processing remains in the region.

The development is a significant investment

for Griffith which will see Baiada emerge as

one of Australia’s largest chicken processors

with a new state-of-the-art facility.

Baiada is a company committed to the

Griffith region and will work closely with local

farmers to increase opportunities for local

growers.

Griffith has experienced positive investment growth

over the past few years, providing much needed

investor confidence in our region.

Intense negotiations through Griffith City

Council’s Economic Development Unit and

potential investors has secured a $20 million

Almondco Australia Limited dehulling facility which

will not only support the local emerging Almond

industry but will help strengthen the job market as

well as support local contractors during the building

phase as well as a $29 million dollar investment

from Baiada Poultry.

Developments like Almondco Australia are great

news for the City of Griffith and further reinforce to

other investors that it absolutely makes sense to

invest in our region.

The Almondco development is a first for Griffith

City Council in terms of the new State Government

process for developments of $10 million and over

that go before a Joint Regional Panel Process in

order to be approved. Almondco Australia was the

first development to undergo this process and was

approved without incident.

The Joint Regional Panel has also approved a

number of developments for Baiada Poultry for a

Hatchery with a total cost of $23 million and a

Packing room worth almost $6 million. A

Rendering Plant has also been lodged and is

awaiting approval. The commitment by Baiada to

double expansion at the Hanwood site is a great

boon for the City and the area.

Council has worked closely with Baiada to

ensure the long term viability of chicken

I N V E S T O R C O N F I D E N C E S T R O N G

A W O R D F R O M T H E C H A I R P E R S O N

The City of Griffith has proven many times in the

past it’s resilience and ability to rise above any

challenges in the marketplace.

To give you an indication of where we are, in the

past calendar year for 2010 our construction

certificates for residential totalled more than $21

million and our commercial and industrial

certificates totalled more than $41 million.

The year ahead is looking bright and

through this quarterly newsletter we would

like to keep you up to date with what our

Economic Development Committee is

doing and our vision for Griffith.

We are a very progressive Council and we

sincerely wish for our existing businesses

and industry to be progressive and

successful now and into the future.

If you have a query or would like to talk to the

Economic Development Unit, please get in

touch by calling Nicola James on 69628 169

or Stephen Joyce on 69628 174.

Have a wonderful year,

Cr Dominic Testoni

Deputy Mayor and Chairperson of the

Economic Development Steering Committee

GRIFFITH

CITY

COUNCIL

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 1

V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

G R I F F I T H C I T Y

C O U N C I L

Prior to the release of the MDBA

guide, Griffith City Council has

been working closely with the

Murrumbidgee Valley

Stakeholders group to

strategically plan the way

forward.

The Murrumbidgee Valley

Stakeholders group

encompasses local irrigation

companies, local irrigator groups

and industry representatives who

are working hard to lobby state

and federal representatives to

talk about a fairer plan for all.

The Stakeholder Group has had

a number of successful meetings

with Federal Minister for Water

Tony Burke and Federal Minister

for Regional Development Simon

Crean to discuss the uniqueness

of our region and the need for

balance, infrastructure

investment among other issues.

The stakeholder group is

working not just for the

Murrumbidgee region but for

everyone affected along the

Murray Darling Basin and has

been working tirelessly even

prior to the release of the guide

to ensure our communities are

not adversely affected by the

plan.

The next few months will see

the House of Representatives

sitting in Griffith as well as MDBA

consultants conducting

interviews in our region.

Strengthening Riverina

Irrigation Communities Project

Manager Stephen Joyce will also

be consulting with business and

industry in the five respective

councils to conduct

comprehensive Economic

Development Strategies to

enable our region to attract non-

water reliant industry for the long

term sustainability of the area.

For more information on this

project or if you would like to be

interviewed please contact

Stephen.Joyce@griffith.nsw.gov.

au

be more proactive and

professional in our approach and

will be adaptable so that it can

target specific industry as well as

being used in grant applications

to assist industry infrastructure

projects.

The Opportunity Brochure and

Griffith City Council will be

producing a new resource which

will enable the Economic

Development unit to attract

investors, industry and new

families to the region.

The Opportunities Brochure

will allow Griffith City Council to

5 minute DVD is possible due to

NSW Industry and Investment

funding and should be completed

later this year.

M D B A U P D A T E

O P P O R T U N I T Y B R O C H U R E A N D D V D

I N T E R N A T I O N A L I N V E S T O R I N T E R E S T

Griffith by Mayor Mike Neville and Cr. Dom Testoni and met with representatives from the Wine Grapes Marketing Board, Riverina Winemakers Association and Riverina Citrus.

The Chinese were amazed by the scale of the farms and machinery and were very interested in to see our wineries in operation as well as citrus packing sheds and other industry.

The majority of delegates came from Beijing. Representatives from the China National Machinery Industry Corporation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences (CAAMS), Yanyuan Venture Capital and China International Corporation Limited. The delegation was headed by Xie Biao Vice President of China National Machinery Ind Corp.

Strong investor Interest in the

region has provided a much

needed boost with recent

international investor interest in

the area from China and South-

East Asia.

In late December a delegation of thirteen business men and women from China toured the region to explore investment opportunities in agriculture.

The delegates were welcomed to

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