BUSINESS is booming following the investment trip to China earlier this year, the chamber of commerce says.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Stacey Cooke, chamber vice president, says they can’t keep up with inquiries since the delegation featuring representatives from council, local businesses and the chamber returned in April.
Gunnedah is now getting ready to host a reciprocal visit from China in August.
“A lot of business has come out the trip with inquiries from China about cotton seeds and beef,” Mrs Cooke said.
She said it was important to give business-owners a chance to put forward their “own ideas and passions”.
Chamber president Mike Broekman said it could lead to larger, regional opportunities down the track.
“[It’s] opened our eyes to look at regional opportunities,” he said.
“If inquiries are too large, we could look at joining with like-minded business communities.”
Meanwhile, Tamworth Regional Council has defended its recent decision to take a council-only delegation for a “business investment trip” to China.
Mayor Col Murray said at Tuesday’s council meeting the Tamworth Business Chamber president Jye Segboer had expressed interest in also joining the trip, at his own cost.
Mr Segboer said the matter would be voted on at the next Chamber board meeting.
Tamworth councillor Russell Webb said he had copped community criticism regarding council’s Chinese trip, but said the region stood to benefit.
“I certainly defend this trip because we’ve established some good links with Asia and, in particular, China,” he said.
“If we have a look around our nation we see some of the smartest business people in this country, and I’ll name Gina Reinhardt as one of them, establishing some very good links with this great food consuming nation.”
Cr Murray said he hoped the visit would put runs on the board for the agricultural sector. He said the council trips to China are about getting the “right type of investment” for the region.
“Investment in education in agriculture that will be delivered by places like the UNE and TAFE - the sale of intellectual properties, but we have to be clever,” Cr Murray said.
"We can't transfer that knowledge for a training wage, we have to get better outcomes - TRC is looking for modest income streams from this."