Economy

Businesses establishing themselves or expanding in regional NSW could be eligible for grants up to $10 million if they can show they are creating at least five new jobs for people in the bush. The $100 million Regional Job Creation Fund was announced by NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro on Sunday, 25 October. He said the fund will provide businesses...

During the past summer, Upper Lachlan Shire Council Mayor John Stafford only had animals to greet at his wildlife park in Taralga each morning. His business and others in Taralga and the neighbouring town of Crookwell survived on little to no income as smoke from nearby bushfires drove customers away. They were already battling years of drought, then the bushfires,...

There's a long history of harvesting kelp manually on the NSW South Coast - a tradition started by Betty Long in 1970. As owner of the business Sea Health, Betty earned the title of "The Kelp Lady". Betty sold the business to Jo Lane in 2015, and it now looks set to pioneer a sustainable kelp farming industry on the...

Bega Valley parents are among thousands who have signed an open letter asking Prime Minister Scott Morrison to provide federal funding for the installation of solar panels and batteries in schools and early childhood centres around Australia. The Solar Our Schools initiative, led by Australian Parents for Climate Action, aims to reduce emissions, aid the green economic recovery after COVID-19, and...

The family-owned 138-year-old Hyne Timber company is continuing to call for government support to direct Australian saw logs destined for China to their mill in Tumbarumba. Chief Executive Officer Jon Kleinschmidt said employees and the community were increasingly concerned about the mill's future following last summer’s devastating bushfires, which decimated 40 per cent of Hyne’s local log supply. Following discussions...

A farming family in Yass has agreed to lease agricultural land to a state-significant solar farm estimated to cost $110 million and produce 80-megawatts of electricity. If approved, Yass Solar Farm will be located next to TransGrid's substation in Yass, on 150 hectares of mostly cleared land that runs along Perry Street in the town's southwest corner. READ ALSO: Man...

A new policy passed by the NSW Government will encourage government agencies to consider purchasing goods and services from small, medium and regional businesses for all direct procurements up to $250,000. The NSW Government's Small and Medium Enterprise and Regional Procurement Policy aims to boost regional economies in the wake of drought, bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. READ ALSO: Yass...

A former South West Slopes woman and her husband have come up with an innovative concept to help inject much-needed cash flow to businesses struggling through COVID-19. And it seems to be a hit, judging by the 1500 businesses which signed up within an hour of watching a Today show segment on the concept. Jen Hollingsworth (nee McCloy) was born and bred...

Fresh from a stint helping the NSW South Coast's bushfire recovery efforts, the Canberra Region Joint Organisation’s (CRJO) new chief executive officer has improvements in freight, tourism and commuter connections top of the agenda in her new role. Kalina Koloff will join the organisation that represents 10 councils in southeast NSW – including Yass Valley Shire Council, Goulburn Mulwaree Council and...

"We're getting very good at giving refunds!" quips Tegan Abbott, manager at Narooma's Big 4 Caravan Park, as she reflects on how many reservation changes she and her staff have processed in the last six months, first as a result of bushfires, then the COVID-19 lockdown and most recently following the closure of the Victorian border on 7 July. The...

On Tuesday, 23 June, Eurobodalla Shire Council (ESC) approved revised plans and budgets for the next financial year, aimed at helping the community rebuild following the past summer's bushfire crisis and COVID-19. Council’s 2017-2021 Delivery Program and 2020-2021 Operational Plan focuses on reducing hardship for residents, leading bushfire recovery and stimulating the local economy during the next 12 months. However,...

The South Coast desperately needs tourism dollars so our local economies and businesses can recover from a summer of setbacks and financial losses. But with a developing COVID-19 hotspot in Victoria and 30 new cases in the last 24 hours, there are questions about whether welcoming a horde of Victorian tourists for the winter school holidays is really a smart choice...

It was a challenge South Coast business's rose to meet: greeting an onslaught of eager tourists over the June long weekend while adhering to strict COVID-19 social distancing protocols. According to the region's Crime Prevention Officer, Senior Constable David Bates from Batemans Bay, the business community has been largely successful in their efforts, despite record crowds over the weekend. "As...