Wagga mayor Greg Conkey said he is confident there is strong business interest in an industrial growth plan despite some freight and timber companies closing or reducing their operations in the city.
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Toll Group will close part of its Wagga depot over the next few months leaving up to 20 people out of work depending on whether the logistics and freight company can deploy them elsewhere.
Big River Group late last year announced it would close its Ausply factory at Forest Hill, costing 50 employees their jobs.
Cr Conkey said there had been a lot of inquiries from businesses interested in the council's Special Activation Precinct, which will fast-track industrial planning approvals at Bomen, and the Riverina Intermodal Freight Hub was about to start construction.
"It's disappointing when you hear that businesses are shedding staff but as far as the big picture is concerned, our Special Activation Precinct is getting an incredible level of inquiries from small and large businesses who are looking at relocating," Cr Conkey said.
"I was out there [on Wednesday] with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Investment, Industry and Regional Development, led by Albury MP Justin Clancy, and showed them the earthworks for the intermodal freight centre.
"They were extremely impressed by the work that's going on out there; this is going to be an economic driver for the city of Wagga and the region."
In other news
Toll Group's closure will largely affect bulk liquid transport tanker drivers who are currently working out of its Travers Street depot.
Ron Finemore Transport, which has locations in Wagga and the Border and Central West regions, said it is willing to offer jobs to drivers as well as administrative staff who are unable to transfer to other parts of Toll.
"We are actively advertising and recruiting for drivers and that's multi-combination, heavy combination and dangerous goods," managing director Mark Parry said.
"We have vacancies in Wagga as well as in Orange, Goulburn and Wodonga. What we are saying to the Transport Workers Union is that if people want to continue to work in transport..they should be putting their name forward.
"Through our own team in Wagga, we have reached out individually to some of the drivers who are known to us, again to make that offer known to us."
Mr Parry said the was a "significant problem with a shortage of people" in the trucking industry and there was "equipment parked up because we don't have the drivers" including in liquids transport.
Big River Group has said it was forced to close its Wagga factory due to a lack of timber after last year's bushfires devastated plantations in the Snowy Valleys region.
Business NSW Riverina Murray regional manager Anthony McFarlane said business decisions like those at Toll and Big River can be influenced by outside factors rather than's Wagga's industrial viability.
"I think the outlook for the Riverina is very strong, both from upcoming and existing infrastructure projects and the current demand that we are seeing in the construction and manufacturing industries," he said.
"Just looking at Seek in the Riverina, we are looking at 1000 jobs that are advertised and with big projects such as EnergyConnect [power line from Wagga to South Australia] and the Special Activation Precinct, I would be of the view that these employees will be snapped up.
"I don't know the ins and outs of Toll's decision but I suspect they were reorganising how they deliver that [liquid transport business] but other providers continue to ramp up their services and that demand is there."
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