Progress in the Highlands
In Glen Innes Highlands we are committed and supportive of new ideas, industries and opportunities that contribute towards our local and regional economy. For a region rich in heritage we are continuing to attract a broad range of businesses and investors leveraging and capitalising on our endowments.
We’re strategically located, at the intersection of two major highways, the New England and Gwydir, just four and a half hours’ drive from Brisbane, three and half from Ballina, the Gold Coast and Toowoomba (with its international airfreight hub) and two and a half to Tamworth. Sydney is approximately seven hours.
Glen Innes Severn Council’s philosophy is embracing change, building on history – we work with new and existing businesses to facilitate the ideal solution for their business needs.
Tourism and lifestyle attract visitors and tree changers every year. The natural beauty of our region with high concentrations of World Heritage areas, National Parks, Nature Reserves and State Council Parks combined with a diversity of quality tourist attractions, activities, accommodation, festivals and events makes for a vibrant community.
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Business Opportunities Await
Whether you are looking for a tree-change where you can start your rural-based business, be able to afford a physical business space or are seeking to capitalise on your experience and offer your services to rural centers, Glen Innes Highlands should be on your short-list!
The Glen Innes Severn Council alongside our associations and business community encourage and support more businesses relocating or starting up in the Glen Innes Highlands. The combination of Council assistance, logistics, enhanced mobile coverage and faster broadband, government grants, logistics, land values and lifestyle make Glen Innes Highlands the ideal choice for business, investment and skilled workers.
Placemaking
The new paradigm for Regional Economic Development is a Place Making approach, but what does that mean?
‘The most widely understood definition of placemaking is the practice of creating or enhancing a community’s assets to improve its overall attractiveness and livability. This includes large-scale projects such as the creation of public spaces and alternative transportation infrastructure, but also smallscale efforts such as pop-up retail and downtown beautification.’
‘In the New Economy, knowledge-sector jobs are faster-growing and more lucrative than professions with more routine functions. Consequently, communities are changing the way they approach economic development. Instead of differentiating themselves primarily by transportation access, low costs, proximity to natural resources, or other traditional competitive advantages, many communities today are attracting multi-generational talent by becoming desirable places to live"
Source: Big Sky Economic Development
The Glen Innes Highlands Economic Development Strategy 2020-2040 and Action Plan 2020-2025 was reviewed in 2020 by Glen Innes Severn Council. Council adopted the final strategy at the 25 March 2020 Ordinary Council meeting following extensive community consultation.
PLACE-BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The new paradigm of local and regional development emphasises the identification and mobilisation of endogenous potential, that is, the ability of places to grow drawing on their own resources, notably their human capital and innovative capacities. To tap into unused economic potential that tackle questions of sustainable development and human wellbeing into the future.
GROW GLEN INNES THINK TANK
The 5-year action plan is delivered across Council resources as well as in consultation with the community through the GROW Glen Innes Think Tank which will be formed as a part of the Partnerships actions and initiatives.
This is a mechanism for continual community engagement and inclusion in the delivery of the Economic Development Strategy & Action Plan.
Economic Development Strategy
VISITOR PROFILE
Visitors to Glen Innes Highlands
155,000 VISITORS ANNUALLY
96,100 domestic overnight visitors
57,350 domestic day visitors
1,550 international overnight visitors
$45.1M ANNUAL VISITOR SPEND
Domestic overnight spend: $118 / night
International visitor spend: $45 / night
Domestic day visitor spend: $115 / trip
DOMESTIC OVERNIGHT VISITORS
Stay 260,000 nights (av. Stay 2.7 nights)
52.7% come from NSW and 47.3% from interstate – mainly from QLD
59% stay in hotels and motels
52% are holiday and leisure travelers
59.1% are aged 55+ years
38.7% are travelling as adult couples, 35.5% with friends and/or family and 25.8% are travelling alone
Destination Management Plan
The Destination Management Plan Summary 2021-2026 and Background Analysis Report was adopted by Council at the July 2021 Ordinary Council meeting.
Destination Management introduces a ‘holistic’ approach to the development, management, and marketing of tourist destinations. The approach requires that all tiers of Government, the tourism industry and business community leaders work together to develop and manage destinations.
