They are very sophisticated, career rewards aspirational roles.”