Three years in the making, the new Western Downs Regional Planning Scheme commenced on 20 March, 2017. It heralds a simpler and more streamlined process that represents the region post-amalgamation. Over the coming weeks, I’ll break down just how promising the future for the region is, looking with continuing confidence from both local and national sources.
In this, my first article, I overview why laying out the welcome mat to Bunnings and Aldi, creates confidence that will bring other investment to the region.
When large multi-national retailers come to town, there’s good reason to be confident in the future prosperity of a region. These highly resourced organisations take investment very seriously. They don’t establish in a new area unless they have done the logistics, crunched the numbers, and analysed the returns. So if a multi-national comes to town, it’s because they have a compelling reason to do so.
Bunnings has a DA to establish in Dalby and construction is already underway. The warehouse will be operational by August this year. Meanwhile, Aldi have also received DA approval for a new supermarket in the town centre. These two actions speak volumes about the confidence in Dalby and the Western Downs. They will bring construction dollars and permanent on-going jobs for not just staff, but the contractors and suppliers who support them.
But better than that, they also become ‘nodal attractors’. They act like magnets for other businesses, who want to be co-located or set up nearby and therefore take advantage of the enormous pulling power that the multi-nationals bring. People will drive a considerable distance just to shop at a Bunnings or Aldi. Other businesses, understandably, want a piece of that action.
But it’s not just the retail that’s providing the confidence. Western Downs is fast establishing as the home of renewable energy. Some of Australia’s biggest solar farms have been approved in the region, plus a wind farm, which is already under construction. Together, they will generate enough energy to power 400,000 homes. Renewable energy is a new clean industry that utilises much of the same infrastructure established during the coal seam gas boom.
And speaking of coal seam gas, some of the workers accommodation camps will be phased out, with employees being permanently relocated into towns including Chinchilla, Miles and Dalby. Origin Energy have announced plans to turn FIFO workers into locals, where they can become part of the community and bolster local jobs and spending. Origin expects the Talinga accommodation camp to close by the end of this year1.
The simple equation is this: Infrastructure, employment opportunities and enhanced facilities all add up to a prosperous local economy and a desirable place for its residents to live.
To find out more about opportunities in the Darling Downs and Western Downs regional areas, please contact Kari Stephens on 07 4662 4055.
Sources: 1 Origin Energy: https://m.chinchillanews.com.au/news/origin-to-move-staff-into-regions-towns/3147501/
