More than 9000 people walked through the gates of the biggest ever NSW Country & Regional Living Expo at the weekend but Tenterfield was a no show.
The Tenterfield Shire Council decided not to attend the expo, which gave Sydney residents and businesses a taste of what was on offer in NSW communities, if they wished to relocate.
Event organiser and Foundation for Regional Development Ltd chief executive officer Peter Bailey said they received a small number of enquiries from people thinking of relocating to Tenterfield at the three-day expo.
“I think it probably was a missed opportunity for Tenterfield. Tenterfield has been through a pretty rough patch with the flood and the tourism industry, I think, has received a hit,” Mr Bailey said.
He said lots of young families attended the expo, along with some medical professionals who hated working in Sydney and wanted to relocate somewhere.
However, Tenterfield Shire Mayor Toby Smith said the council did not feel it was worth the expense of attending the expo when the majority of new residents to the town have traditionally come from Brisbane and Queensland’s
coastal areas.
“We have more in common with Brisbane, being so close to the border. We’re only three hours from Brisbane and a couple of hours from the coast,” Cr Smith said.
He said Tenterfield was a wonderful place to live, with cheaper housing and cost of living, four distinct seasons and a wonderful climate and it was also cheaper for people to set up businesses in the area.
“We’re one of the few country towns that are experiencing population growth,” Cr Smith said.
Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay supported the council’s decision, agreeing that Tenterfield had stronger links with Queensland than the NSW capital.
The expo, formerly known as Country Week, has been running since 2003.
Story: Rebecca Brown
