Narrabri Chamber of Commerce will urge Narrabri Shire council to initiate development of Narrabri land for commercial and industrial businesses.
“At present we have only one block of commercial land available in the council’s Yarrie Lake Road industrial estate” said president Mr Russell Stewart.
“The council’s Francis Street industrial area has long been taken up.
“We need to have suitable land ready to go in an industrial park and we need to start that process now.
“Moree has already taken the initiative with a council developed sub division, the big Gateway project.
“The chamber believes the Narrabri Shire Council should take a similar initiative and begin the process of identifying suitable land and put mechanisms in place to develop it” Mr Stewart said.
‘We don’t believe that private enterprise should be expected to pick this up.
“Councils do this everywhere else.
“The development of industrial land is a money maker for the council.
“Our research has identified good land ideal for the purpose at the Narrabri West.” Mr Stewart added.
“It is flood free and served by the railway line.
“The identified land we have in mind can be served by a rail spur line and is ideal to provide the kind of area which will attract business to Narrabri.
“Businesses have the option to establish themselves in a number of regional towns in competition with Narrabri.
“We must make sure that we are the front runners.
“At present we have nothing to offer.
“The land we have in mind won’t require the expensive landfill needed at Moree’s Gateway - it is high enough and would be much less expensive to develop.
“We need to start this process now to have commercial and industrial land ready in a few years, or sooner.”