Walcha Local Government Area NORTHERN INLAND NSW Walcha Local Government Area At a Glance Walcha is situated some 420km from Sydney via Thunderbolt’s Way through Gloucester, and 523 km via Tamworth and the New England Highway. The natural beauty of the Shire is quite breathtaking. The Shire is home to the magnificent Macleay Gorges and boasts some 205,000 hectares of dedicated national parks, wilderness and state forest. Parts of our Werrikimbe National Park are World Heritage listed. The Shire is also a well-known trout fishing mecca, boasting some 1,500 km of trout streams which are a home to Rainbow and Brown trout. The township of Walcha is 1,067 metres above sea level, with the highest point in the district being at “The Flags” (42 kilometres south of Walcha) which is 1,493 metres above sea level. The Shire covers an area of 640,028 hectares. The Walcha district today is a significant primary producing area. It is one of the largest stock carrying areas in Australia. The Shire has long been known as a producer of high quality native hardwoods and its importance as a softwood producing area is increasing. It is renowned as one of the best fine wool growing areas in the world. Land area (sq. km) Population Gross Regional Product ($M) 6,261 3,021 149 Major industries of employment Education & Training Agriculture Health care Retail trade Transport, postal Construction Public administration (grazing) and and and safety social assistance warehousing Average annual wage Average weekly rents Average monthly Median house price Average value of private & salary income (3 bedroom) mortage (3 bedroom) sector building development $34,142 $230 $1,585 $189,500 $351,000 Contact information for Economic Development Jack O’Hara Ph: (02) 6774 2500 | Website: www.walcha.nsw.gov.au Walcha Local Government Area 3 Walcha Local Government Area 5 Investment Opportunities Current Projects Recent and potential projects in the Walcha Shire include: • Thunderbolt’s Way upgrade ($3.5m) – providing improved access to the coast and Sydney regions; • Walcha Dairy expansion ($3m) – potential to service rapidly expanding markets for animal-based protein in North Asia; • Woolbrook Wind Farm – building on the experiences of wind farms in the Inverell and Glen Innes LGAs. Investment Opportunities Agriculture (cattle and sheep, including fine wool) and forestry (pine plantations and native hardwood forests) have traditionally been the mainstay of the Walcha economy. There is considerable scope for mitigating the risks associated with a heavy dependence on agriculture by diversifying the regional economy. It is important to recognise that logistics pathways are changing in the digital era, and regional economies must take advantage of this change. The objective is to provide a more stable income base for regional economies to boost their resilience, and where possible to compete, to engage in more processing/value adding to capture a greater share of the value chain. There are several investment opportunities of significance the Walcha Shire: Sustainable firewood – a significant proportion of energy use in Walcha and surrounding areas including Armidale comes from burning firewood for heating. The sustainability of much of this firewood source is questionable, and presents opportunities for businesses who wish to become certified sustainable suppliers. There are also opportunities for alternative heating sources (e.g. wood pellet heaters, utilising forestry and sawmill residues); Aged care – There is potential for further expansion of housing for the aged by private developers, such as Seniors Living; Agriculture accessing North Asia - food safety is becoming a critical unique selling point as Asian affluence grows. There are significant price premiums to be gained by becoming a trusted supplier. This is all about brand recognition – not just ‘branding’. There are opportunities to develop the technology which makes agricultural products traceable for North Asian/Chinese consumers; Dairy – the development of the Walcha Dairy Terminal will increase farm-gate returns for milk production in the region, by providing a fresh/cold milk terminal half-way between Sydney and Brisbane. This has the potential to attract further dairy investment to the region; Transport – A strategic location on the Thunderbolts Way and Oxley highway providing freight access to the north coast, Sydney, Newcastle and the west of NSW. Continued investment in road infrastructure will assist with this advantage; Forestry – significant public and private softwood plantations and native forest resources in the shire. This provides scope for investment in timber processing and renewable energy options based around biomass including wood pellet manufacturing for domestic and industrial heating. The export market for wood pellets in Europe is growing rapidly; Tourism – access to the eastern gorge country with significant opportunities including mountain biking, fishing and bush-walking and nature-based tours. Also potential to build upon the existing motorcycle tourism activity which occurs along the Oxley Highway from Port Macquarie up to Walcha and beyond; Renewable Energy – potential for wind farm investment in the Woolbrook portion of the LGA, though this depends on access to the TransGrid 330 kV lines. Walcha Local Government Area 7 Community Profile Population • Walcha LGA has a significant proportion of its population in the working-age category, which is a benefit to business investors in the region. Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Mining Manufacturing Population by Age Bracket Lifestage (%) - Walcha Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services 0-4 years Construction Wholesale Trade 5-9 years Retail Trade 10-14 years Accommodation and Food Services 15-19 years Transport, Postal and Warehousing 20-24 years Information Media and Telecommunications Financial and Insurance Services 25-29 years Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services 30-34 years Professional, Scientific and Technical... Age 35-39 years Administrative and Support Services Public Administration and Safety 40-44 years Education and Training 45-49 years Health Care and Social Assistance 50-54 years 0-4 years (pre-school age) 6.12% Arts and Recreation Services 55-59 years 5-19 years (school age / dependants) 18.47% Other Services Currently unknown 60-64 years 20-64 years (working age) 54.22% 65 years and over 65-74 years (retirement) 12.71% 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 75+ years (elderly) 8.47% Males Females Education Highest Qualification (%) - Walcha • Walcha has a highly-skilled workforce • 16.2 % had ‘Certificate Level’ qualification • 6.1 % had ‘Bachelor Degree Level’ • 5.5 % were ‘Advanced Diploma and Diploma Level’ qualified Certificate Level 16.23% Bachelor Degree Level 6.13% Advanced Diploma and Diploma Level 5.46% Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate Level 0.83% Postgraduate Degree Level 0.76% Other 70.60% Business Activity Businesses by Industry 2013 0 100 200 300 400 500 Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Mining Manufacturing Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services Construction Wholesale Trade Retail Trade Accommodation and Food Services Transport, Postal and Warehousing Information Media and Telecommunications Financial and Insurance Services Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services Professional, Scientific and Technical... Administrative and Support Services Public Administration and Safety Education and Training Health Care and Social Assistance Arts and Recreation Services Other Services Currently unknown Over $2 million 3% $0 - $50,000 24% $50,000 - $99,000 14% Businesses by Turnover $100,000 - $199,999 20% $200,000 - $499,000 23% $500,000 - $1,999,999 16% Walcha Local Government Area 9 Value-Added Value-Added ($M) - Walcha (Apr 2016) Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing by sector Rental, Hiring & Real Estate Services Construction This graph shows the value that is added by Electricity, Gas, Water & Waste Services Public Administration & Safety industry sectors in Walcha to intermediate Transport, Postal & Warehousing inputs. The total value-added estimate for Health Care & Social Assistance Walcha is $181.513 million. Value-added Retail Trade is a reflection of the returns to capital Manufacturing and labour generated by each sector and Education & Training Professional, Scientific & Technical Services hence the potential profits which can be Industry Sector Accommodation & Food Services re-invested. Financial & Insurance Services Other Services Administrative & Support Services Wholesale Trade Information Media & Telecommunications Arts & Recreation Services Mining 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 $M Gross Regional Output ($M) - Walcha (Apr 2016) Product Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing Manufacturing • Per Capita Gross Regional Product Construction Rental, Hiring & Real Estate Services $65,000 Electricity, Gas, Water & Waste Services • Per Worker Gross Regional Product Transport, Postal & Warehousing $149,000 Public Administration & Safety • The graph to the right shows the gross Retail Trade revenue generated by businesses and Health Care & Social Assistance organisations in Walcha. The total Accommodation & Food Services output estimate for Walcha is $381.201 Professional, Scientific & Technical Services Industry Sector Education & Training million. Financial & Insurance Services Other Services Administrative & Support Services Wholesale Trade Information Media & Telecommunications Arts & Recreation Services Mining 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 $M Housing and Construction Building Approvals and Construction (February