Business Opportunities and Investment

Located in the New South Wales high country, the Tenterfield region spans over 7,333Km² and is located three hours south-west of Brisbane and three hours inland from Byron Bay. In addition to the main urban township of Tenterfield, the Shire includes the regional villages of Torrington, Mingoola, Legume, Liston, Drake, Jennings and Urbenville, and is home to a population of just over 6,600 people. The region offers a trifecta of picturesque countryside, awe-inspiring national parks, and rich history – notably, being the location of Sir Henry Parkes’ famous speech (The Tenterfield Oration) in 1889, calling for the federation of the six Australian colonies, which led to the foundation of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.

The warm, inviting nature of the villages and their people exudes country hospitality, attracting tourists who visit year-round to experience the four distinct seasons – mild alpine summers, vibrantly colourful autumns, white-frosted winters, and spectacular wildflower springs. Adventure seekers travel from far and wide to experience the scenic rugged landscapes of the region’s national parks, including Boonoo Boonoo, Basket Swamp, Koreelah, Tooloom, Torrington and Bald Rock  – the largest exposed granite monolith in the southern hemisphere. From boutique shopping, dining and accommodation to historical attractions, adventure, camping, farmstays and traditional country pubs, Tenterfield is a must-see destination, offering something for everyone with plenty to see and do.

The business precinct of Tenterfield is instantly appealing, boasting a diverse range of boutique retail outlets, professional services and supermarkets, enhanced by a central park and gardens, excellent cultural centre and public library. A redevelopment of the main street has invigorated the central business district, activating cafés, restaurant and the retail sector.  Cafes and restaurants offer a wide selection of menus featuring local produce, and great coffee. This is supported by numerous hotels and sporting facilities, offering a la carte dining experiences.

Tenterfield Shire’s seven villages each offer unique experiences, landscapes and a village lifestyle. Investment opportunities exist in the areas of horticulture, agriculture, cottage industries, mining, tourism (including product and infrastructure), and home based industries. The Mount Lindesay Road development offers further development opportunities for tourism based industries along this corridor.

The accommodation industry, including motels, bed and breakfasts, farm stays and boutique properties, is a vital part of the tourism industry providing for domestic, national and international visitors.

Why invest in Tenterfield?

• Location and proximity to South East Queensland and Northern Rivers New South Wales
• Easy travel distance to major centres – Warwick, Toowoomba, Goondiwindi, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Lismore, Northern Rivers, Armidale & Tamworth
• Proven resilience and ability to diversify with a strong history of achievement.
• Excellent housing opportunities
• Investment opportunities in commercial and industrial land
• A well established and expanding tourism industry
• Opportunity to develop niche market industries
• Stable community with a capacity to provide expertise, skills and qualifications to support business growth and development.

Current Projects

Recent and potential projects in the Tenterfield Shire include:

• Bolivia Hill Highway Realignment ($70m) – improving the freight task on the New England Highway;
• Heavy Vehicle Bypass ($50m) – improving the freight task on the New England Highway;
• Northern Growth Corridor – Mt Lindesay Road ($27m) – improving freight access to Qld and across to the north coast;
• Tenterfield Solar Farm

Opportunities

Agriculture (cattle and sheep, cropping) have traditionally been the mainstay of the Tenterfield economy. There is considerable scope for mitigating the risks associated with a heavy dependence on agriculture by diversifying the regional economy. It is important to recognise that logistical pathways are changing in the digital era and that Tenterfield has an opportunity to take advantage of these changes. The opportunity exists to build a more stable income base for this regional economy, to boost resilience, and where possible to compete, and engage in more value adding to capture a greater share of emerging markets.

There are several investment opportunities of significance within the Tenterfield Shire:

• Agriculture accessing North Asia – food safety is becoming a critical unique selling point as Asian affluence grows. There are significant price premiums to be gained by becoming a trusted supplier. This is all about brand recognition – not just ‘branding’. There are opportunities to develop the technology which makes agricultural products traceable for North Asian/Chinese consumers;
• Transport – upgrading the Mt Lindsay Road to the north of Tenterfield would substantially improve the freight links to and from south east Qld and the north coast;
• Recent development of the Brisbane West Toowoomba Well Camp Airport provides excellent export opportunities for New England produce to the Asian markets;
• Strategic location – on the New England Highway 3 hours from Brisbane/the Gold Coast and on the Bruxner Highway giving access to the North Coast of NSW and western inland regions of NSW and Qld;
• Forestry – significant public and private native forest resources in the shire. This provides scope for investment in timber processing and renewable energy options based around biomass including wood pellet manufacturing for domestic and industrial heating. The export market for wood pellets in Europe is growing rapidly. There is also a significant market for hardwood timber landscaping products in Brisbane which the Tenterfield LGA is well located to supply.
• Aged care – there is potential for further expansion of housing for the aged by private developers, and for upgrades to existing health facilities.
• Tourism – the abundance of natural assets in the region provides opportunities for adventure and nature-based tourism such as 4WD tours, nature tours, mountain biking and touring biking (cycling), farm stays and fishing.

Opportunities for economic development and relocation are numerous. With the opening of the Tenterfield Industrial Park, several new housing estates being established and the availability of several strategic business locations in the CBD for redevelopment, Council’s focus is on retaining our current businesses and developing new enterprises.

Development Opportunities for Tenterfield

• Strategic location for access to potential renewable energy projects in the New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and newly developed and future mining activity in North West New South Wales and South West Queensland
• Enormous potential for Adventure and Eco-tourism industries
• Commercial opportunities for redevelopment of commercial sites in the CBD

Invest in Regional NSW

Boasting a thriving premium agribusiness economy and emerging renewable energy and services sectors, New England and North West enjoys easy access to Sydney and South East Queensland.

Visit www.investregional.nsw.gov.au for more information on investment in regional NSW.