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October 2016 Newsletter

In this Issue:

Welcome from the Chair

Dear Northern Inlanders,

Welcome to another edition of our monthly newsletter. There has been a lot happing this month to keep us on our toes. Nominations have closed for our 9th annual Northern Inland Innovation Awards, with over 40 quality submissions received. It’s now time to book your tickets to gala awards night in Inverell on November 18th.

We have also recently completed a Northern Inland Investment Profile to showcase our diverse $10 billion economy and some of the attractive investment opportunities available in our region. You can read more about this below.

Lastly, we have launched a new mid-monthly Grants & Funding Opportunities Newsletter as this is one of our most popular requests. Keep an eye out for this and get in touch for further information.

Regards,

Russell Stewart
Chair

Public Invited to Region’s Night of Innovation

2015 RDANI Innovation of the Year was Lively Linseed, presented by RDANI Chair Russell Stewart (centre)
2015 RDANI Innovation of the Year was Lively Linseed, presented by RDANI Chair Russell Stewart (centre)

The 9th Regional Development Australia Northern Inland (RDANI) Innovation Awards have now been judged, with 45 entries impressing the judges. Judging was a challenging but rewarding task, according to RDANI Executive Officer, Nathan Axelsson. “We had a strong field of great innovation stories from fantastic businesses and organisations across the region.”

“Now it’s time for everyone, across the region to register for the gala three-course dinner and presentation night, so they can see, first-hand, some of the uplifting stories of innovation in our region,” he said.

This year, the awards will be held in the in the Inverell RSM Club on Friday, 18 November from 6pm. Attendees can register for the gala presentation night through www.niia.com.au. Information about the Awards and YouTube clips about past winners can also be found on the website.

“Get in quick and be inspired by our region’s innovators. Businesses and organisations being recognised through the awards will have displays about their innovations and operations at the awards night. Locally produced videos about our standout innovators will be run on big screens and these help make the night entertaining and enlightening,” Mr Axelsson said.

This year, the categories are:

  • The Inverell Shire Council Agriculture/Horticulture and Associated services Award;
  • The Prime Super Health, Aged-Care and Disability Services Award;
  • The Telstra Store Inverell Retail, Tourism & Leisure Award;
  • The UNE Professional and Government Services Award;
  • The Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Manufacturing and Engineering Award;
  • The White Rock Wind Farm Research and Education Award; and
  • The Regional Development Australian Northern Inland Innovation of the Year Award.

An Innovative Community Contribution Award will also be presented.

The judging panel was comprised of

  • Regional Development Australia Northern Inland (RDANI) Executive Officer, Nathan Axelsson;
  • Peter Sniekers, Business Development Manager Northern Inland, Office of Regional Development - NSW Department of Industry;
  • Lauren Zell (Office of Environment & Heritage and RDANI Committee member) and
  • Prime Super Regional Manager, Annette Mackay.

Each judge looked at every entry and rated them against five criteria or questions, resulting in a score out of 50. The judges’ scores were then added together and ranked.

Judges then voted as to which of the category winners should be declared the 2016 Innovation of the Year.

The Northern Inland is Open for Business

RDA-NI has released it's regional investment profile with details on each of the 12 Local Government Areas
RDA-NI has released it's regional investment profile with details on each of the 12 Local Government Areas

are tremendous opportunities to be made in many sectors in the Northern Inland. Opportunities abound in growing industries like agriculture, agri-business, food processing, aviation, health, mining, information technology and tourism. There are currently over $6 billion worth of projects underway or proposed for the region across a number of industry sectors.

With extensive road, rail and air links, one-third of Australia's population can be reached in under 12 hours by road, with a significant competitive advantage of much lower business operating costs. With world-class telecommunications infrastructure, a strong tertiary education sector and some of the country's most advanced agricultural research facilities, innovation and capacity building are important elements of our regional economy too.

