A WIDE range of economic opportunities may arise from Gunnedah Shire Council’s (GSC) recent delegates trip to China, including the possibility of a new multi-species abattoir for Gunnedah.
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GSC was represented on the 15-day trade and investment tour by mayor Jamie Chaffey and general manager Eric Groth as well as representatives from the seven other shires within the Namoi Unlimited Joint Organisation (JO).
Throughout the tour of China’s Ningbo region, councillors engaged in several investment seminars.
Cr Chaffey said the main project GSC put forward during the seminars was the opportunity for investment in a multi-species abattoir in Gunnedah.
“We have already received expressions of interest from regional and domestic enterprises, but now we are looking for the final investment required from a well-established end user," Cr Chaffey said.
“To ensure the longevity of a grand scale project such as this abattoir, investment from within the supply chain would be ideal.”
The Gunnedah mayor said the region was in a good position to facilitate a new abattoir.
“I was very encouraged by the interest shown in this project and the others presented,” he said.
“There is a high demand for Australian beef by Chinese consumers, so that puts our project in a good position and fostering those trade and investment connections through these delegations is very important to attract international interest.”
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During the visit to the Ningbo region, Namoi Unlimited signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ningbo Agricultural Bureau with aims to focus efforts on this particular area of China.
“This means working closer with an area of China that has a population of 7.4 million, is home to the biggest seaport in China, is the second biggest city in its province and is only two hours from Shanghai,” Cr Chaffey said.
“I was very proud at all venues to give a brief introduction to the Gunnedah Shire, detailing not only the size, scale and capacity, but also to demonstrate that we are willing to share our trade and investment opportunities internationally on our terms.
“We have so much potential and this recent initiative was a great opportunity for Gunnedah to further expand the great work that has been done already.
“It will open doors for jobs well into the future for our community.”