Destination management aims to ensure that tourism adds value to the economy and social fabric of the area, is sustainable into the future, is resilient to external shocks and is responsive to changes in both the marketplace and competitive environment. It involves formulating a strong vision for the future of the destination and putting in place the framework and resources to ‘deliver’ this vision.
The DMP’s key strategic pillars are:
1. Improving Customer Experience - Improve the customer experience of GIH towns and villages as both destinations and service centres to address key customer experience constraints and provide visitors more reason to stop, explore and stay and spend longer.
2. Evolving the Brand Positioning - Evolve the brand positioning to focus on a central contextual theme to bring together all the attributes of natural and cultural heritage. Continue to strengthen marketing and promotional activity based on the evolved brand positioning.
3. Developing and Improving Existing Experiences - Continue to develop and improve the existing experience base of GIH across attractions, activities, and events. Support existing natural, human, and built assets to provide improved experiences that benefit the community’s socio-economic prosperity.
4. Creating and Delivering New Experiences - Incubate, fund, and deliver new activities, events, and attractions in context of adventure in nature, culture and history. Expanding adventure-based activity, experiences, and events in context of our natural & built environments.
GROW Glen Innes THINK TANK
GGITT members and workshops contribute to the Liveability GGITT, including:
- Healthcare Workforce Attraction
- Local Jobs and Skills Gaps
- Disused and Underutilised Assets
- Vision 2100
- Community Wealth Building
COMPLETED 2021 WORKSHOPS
- Healthcare - 'Attract, Connect, Stay' Program
- Local Jobs Program and Workforce Attraction
- Local Disused & Underutilised Assets
COMING UP IN 2022
The theme of the next GGITT is 'Liveability' and the aim is to complete the Regional Australia Institute’s (RAI) Liveability Toolkit to leverage in the optimisation of the Economic Development Strategy (EDS).
Photo Create
Photo Create is a wholesale company that services the global retail photo processing markets. Based in Glen Innes Highlands, and with production facilities in Australia and USA, the company has utilised custom-built software and back-end production management systems to maximise efficiency, both in the retail environment and at the production facility.
Gawura Gallery
Home of internationally acclaimed Aboriginal artist Lloyd Gawura Hornsby, the recently established gallery in Glen Innes has a reputation for its collaborative projects, school and community workshops and masterclasses. The gallery features contemporary artworks from local, interstate and international artists; a cafe serving coffee and light refreshments.
Autobaler
Autobaler are cardboard waste baler management specialists. This Deepwater-based business developed a unique open top loading system and combined this with the solid state electronic intelligent control system. The result is that Autobalers function with a much lower labour input requirement.
Housing Strategy 2022 - 2041
Housing is fundamental to the future growth and well-being of our community. The Glen Innes Severn Local Government Area Housing Strategy 2022 - 2041 identifies a series of ways in which Glen Innes Severn Council can work with State Government, the private sector, community housing providers and local industry to improve the quality and supply of local housing in the future.
The strategy is based on an assessment of current land supply, development, and construction activity, as well as engagement with housing providers and community groups.
Attract Connect Stay
Glen Innes
Attract Connect Stay is aimed at strengthening and stabilising Australia’s health workforce in regional, rural and remote communities.
A Healthcare Workforce Recruiter Connector has been appointed to deliver these services for the Glen Innes
This position aims to build and strengthen the local healthcare workforce by identifying and attracting healthcare professionals to relocate to the region and then support them and their families in the process of encouraging them to stay.
Local Underutilised & Disused Assets Survey & Audit Results
This local economic recovery project is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and the NSW Government under Disaster Funding Arrangements.
Highlands HUB
Co-working
Where we connect, create, innovate & grow.
Highlands HUB is both an online community and co-working facility, where business and community can come together with a common purpose of creating a thriving local economy and socially prosperous community.
The HUB has a community co-working lounge (including hot desks and a quiet zone), private offices, meeting rooms, a boardroom, and a training room. The space can cater for workshops, training sessions and large meetings, with access to video conferencing options, an 85" screen, HDMI, wired/wireless internet, a whiteboard, community lounge access, kitchenette facilities, and catering options.
The HUB will also offer subsidised programs, training and workshops, in its first year of operation. To enquire about booking or programs, email [email protected].
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