Regional Development Australia Northern Inland has released its Investment Profile for the region presenting a comprehensive insight into why your business will prosper and grow in the Northern Inland.
Specifics on each of the 12 Local Government Areas in the Region can be found in their own detailed documents

Regional Development Australia Northern Inland works with the private sector, local communities and all levels of government to identify opportunities for regional economic development in Northern Inland NSW.
With a growing $10 billion dollar economy and home to Australia’s most productive agricultural areas, the Northern Inland boasts a strong, diverse and progressive economy based around innovation and highly-skilled people who are already competing successfully in the global marketplace.

We encourage you to get in touch to discuss any proposals by phone 02 6771 0700 or email rdani@rdani.org.au.

Farming Together Initiative - Building Cooperation and Co-ops among Farmers

The Farming Together Initiative is creating a program to encourage cooperatives and farming groups in a bid to increase the sectors bargaining power. Image sourced from www.farmingtogether.com.au
The Farming Together Initiative is creating a program to encourage cooperatives and farming groups in a bid to increase the sectors bargaining power. Image sourced from www.farmingtogether.com.au

Farming Together Initiative is looking for farming groups to be part of its program to increase the sector’s bargaining power.

As part of the program, Farmers will be empowered to establish cooperatives and adopt innovative business models to boost their bargaining position in the marketplace under the Coalition Government's $13.8 million Farm Co-operatives and Collaboration Pilot Program.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce, Minister for Regional Development, Fiona Nash, and Member for Page, Kevin Hogan, announced that Southern Cross University will deliver the co-operatives pilot program, delivering on the government's commitment in its $4 billion Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper to promote strong but fair competition throughout the agricultural supply chain.

All farmers who register receive a free one-on-one consultation to discuss their opportunities and appetite to create a successful collaborative group. This could be either as a co-operative, as a collective bargaining entity or as a less-formal collaborative group.

The most-promising groups will be offered assistance for product research and development. Areas that are covered include advice on marketing, capital-raising, packaging, logistics and exporting as well as non-ongoing consultancy appointments.

To sign up, visit the easy-to-use website (www.farmingtogether.com.au) and complete a simple self-assessment – no extensive forms to fill in.

Further information on how to get involved in the program is at: www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/farm-collaboration or by emailing info@farmingtogether.com.au

White Rock Windfarm Turbine Blades to Wing Their Way North

The shipment of 10 tonne, 60 metre long turbine blades has arrived in Newcaste. Image sourced from www.whiterockwindfarm.com
The shipment of 10 tonne, 60 metre long turbine blades has arrived in Newcaste. Image sourced from www.whiterockwindfarm.com

Inland Innovation Award Sponsors, White Rock Wind Farm, will receive their first shipment of turbine blades next month.

24 blades for 8 turbines will be making a spectacular road convoy from Newcastle. At nearly 60 metres in length and weighing around 10 tonnes each; they are the largest turbines to arrive in Australia.
When assembled, the three blades on a turbine will give a span of 120 metres in diameter.

White Rock Wind Farm is being developed at a site about 20 kilometres west of Glen Innes and 40km from Inverell and has project approval for the operation of up to 119 wind turbines in addition to related infrastructure.

The project will be staged with 70 turbines in the first stage with the prospect of some 700 loads to come from Newcastle.

John Titchen, managing director of the turbines’ manufacturer; Goldwind, said they would celebrate the milestone of the first deliveries with the local community by holding a blade viewing event in Glen Innes.

The contractor for the transport had considered the best possible route for oversize and overmass deliveries to site and they would work closely and carefully with the local community to minimise any impacts.

The 175 megawatt White Rock Wind Farm, currently under construction west of Glen Innes, will initially have 70, 2.5 megawatt turbines, but planning approval has been granted for 119 turbines. It will be capable of powering about 75,000 homes, and for a brief time after completion, will be the State’s largest wind farm – until the Sapphire wind farm at Inverell is completed.

Nominations Are Now Open for the 2016-17 NSW/ACT Young Achiever Awards!

The purpose of the NSW/ACT Young Achiever Awards is to acknowledge, encourage and most importantly promote the positive achievements of all young people up to and including 29 years of age as of 31st December 2016.

Here are the list of categories that are now open for nomination. Nominations can be completed online.

You can nominate someone without it taking up a lot of time.

