Attracting jobs top priority as Liverpool Plains Shire Council plans to tackle declining population

More than 30 business representatives met on Tuesday morning for a forum hosted by Liverpool Plains Shire Council (LPSC).

Mayor Doug Hawkins said increasing employment opportunities in the shire is key to growing the population, and is one of the main objectives of council's draft 2022-2025 Economic Development Strategy.

"We need to attract more people to the region, we need a wider rate base, but in order to do that we need jobs for them," he said.

"So it's vitally important to attract the industries here first, or try to get more industries here to create more jobs."

The Liverpool Plains shire has a population of less than 8000, and in 2019 Planning NSW predicted that population to decrease by 1150 people by 2041.

Over that same period the working population is estimated to decrease by 900, children aged 14 and under are estimated to decrease by 550, the number of people aged 65 and over is estimated to increase by 300.

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Cr Hawkins said the council is working with the Namoi Unlimited Joint Organisation, who is putting together a detailed mapping exercise of the Namoi region to establish an industry database that can be used to promote and attract investors.

The Liverpool Plains Business Chamber have sent a 25 point submission to the council on its Draft Economic Development Strategy, hoping to highlight numerous issues it believes to be of key importance.

"There a multiple intersecting factors including housing availability, childcare access, aged care availability, development of a business precinct, natural resource management and use, small business support, industry partnerships, access to health specialists and access to public transport as well as lifestyle desirability for people to relocate to the region that must be addressed in conjunction with attracting new business and businesses to the shire," Chamber president Sally Alden said.

"The more we all work together to promote, enhance and invigorate our region the better.

"The Liverpool Plains Business Chamber is always open to new ideas that showcase, incorporate and involve our diverse business communities and we look forward to hearing from council on their implementation of our points into the Economic Strategy."

The forum was an initiative supported by NSW Governments Small Business Month, and included presentations by local businessman David Wallis from Manuka Chaff and lead strategist at Pepper Group, Shane Manley.

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