Local Government Area

N O R T H E R N I N L A N D N S W

Gwydir Shire Local Government Area

At a GlanceThe Gwydir Shire encompasses a diverse landscape that is both picturesque and productive and is approximately 560 km north of Sydney, 160 km north of Tamworth along the Fossickers Way and 85 km north-west of Inverell.

The southern boundary of the shire is the Nandewar Range where the Gwydir and Namoi Valleys meet. The Horton Valley and Cobbadah District are home to some Australia’s most highly regarded beef cattle studs. These enterprising farmers use the latest artificial breeding and agronomic technology to produce beef of exceptional quality. Meat sheep and merinos that grow high quality wool are also grazed in this area.

The Gwydir River enters the Gwydir Shire where it spills from the Copeton Dam and meanders in a westerly direction through the towns of Bingara and Gravesend. The Gwydir valley is well known for irrigated and dry land cropping as well as livestock production. In addition to the traditional crops of wheat, barley, oats and sorghum, there are olive groves, pecan nut plantations and freshwater fish farms in the Gravesend district.

Heading northwest from the timbered surrounds of the town of Warialda and the close-knit community of Coolatai, the countryside opens into an undulating vista of basalt farmland. This part of the Shire which include the villages of Crooble, Croppa Creek and North Star, is known as the ‘Golden Triangle’. Farmers using advanced farming techniques, such as minimum tillage and satellite guidance systems, produce a variety of high yielding crops such as wheat, barley sorghum, maize, chick peas, canola and cotton to name just a few. This area also has several cattle feed lots which supply grain fed beef to the Australian domestic market and export markets throughout the world.

Both Warialda and Bingara have Hospitals, Aged Care Hostels, Medical Centres, Caravan Parks, Swimming Pools, Pre-schools, Libraries, Tourist Information Centres, and a Mobile Pre-school based at North Star.

Gwydir Shire Local Government Area

Land area (sq. km)

9,262Population

5,104Gross Regional Product ($M)

231Major industries of employment

Education & Training Agriculture(cotton, other broad acre

cropping, cattle)

Health care and

social assistance

Retail trade Accommodation and

food services

Public administration and safety

Average annual wage& salary income

$38,267Average weekly rents

(3 bedroom)

$220Average monthly

mortage

$1,307Median house price

(3 bedroom)

$168,00Average value of private

sector building development

$247,000Contact information for Economic Development Ph: (02) 6724 2000 Warialda Office | (02) 6724 2000 Bingara Officewww.gwydirshire.com

Gwydir Shire Local Government Area 3


Investment Opportunities

Agriculture (cattle and sheep, cropping) have traditionally been the mainstay of the Gwydir economy. There is considerable

scope for mitigating the risks associated with a heavy dependence on agriculture by diversifying the regional economy. It is

important to recognise that logistics pathways are changing in the digital era, and regional economies must take advantage

of this change. The objective is to provide a more stable income base for regional economies to boost their resilience, and

where possible to compete, to engage in more processing/value adding to capture a greater share of the value chain.

There are several investment opportunities of significance in the Gwydir Shire:

Investment Opportunities

Current Projects

Recent and potential projects in the Gwydir Shire include:

• The Living Classroom ($4m) – training agricultural students in new sustainable farming techniques;

• Re-development of the Roxy Theatre in Bingara – now a showcase venue, which attracts entertainers from across

the country.


Agriculture accessing North Asia - food safety is becoming a critical unique selling point as Asian affluence

grows. There are significant price premiums to be gained by becoming a trusted supplier. This is all about

brand recognition – not just ‘branding’. There are opportunities to develop the technology which makes

agricultural products traceable for North Asian/Chinese consumers;

Forestry – significant public and private native cypress and hardwood forest resources in the shire. This

provides scope for investment in timber processing and renewable energy options based around biomass

including wood pellet manufacturing for domestic and industrial heating. The export market for wood pellets

in Europe is growing rapidly. There is also a significant market for hardwood timber landscaping products into

Brisbane;

Aged care – there is potential for further expansion of housing for the aged by private developers, and for

upgrades to existing health facilities to compliment and aging population

Tourism – the abundance of natural assets in the region provides opportunities for adventure and nature

based tourism such as gem fossicking, 4WD tours, nature tours, B&Bs, mountain biking, farm stays, the Bingara

glacial area, Myall Creek indigenous site and fishing. Also scope for re-vitalising the previously popular back-

packer tourism activities in the region;

Renewable Energy – significant forestry and agricultural residues in the Gwydir region provide investment

potential for biomass-based renewable energy businesses. There is also significant opportunity for solar

power;

Transport – upgrading the Warialda to Bingara and Narrabri to Bingara roads in an investment which will

benefit both freight, business and tourism opportunities.

Community Profile

Population

• Gwydir Shire LGA has a significant proportion of its population in the working-age category, which is a benefit to business

investors in the region.

