All eyes are on Casino as the next region to become a job precinct.
Called the Casino Industries Activation project, the aim is to establish a strong case for businesses to locate to the Richmond Valley and includes cutting red tape to lure manufacturing businesses to the area.
Last Wednesday in Townsend near Maclean, Richmond Valley mayor Robert Mustow, council’s general manager Vaughan Macdonald, Casino Food Co-op’s Simon Stahl and State MP Chris Gulaptis were at an event where Deputy Premier John Barilaro announced Casino as the location for the next Regional Job Precinct.
It is the second of four precincts in NSW that are part of the state government’s bush-led recovery from drought, floods, bushfires and covid.
Mr Macdonald said the Namoona Industrial Precinct was under preparation for new business.
New business can come to town and set up – such as manufacturing, cold store and transport related businesses, Mr Macdonald said.
Mr Barilaro said the bush shouldn’t be disadvantaged when it came to new business.
“Rain has fallen, stock prices are up,” Mr Barilaro said. “Just add water and you’ll find prosperity in the bush.”
He wanted to see the population in country NSW increase by 180,000.
“We aim to create 150,000 new jobs,” he said. “If you build it, they will come – and they will stay.”
The council has its eye on many of those jobs.
“It’s about cutting the red tape and rolling out the red carpet,” Mr Macdonald said.
Richmond Valley Council was recently successful in getting a $9.969 million grant from the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund which is being spent on the construction of road, sater, sewer and power services to develop 46ha of industrial land in Casino.
Mr Barilaro said the Richmond Valley was a clear choice for a Regional Job Precinct, due to its strengths in agriculture, renewable energy and manufacturing sectors.
Future Projects
- SANA Nutraceutical’s $220 million medicinal cannabis project, which will create up to 300 new jobs and has the capacity to build a turnover of $1 billion.
- A site for an alternate waste treatment facility to service the region’s landfill waste.
- Terra Hemp Co – $5.25 million hemp food and oil hub for the cultivation, production and manufacture of hemp-related products.
- A state-of-the-art bioenergy generator at the Casino Food Co-op.
- 270ha Casino Rail Freight Terminal for agricultural commodities, logistics and agri-business.
- Pacific Intermodal rail and road integrated industrial park.
- Activating new residential developments across the valley.
This article appeared in the Richmond River Independent, 10 February 2021.
