Bold new plan to boost population, jobs | opinion

The LSPS sets the 20-year land use planning vision for the Armidale region, providing a framework for future land use planning decisions and the management of growth, based on the regions social, economic and environmental needs.

Councils aspirational target includes attracting 4,000 jobs to our region by 2040 as well as areas to accommodate new housing for an increased regional population of 10,000 people and 20,000 residents by 2043.

I grew up in the New England area. I was home-schooled at a property near Walcha, before moving to Armidale to attend Ben Venue public School back in the day when the infants and primary students were separated on either side of Rockvale Road.

For high school, the morning bus travelled a little further up the hill to the now abandoned Duval High school, I have seen many friends and former colleagues leave town due to lack of opportunities and never return. I stayed because I believe it is a wonderful place to raise a family, to live and to work, I therefore welcome council's ambitious vision and encourage residents to read over the LSPS and make a submission.

In the 'Mayors foreword' of the LSPS Mayor Sam Coupland rightly points out that that "despite the abundance of opportunities available to our region we have never capitalised on its potential".

"Our road has been one of stagnant population with a 0.2 % annual growth rate, stagnant employment, a hallowed-out city centre, tired looking green spaces that should be the jewel in the crown of our city, towns and villages, a fragile relationship with our university and a failure to attract the right kind of private and government investment."

The LSPS outlines key markers that council believes have given the town a platform to spring from, these include: water security, the airport, agriculture and horticulture, education and industry among others.

Securing funding to raise Malpas Dam by 6.5m which was achieved in June 2022 with the assistance of Northern tablelands MP Adam Marshall and more recently, the settlement of the Oaky River dam near Wollomombi which is seen as the preferred option for an alternative water source to address water security.

"Securing the region's water supply, to support the level of growth required, now provides assurance to future developers that we are open for business and our region is an attractive option for those considering a tree change," Mayor Coupland said.

These measures have effectively increased the secure water supply in our region from 2,430 megalitres per annum (MLpa) to about 8,000 MLpa and will, according to a council press release, 'allow expansion of our engine industries to drive growth of our region and support a population beyond 50,000."

These 'engines' include established industries agriculture and education and growth potential industries-controlled environment horticulture, renewable energy and manufacturing.

The LSPS notes that Armidale's main strengths for controlled environment horticulture are its temperate climate combined with high solar exposure and transport connections across eastern Australia.

The New England region provides a unique microclimate with high sunlight levels in winter and cooler summers, making it perfect for glasshouse production.

Costa tomato farm in Guyra employs close to a thousand people in its 2.5-hectare glasshouse nursery including a mix of employees from around the region, Pacific island workers and backpackers.

Medicinal cannabis company Australian Natural Therapeutics Groups has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2019.

ANTG is among a handful of Australian companies that export manufactured and plant-based medicinal cannabis products to countries such as Germany and NZ.

It perhaps goes without saying how important the agricultural industry is to the region. High rainfall and climatic conditions invite improved pasture application making the area ideal for wool production, beef production as well dairy production as evidenced by the highly successful Walcha Dairy which is the highest dairy farm in Australia.

For the agricultural sciences, there is the University of New England which offers world class agricultural science degrees as well as the state-of-the-art Kirby smart farm, CSIRO, improved pasture R & D companies such as DLF seeds, and let's not forget the APVMA, the Australian Government statutory agency responsible for the management and regulation of all agricultural and veterinary chemical products in Australia which has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.

For manufacturing, the region boasts a number of incredible success stories such as Uniplan, a modular home builder with significant potential for expansion including the possibility of assisting the NSW government with housing shortages.

Recent startup Frametruss Australia offers a perfect example of how Armidale can attract quality business initiatives that have potential to employ dozens of skilled laborers.

Finally, renewable energy.

As the government is embarks on its renewable energy program, the New England has been identified as one of five renewable energy zones.

The LSPS acknowledges that "while this will support new, green energy related industries and investment, it will also place pressure on our farms and will need to be delicately co-exist with our prime agricultural land.

"It will also place pressure on our housing during construction phases of these large-scale projects, reads the LSPS."

Finding the right balance between these opportunities and challenges in this pivotal time for our region will in many ways determine the trajectory of growth, not to say there won't be fluctuations along the way but I trust that with enough good people working with good intentions, our region will prosper.

I hope that many of my friends and former colleagues to decide to return to the area, if we can draw the outline of our picturesque valleys and mountains, all we have to do is let them colour it in.