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Bring on the boom - Employment Lands Project officially opened

The Lismore App

Sara Browne

03 July 2023, 4:33 AM

Bring on the boom -  Employment Lands Project officially opened Cr Bing, Mayor Krieg, MP Janelle Saffin, LCC GM John Gibbons, MP Kevin Hogan, Cr Colby

The weather was dull but the hopes were bright as the new extension to Oliver Avenue in Goonellabah was officially opened this morning.


The multi-million dollar project is designed to unlock the Goonellabah Industrial Estate to spur investment and create more local jobs by extending Oliver Avenue to link with the Bruxner Highway.

 


Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg took charge of the giant scissors and joined with State Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin and Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan to officially open the $14.2 million Goonellabah Employment Lands project.

 

Mayor Krieg said the road “is going to be one of the most critical transport links in and out of Lismore”. All three levels of government have contributed financially to the project and hopes are high that business investment in the area will increase and create local jobs.


 

Mayor Krieg expressed his faith in Lismore’s future as a regional city with the investment in projects such as this.

 

“I think people will have that fear factor for a while…but the thing that really kick-started our town post-flood was how quickly our industrial lands down in South Lismore actually got rebuilt and back into action."



"In our daily talks with employers, they're always looking for somewhere flood free and this is an option. A really good option for them. It's still close to the CBD, it's still in the Lismore LGA, which is really important. We've got to encourage people to stay, not only stay in the Lismore LGA but encourage new people to come in."


"We’re confident, I think in all three levels of government, that if we get the flood mitigation right through the CSIRO study and if we build back better, Lismore's got such a bright future. There's no reason why the South Lismore industrial precinct and Goonellabah industrial precinct can’t operate jointly and work towards a really thriving regional city, which is my goal.”

 

Mayor Krieg went on to say that “..the level of engagement with people who don't have a business here is even more (post flood), the businesses that want to invest in our area has been significant. It's been surprisingly strong. I often say coastal places like Ballina and Byron, they're all good but they're not affordable anymore, even industrial lands aren't affordable. Businesses are looking for somewhere that's affordable to set up an operation and create investment opportunities. And this presents just that, it's an affordable package that we can offer to them with really good highway access.”

 


State MP Janelle Saffin also spoke positively of the project and the collaboration involved.



“This is a terrific project. And I acknowledge it started under the previous state government. I was a local member. I backed it at the time, but today it's got the full support of the state government. Because it does, as the Mayor said, open up industrial land that's really important in our area, as well as residential sites. It was important before the big floods it's even more important now,” Ms Saffin explained.

 

Works included the construction of the Oliver Avenue link, including a new bridge over Tucki Tucki Creek, a new roundabout at the Oliver Ave/Holland St/Taylor Ave intersection, modification/upgrades to the existing roundabout at Bruxner/Holland St to facilitate B-double movements, construction of a new public carpark at Hepburn Park and earthworks to Council-owned land at 260 Oliver Ave to facilitate additional industrial lots.


 


Federal MP Kevin Hogan said the economic health of a regional town can be gauged by its commercial and industrial areas.



“If you want to judge the health of any regional town, go into the industrial precinct. We go into the retail strips, we go into where people shop. But the health, for me, of any regional town, is in the industrial precinct. So that's why this is really important,” Mr Hogan said.

 

Council secured $11 million from the New South Wales Government, $2 million from the Australian Government, and contributed $1.17 million for the project.

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