ALBURY Council has moved to correct the imbalance presently tilted in favour of Wodonga by being poised to make available $1.2 million in financial incentives to new or existing businesses looking to bolster their workforces in the city.
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The council has been frustrated at the NSW government’s inability to do likewise.
It will next week rubber-stamp an updated economic development policy, which includes an amount of $300,000 per year for the next four years, being available subject to the presentation of a compelling business case and ultimately the approval of council next week.
Deputy mayor Amanda Cohn and Cr Darren Cameron were the only councillors to oppose the incentives.
“Council is not in the business of picking winners by giving cash handouts to new and expanding businesses,” she said.
“I’m hoping we are a council which makes changes to policies based on feedback and not ticking the box by putting them out for community consultation.”
Cr Cameron said the $134,000 provided to the Albury Northside chamber of commerce and $150,000 generated from the special levy on central Albury businesses annually was ample support.
Cr Henk van de Ven said the “silent majority” had spoken in support of the financial incentives.
“If we want to be in a competitive space as far as the sorts of incentives outlined as being appropriate under this policy then we need to be putting $300,000 towards it,” he said.
Mayor Kevin Mack said Albury was not operating on level playing field presently.
“If we can’t have a level of incentive to encourage businesses to consider laying their roots in Albury then we become anti-competitive.,” he said.
“This is not a reflection of the local member (Greg Aplin), but the government of the day doesn’t or will not provide adequate incentives for us to offer anything to businesses.”