If you are able to provide the following, then Awards Australia can do the rest for you:

  • Your name contact number and email address
  • Category you wish to nominate the person into
  • The nominee’s first name and last name
  • Email address
  • Contact number
  • Date of birth, if known

Awards Australia will contact your nominee, inform them of the nomination and have them complete the questions.

Category winners will each receive $2,500 from Masonicare. To find out more please click here

Entrepreneur Visa Available for Talented Migrants

As Australia’s capital of innovation, NSW is committed to make it simple and easy for talented migrant entrepreneurs to settle in Sydney and NSW.

NSW criteria
To be eligible to be nominated by the NSW Department of Industry for the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) – Entrepreneur stream, applicants must:

  • meet Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) eligibility criteria
  • submit a business plan for complying entrepreneurial activity
  • demonstrate sufficient funds to settle in NSW.

For full details of the criteria, download NSW nomination criteria – Entrepreneur visa.

Grants and Funding Opportunities

The following is a small portion of the Grants and Funding opportunities available around the region. An extended collection can be found in our recently created ‘Grants Newsletter’, which comes out mid-month, every month.

Business Research Innovation Initiative
Closes 30 November 2016
Up to $1,000,000
Available to businesses to test selected Innovation projects for a period of 3 months.

Community Development Grants Programme - Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development
Closes 30 June 2017
$9,000 - $13,000,000
Available to Businesses, Not for Profit and Schools for the infrastructure required to promote stable, secure and viable local and regional economies.

Social Enterprise Development and Investment Funds (SEDIF)
Ongoing
Amount Undisclosed
Available to social enterprises to help them grow their business and impact more people with the result of their work.

Innovation Connections
Ongoing
Up to $50,000
Available to businesses to connect them with an Innovation Facilitator to help identify knowledge gaps and opportunities to grow their business

What’s On in the Northern Inland

NSW Solar Bonus Scheme Workshop
Wednesday 2nd November
Uralla Central School

Gwydir Learning and Business Awards
Friday 4th November
Roxy Theatre, Bingara

Bundarra Goat Races
Saturday 5th November
Bundarra Showground

Deepwater Scarecrow and Wool Festival
Saturday 5th November
Deepwater Oval

Glen on Wheels
Saturday 5th - Sunday 6th November
Glen Innes

Glencoe Cattle Dog Trial NSW Championships
Saturday 5th - Sunday 6th November
Glencoe Sports Committee

Walcha Aero Club Fly In & Open Day
Saturday 5th November
Walcha Aerodrome

Inverell’s Big Bike Ride
Sunday 6th November
Inverell River Cycleway

Anniversary of Electric Street Lighting - Tamworth
Wednesday 9th November
Tamworth Powerstation Museum

Waste to Art Design Competition
Sunday 6th - Tuesday 15th November
Liverpool Plains Shire - location tba

Bundarra Bush Dance
Friday 11th November
Bundarra Sport & Recreation Club

Annual Spring Exhibition
Saturday 12th - Sunday 13th November
Queen Street, Barraba

National Rodeo Association Final Series
Saturday 12th November
Tenterfield Showgrounds

Antique Machinery and Heavy Horse Rally
Saturday 12th to Sunday 13th November
Armidale Exhibition Centre

Northern Inland Innovation Awards
Friday 18th November
Inverell RSM Club

Vintage Motorcycle Challenge
Friday 18th - Sunday 20th November
McHattan Park, Walcha

Brewfest - Craft Beer and Food Festival
Saturday 19th November
Scully Park Regional Sporting Precinct, Tamworth

Walcha Garden Festival
Saturday 19th - Sunday 20th November
Walcha Garden Club

Guyra Dance - Armidale Dance Group (for CANassist)
Saturday 26th November
Bill Wicks Gymnasium, Guyra Central School

Armidale Relay for Life
Saturday 26th to Sunday 27th November
Armidale Show Ground

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Opening Hours 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday
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Address 143 Marsh Street
Armidale NSW 2350
Postal Address PO Box 72
Armidale NSW 2350
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An Australian Government Initiative