Table 34: Selected constraints and opportunities identified during the Clarence Valley Roundtable, 28 October 2021 Constraints Shortage of skilled labour has resulted in job openings not being filled and work has had to be outsourced beyond the Clarence Valley LGA. This is a lost opportunity for the LGA A shortage of housing is a significant constraint that is deterring people from moving to the LGA. This has made it hard for businesses and industries to attract workers. Some people have been offered jobs in the LGA but then chosen to move to other locations due to the shortage of affordable housing options. Rising house prices since the COVID-19 pandemic has made many dwellings unaffordable to local residents. Strong demand from incoming population moving to the area from major urban centres has contributed to rising rents and prices and forced some locals out of the market. This is making it difficult to supported local workers. There is currently an undersupply of large lots (>10,000sqm) There is a shortage of retail space suited to cafes and personal services (e.g. hairdresser) in Ulmarra Some Industrial sites are subject to flooding which is a significant constraint The shortage of timber supplies in the local area is impacting on construction Opportunities Marine jetty at Harwood is the only place between Newcastle and Brisbane where large construction items can be brought in by sea. Leveraging this infrastructure to support construction project in the north coast region could encourage jobs growth Health is a growing sector. There is potential to develop a ‘health precinct,’ potentially involving the Old Grafton Gaol site. There has also been recent interest in a private hospital development which could ideally, be co-located with the base hospital and contribute to an allied health services cluster. Investment by the State government into Grafton Base Hospital could be further leveraged There is strong demand at Yamba working waterfront and opportunities to expand this area could be investigated Grafton is well located to be a focus for trucking and distribution due to its location on two main highways and being positioned well between Sydney and Brisbane State Government investment in the new Goal could be leveraged
9.2.2
Business survey
HillPDA developed a survey in collaboration with Council, distributed to business owners in the Clarence Valley LGA. The survey encompassed such areas as business details and staffing levels; locational attributes such as how long a business had been in their current location and if they were intending to move; why they chose their location; and what the best and worst attributes about their business location was. A copy of the survey is attached at Appendix A. The survey was open for responses between 10 November 2021 and 22 January 2022 with seven responses received. This quantity of responses was insufficient for any detailed quantitative analysis to be developed, therefore survey responses were considered together with the targeted engagement and analysed below. 9.2.3
Targeted engagement “We desperately need another road off the highway” comment from an interviewee
HillPDA undertook a range of targeted engagement activities. A list of stakeholders to approach for targeted consultation was developed in collaboration with Council officers. Stakeholders included representatives of:
Local business and industry Property and real estate services The local Indigenous communities Government agencies; and Infrastructure providers.
P22016 Clarence Valley Employment Lands Background
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