Education

• 14.9 % had ‘Certificate Level’ qualification

• 4.9 % had ‘Bachelor Degree Level’

• 4.5 % were ‘Advanced Diploma and Diploma Level’ qualified

Lifestage (%) - Gwydir

0-4 years (pre-school age) 6.57%

5-19 years (school age / dependants) 17.95%

20-64 years (working age) 52.77%

65-74 years (retirement) 13.13%

75+ years (elderly) 9.59%

Certificate Level 14.94%

Bachelor Degree Level 4.87%

Advanced Diploma and Diploma Level 4.47%

Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate Level 0.66%

Postgraduate Degree Level 0.56%

Other 74.48%

Highest Qualification (%) - Gwydir

Population by Age Bracket

0-4 years

5-9 years

10-14 years

15-19 years

20-24 years

25-29 years

30-34 years

35-39 years

40-44 years

45-49 years

50-54 years

55-59 years

60-64 years

65 years and over

Age

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

Males Females

Business Activity

Over $2 million 1%

$0 - $50,000 34%

$50,000 - $99,000 17%

$100,000 - $199,999 17%

$200,000 - $499,000 18%

$500,000 - $1,999,999 13%

Businesses by Turnover


0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

Mining

Manufacturing

Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services

Construction

Wholesale Trade

Retail Trade

Accommodation and Food Services

Transport, Postal and Warehousing

Information Media and Telecommunications

Financial and Insurance Services

Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services

Professional, Scientific and Technical...

Administrative and Support Services

Public Administration and Safety

Education and Training

Health Care and Social Assistance

Arts and Recreation Services

Other Services

Currently unknown

Businesses by Industry 2013

0 100 200 300 400 500

Value-Added by sector

This graph shows the value that is added by

industry sectors in Gwydir to intermediate

inputs. The total value-added estimate for

Gwydir is $209.676 million. Value-added

is a reflection of the returns to capital

and labour generated by each sector and

hence the potential profits which can be

re-invested.

Gross Regional Product• Per Capita Gross Regional Product

$47,000

• Per Worker Gross Regional Product

$149,000

• The graph to the right shows the gross

revenue generated by businesses and

organisations in Gwydir. The total

output estimate for Gwydir is $407.753

million.

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing

Rental, Hiring & Real Estate Services

Public Administration & Safety

Health Care & Social Assistance

Education & Training

Electricity, Gas, Water & Waste Services

Retail Trade

Wholesale Trade

Construction

Transport, Postal & Warehousing

Financial & Insurance Services

Accommodation & food Services

Manufacturing

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services

Other Services

Information Media & Telecommunications

Mining

Arts & Recreation Services

Administrative & Support Services

Value-Added ($M) - Gwydir (Apr 2016)

Indu

stry

Sec

tor

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

$M




Construction

Manufacturing



Wholesale Trade

Education & Training

Retail Trade


Accommodation & Food Services



Other Services


Mining


Administration & Support Services

Output ($M) - Gwydir (Apr 2016)

Indu

stry

Sec

tor

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

$M

Housing and Construction Building Approvals and Construction (February 2016)

Property and Land (April 2016)

House Prices (realestate.com.au)

The median sales price for houses in Bingara in the last year was $168,000. The median sales price for houses in Warialda in the last year

was $140,000.

Newhouses

no.

11

New otherresidentialbuilding

no.

0

Totaldwellingsno.

no.

11

Value ofnew houses

$’000

2,211

Value of newother residentialbuilding

$’000

0

Value of alterations &additions includingconversions residentialbuilding

$’000

133

Value of total residential buildings

$’000

2,344

Value of non-residentalbuilding

$’000

6,658

Value of totalbuilding

$’000

9,002


Employment This graph shows the number of employees whose place of work is located within Gwydir. The total employment estimate for Gwydir is

1,555 jobs.

Not in the labour force 1,753 35.31%

Employed, worked full-time 1,371 27.61%

Employed, worked part-time 525 10.5%

Employed, away from work 134 2.70%

Unemployed, looking for full-time work 78 1.57%

Unemployed, looking for part-time work 31 0.62%

Not stated 133 2.68%

Not applicable 940 18.93%

Total 4,965 100.00%

Labour Force Status Gwydir (2011)

Persons %



Eductaion & Training


Retail Trade



Construction

Wholesale Trade

Manufacturing

Other Services







Mining


Employment (jobs) - Gwydir (Apr 2016)

Indu

stry

Sec

tor

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

Jobs

Tourism

This graph shows the gross revenue generated by businesses and organisations in Gwydir to service demand generated by tourists to

the area. The total value of tourism related output for Gwydir is estimated at $12.535 million.

Not in the labour force 1,753 35.31%

Employed, worked full-time 1,371 27.61%

Employed, worked part-time 525 10.5%

Employed, away from work 134 2.70%

Unemployed, looking for full-time work 78 1.57%

Unemployed, looking for part-time work 31 0.62%

Not stated 133 2.68%

Not applicable 940 18.93%

Total 4,965 100.00%

Key Attractions:

• Free camping

• Fishing

• Birdwatching

• Heritage walks

• Horse riding

• Fossicking




Manufacturing

Retail Trade

Ownership of Dwellings


Wholesale Trade


Rental. Hiring & Real Estate Services

Other Services



Construction




Eductaion & Training


Mining


Output attributable to Tourism ($M) - Gwydir (Apr 2016)

Indu

stry

Sec

tor

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

$M

Climate

For More InformationPlease contact Ph: (02) 6724 2000 Warialda Office | (02) 6724 2000 Bingara Office

Data sourced from• Australian Bureau of Statistics

• REMPLAN 2016

• NSW Land and Property Information Service

• Realestate.com.au

• Destination NSW

• Bureau of Meteorology

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BINGARA

Created on TUE 3 MAY 2016 16:33 PM AEST

Month

054004 Mean maximum temperature (oC)

054004 Mean rainfall (mm)


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