11 February 2014

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor says the growth of Boorowa and its continued low unemployment will be tied to tree-changers and population overspill from Canberra and Sydney.

“Towns and cities along the Hume Corridor – from Yass and Boorowa, up through the Southern Highlands to Wollondilly in the north – will find massive growth opportunities from  businesses, families and retirees swapping their urban lives for the so called “tree change”.

“With council providing the housing that you just can’t get in metropolitan centres, I basically mean bigger blocks, the Boorowa area is also incredibly appealing to the population overspill, from Canberra in particular. There’s already been great work done here by council.”

Mr Taylor said Boorowa’s unemployment had remained relatively static over the past year to September 2013, at a low 3.1% of the population, well under the national average of 5.8%.

“To keep the jobless rate low and tap into more employment opportunities, government and the private sector have to work closely together. Because of its relative proximity to Canberra, Boorowa picks up people operating in service industries, who move out to run their businesses maybe three /four days a week to save on overheads and then commute back into the capital for the rest of the working week. It’s an ideal set up.

“I’m certainly involved in discussions with council on these kinds of prospects and we are working hard to bring that investment into the area,” he said.

As parliament gets underway for 2014, Mr Taylor said the year ahead would focus on improving telecommunications - mobile phone and internet coverage - to support growth along the broader Hume Corridor, balancing the books to maintain a strong economy and stripping away unnecessary administrative burdens for small business.