Economy

Autumn events along the South Coast have taken on new importance this year after businesses lost essential holiday revenue during a long and destructive fire season. The South Coast needs you to show up and help get our local communities back on their feet - and they'll make it worth your while! From 6 to 8 March, EAT Merimbula, an...

'Bushfire affected' has become an all-inclusive term since fires broke out along the South Coast in December. Haven't we all been affected? Some of us have lost houses, pets or stock, our summer holiday, our innocence or large chunks of annual income. The local economy has certainly been slammed, with the retail sector taking the biggest hit. When the Merimbula...

Eurobodalla Shire Council is forging ahead with plans to develop a network of mountain bike trails in the Mogo area, with the burnt bushland caused by recent fires providing an unexpected perk for the project. Adventure trail company Dirt Art has been appointed to create the Adventure Trail Hub, which will benefit from improved visibility of the lay of the land, council’s director of...

A group of ACT businesses is calling on other local business owners to join them in supporting the recovery of the South Coast economy by giving staff a day off to head to the coast. Devastated by the recent bushfires, coastal towns are enduring the after effects of a disastrous tourism season, with many business owners struggling to make ends...

Braidwood business has borne the brunt of the summer bushfires. The town has always been just that little bit remote, but the closure of the Kings Highway was akin to cutting an artery for the rural economy. Prolonged drought had already put a dent in the local economy, along with a Telstra outage over the Braidwood Festival weekend. Then Braidwood...

Bee pollinating and honey-making will remain grounded long after the drought and bushfire crises subside says apiarist Laurie Kershaw. Laurie scrambled to pull thousands of hives from the path of the Currowan blaze on the South Coast. The Kerhsaws are based between Gundaroo and Bungendore. Annually, they contract their bees for almond pollination in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area near Darlington...

Despite suffering "major losses" in their operational township of Cabramurra after the Dunns Road fire passed through it, the Snowy Hydro 2.0 team re-started work this week, saying that the project will be a key part of the region's recovery. A total of 36 houses were destroyed in the 4 January fire, along with several of the unit blocks, the...

As an artist and producer of organic skincare and beeswax products, Greta Sharman appreciates the value of a space dedicated solely to the wares of local artisans. Her Broulee store, Bliss & Trove, has been established in that spirit. Mogo’s Greta – known for the well-loved Bliss honey products, produced by her beekeeper husband Tom – recently opened a Broulee...

A new service to help small and medium-sized food producers in the region become exporters has been launched in Canberra. Not-for-profit Agribusiness Regional Development Association (ARDA) says the Capital Region Export Hub (CREH) aims to boost the export value of businesses in the Capital Region and Southern NSW by $1 billion by 2025. It says the end-to-end service will help small and...

Ever driven through the beautiful Monaro and wished you could slow down and enjoy the scenery? For years, the prospect of cycling or walking the 213 km of un-used railway line from Queanbeyan to Bombala has been entertained, but it was only recently that the Snowy Monaro Regional Council completed a feasibility study into the proposal, bringing it one step closer...

The Veolia Mulwaree Trust has announced the recipients of the 2019 Round 2 Grants and Donations Programmes. Nineteen community groups from across the region with a wide range of projects by providing $306,693 in grant funding in its second funding round of 2019, as well as a further 34 local organisations who have shared in $33,661 through the Veolia Mulwaree...

Local frustration around climate action took the first flush of headlines around the Acting Prime Minister’s visit to the Bega Valley yesterday, masking some worthy local projects that had 'their moment in the sun' all be it flanked by bush fire smoke from afar. Michael McCormack started his day at the Bega Saleyards were he opened new facilities aimed at improving...

Tourism operators on the Sapphire Coast have gathered for the launch of the industry's plan for growth. Over 1 million visitors were drawn to the Bega Valley in the year ending June 2018, spending $499 million. The industry generates 3,500 local jobs and has a multiplier effect in the wider regional economy of 1.9, so for every $1 a tourist...