Brighter lends support to Rotary conference in Toowoomba

Brighter was proud to sponsor the Rotary District 9630 Conference, which took place over the weekend of 5–7 March in Toowoomba, Queensland.   

The organisers of the District 9630 conference have also highlighted the importance of ‘Looking Back’ and ‘Moving Forward’ this year, in accordance with 2021 being a celebration of the centenary of Rotary in Australia.   

Brighter helped out at the Conference in its capacity as a Silver Sponsor by providing materials to delegates and highlighting the role natural gas plays in the Toowoomba community and everyday lives. The Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE), a local business partner and Brighter collaborator, also got involved at the event courtesy of an appearance from Chairman Shane Charles.  

The Conference celebrated the Rotary theme for 2020–21 of ‘Rotary Opens Opportunities’ as the group works to expands on its potential to provide community service at a local and international level. The Conference kicked off on Friday with a Welcome to Country, flag ceremony and welcome from Mayor Paul Antonio, as delegates enjoyed a weekend of guest speaker sessions, food and entertainment. 

Toowoomba lies to the east of the Surat Basin, a major centre for Australian natural gas production extending 270,000 square kilometres across the New South Wales-Queensland border. The natural gas industry is a strong supporter of regional communities like Toowoomba, creating jobs and opportunities through direct employment, local supplier contracts and community investment initiatives.  

There has been consistent growth over the past decade of the total number of earners in the township of Toowoomba in line with increased gas projects; University of Queensland research has shown an increase of more than 57 per cent in total wage and salary payment over the period from 2008–2018.  

Brighter is proud to sponsor Rotary events across Australia, with our most recent engagement in January 2021 when we joined the WA Rotary Clubs of Gosnells, Boulder, Hannans and Kalgoorlie to lend a helping hand with their Australia Day festivities. 

Local gas producers working near the Toowoomba area, including Santos, Senex, and Arrow Energy, also engage closely with the local community. The companies are all members of TSBE, ensuring their local operations support sustainable regional growth. 

Arrow Energy’s upcoming Surat Gas Project is expected to create around 1000 jobs across the life of the project, for example, while Santos has been supplying energy to the region’s houses for several decades. Senex meanwhile is working on implementing the Western Surat Gas Project, which will ensure additional energy security and economic growth for Toowoomba and the surrounding regions of the Darling Downs by hiring local workers and engaging local contractors to supply lunches, accommodation and other services. 

For more information about the 2021 Rotary District 9630 Conference, visit the website here.