THE NEW year has brought with it new ideas for the Guyra and District Business Chamber.
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And, expanding agriculture and technology business opportunities is on the agenda.
Chamber president Aileen MacDonald said Guyra needed to lock in water security with the Malpas pipeline to attract bigger players.
“Once we have the water security signed, sealed and delivered then things can start happening,” Ms MacDonald said.
The upgrade to Bradley Street will play a crucial role in Guyra’s tourism marketability.
Works were supposed to begin in October but were postponed to early this year due to a clash with the NBN roll-out.
The $2.7 million project will include a fresh lick of paint for shopfronts, reconstruction of the road pavement, footpath paving and new kerbs and gutters.
There will also be three pedestrian crossings, street landscaping, bins and new streetlights.
Upgrades would see more visitors pull of the highway, Ms MacDonald said.
“We have to make sure that it’s something that can entice people to come to Guyra,” she said.
“We need to make sure that we have a voice in the main street development.”
The Guyra and District Chamber of Commerce and Armidale Business Chamber committed to working together in 2016.
It’s a relationship that is still developing, Ms MacDonald said.
“The last meeting we had prior to Christmas it was clear the priority for Armidale was about the mall and for Guyra it was about making sure we were consulted on our main street.”
Land availability and cheap housing prices are another facet of Guyra that Ms MacDonald hopes to promote.
“From what I’ve heard from Costa our climate is better for agriculture because we have the most days of sunlight,” Ms MacDonald said.
“We also have a workforce coming from Glen Innes, Inverell, Armidale and Guyra.
“Being able to supply that might make us a more attractive option.”