Valla Growth Area closer to reality as tenders called by Nambucca Valley Council

Nambucca Valley Council kickstarts bold project that could generate more than 1000 jobs, and it’s only 30 minutes away.

Nambucca Valley Council is seeking expressions of interest for the construction of the first stage of its Valla Growth Area. The works will create eight hectares of employment land, growing to 71 hectares, which is slated to create between 750 - 1250 jobs.

With the future of Coffs Harbour industry a hotly contested issue, one of our neighbours is pushing ahead with a bold new development just 30 minutes down the road.

The work on the first stage of the long-awaited Valla Growth Area is edging closer as Nambucca Valley Council puts the call out for tenders to construct the first stage, 8 hectares of employment lands of Red Ash Road.

The civil works will create 8 hectares of employment land, the first stage of a proposed 71 hectares that could generate 750-1,250 new jobs.

The Coffs Harbour and Bellingen LGAs are well known for their geographical constraints and the size and scope of the Valla Growth Area means it could service a large slice of the region's industrial needs.

Nambucca Valley Council is seeking expressions of interest for the construction of the first stage of its Valla Growth Area. The works will create eight hectares of employment land, growing to 71 hectares, which is slated to create between 750 – 1250 jobs.

Nambucca Valley Council general manager Michael Coulter recognised the constraints on neighbouring areas and said the North Coast Regional Plan indicated lands at Valla were part of a regional ‘budget’ of employment land.

“The project is not only about the Nambucca Valley,” he said.

In recent months Coffs Harbour City Council closed the book on earmarking land in North Boambee Valley as employment lands due to flood and environmental constraints.

While areas in Woolgoolga and Bonville have been slated for industrial development in the North Coast Regional plan, some councillors have held concerns of an industrial land shortage and Cr John Arkan fought hard to retain North Boambee Valley as employment lands.

Though at the same time Cr Sally Townley indicated the answer to the LGAs industrial needs could lie in neighbouring areas and, given the constraints, said the region could not be “all things to all people”.

North Boambee Valley was the subject of intense debate around future industrial lands. Photo: Tim Jarrett

Nambucca Valley isn’t the only area with industrial potential. The Clarence Valley is not only home to a sizeable freight hub, there are some in the community with long held aspirations to grow their industrial capability.

The Grafton Chamber of Commerce has been behind a push for an intermodal hub which advocates say would service the north coast and inland areas via the Gwydir Highway.

The NSW Government contributed $8 million to the Valla Growth Area in 2019 and Nambucca Valley Mayor Rhonda Hoban said the progress to tender was a milestone that wouldn’t have been possible without state and federal government funding.

“The funding has come at a good time to support our local economy,” she said.

Nambucca Mayor Rhonda Hoban would love to see a local contractor be involved in the project.

“It would be great if a local contractor using local labour was ultimately the preferred tenderer.

“Of course we have a procurement and probity process for determining tenders which the Council will follow. But factored into that process will be the economic multiplier benefits for our community which comes from supporting our local business.”

Applicants will initially be evaluated against published selection criteria, and those who best meet the required criteria will be invited to Tender (as tender type Pre-Qualified/Invited).

The Expression of Interest can be found at www.tenders.nsw.gov.au.

The closing date for expressions of interest is 9.30am 15 July 2021. Interested contractors are invited to contact Josh Batchelor at Public Works Advisory on 0436 631 306 or Michael Coulter at Nambucca Valley Council on 0409 153 788.