Hunter Business News

Hunter Investment Prospectus showcases the region's economic appeal

The Hunter Region’s strength as a business investment location was outlined at the recent official launch of the Hunter Economic Development Corporation’s (HEDC) Hunter Investment Prospectus for 2009. Minister for the Hunter and Member for Newcastle Jodi McKay officially unveiled the Investment Prospectus at a gathering of Hunter business leaders.

Ms McKay said the Investment Prospectus will provide a valuable insight into the Hunter Region and contact points for businesses looking to invest in the area. “The Hunter Region has a variety of competitive advantages to offer business investors such as a broadening industry base, a high level of innovation and a high level of regional cooperation,” she said. "Despite tougher global conditions in 2008, there is a silver lining for the Hunter Region with many billions of dollars of commercial, industrial and infrastructure projects in the pipeline for 2009 and beyond.”

Ms McKay said the Hunter Investment Prospectus is a useful tool for businesses and organisations to review before investing in the Hunter. “The Prospectus contains an overview of the region’s local government areas, the businesses that successfully and competitively operate here, land and real estate availability, the workforce, the economy and lifestyle attributes of Hunter residents,” she said. “It also helps showcase successful Hunter businesses to potential investors from outside the region.”

Lorraine Flynn, Chief Executive Officer of the HEDC said the Hunter Investment Prospectus will be distributed internationally, nationally and locally to thousands of business and industry representatives. The 2009 Hunter Investment Prospectus was published by Hunter Business Pulications.

Newcastle to be clean energy R&D centre

Newcastle’s future as a centre for clean energy development has been secured by a Federal Government announcement that the city will be the national headquarters of a new $20 million Clean Energy Innovation Centre.

The Clean Energy Innovation Centre (CEIC) will help small and medium-sized clean energy businesses from around Australia establish and grow, while promoting the use of clean energy technologies by industry. The CEIC will partner with Newcastle Innovation, the Australian Institute of Commercialisation and the Western Australian Sustainable Energy Association to link companies with the best knowledge and research available.

NSW Minister for Energy and State Development, Ian Macdonald said the announcement was a terrific innovation win for Newcastle, the Hunter and the State of NSW. “The Clean Energy Innovation Centre will play a leading role in helping establish Australia’s clean energy sector and develop technologies which will help industry meet the challenges faced by global warming,” Mr Macdonald said.

Minister for the Hunter and Minister for Science, Jodi McKay said she was thrilled Newcastle has secured of one of five innovation centres being created under the Commonwealth’s new Enterprise Connect network. “Newcastle is a logical choice for the CEIC given its long-established links to the energy sector, strong industrial base, established networks and innovative record in clean energy research and development,” Ms McKay said.

The Newcastle-based CEIC will receive $20 million over four years to provide small and medium sized clean energy companies with a range of business improvement services.

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