A MAJOR new regional plan to guide long-term prosperity, investment and practical action across the Northern Rivers and Tenterfield Shire has been officially launched last Thursday by NSW Minister for Small Business, Recovery and the North Coast Janelle Saffin at the Northern Rivers Regional Leaders Summit – CATALYST, held at Elements of Byron.
ProspER Northern Rivers – Regional Economic and Environment Plan 2040 was established as a NSW Government election commitment and developed under the Lismore MP’s leadership to support a long-term, business and industry-led vision for the region.
Minister Saffin said ProspER reflected the ambition, resilience and capability of the Northern Rivers and Tenterfield Shire.
“ProspER gives the Northern Rivers and Tenterfield Shire a practical regional platform for long-term thinking, stronger collaboration and future investment,” Minister Saffin said.
“It reflects the ambition of the region and the importance of working together across government, business, industry and community to deliver lasting outcomes.
“Importantly, ProspER is grounded in the voices and priorities of the region. It brings together the pressures we need to respond to and the opportunities we can build on.”
Business NSW Northern Rivers Regional Director Jane Laverty said the launch marked the completion of a major regional engagement, evidence-gathering and plan development phase, and the beginning of the next phase of activation.
“ProspER is a different kind of regional plan. It is business and industry-led, but it is not business-only,” Mrs Laverty said.
The Plan has been led by Business NSW Northern Rivers, with Southern Cross University as a key partner, and shaped through engagement with businesses, industry, councils, government agencies, education providers, First Nations representatives, young people, community organisations and regional leaders.
“It recognises that the economy is connected to housing, health, workforce, infrastructure, environment, culture, liveability and investment confidence.
“The Northern Rivers has extraordinary strengths – our people, places, natural systems, creative and entrepreneurial culture, food and agricultural capability, health and education assets, visitor appeal, First Nations knowledge and strong regional identity”.
“But we also face real pressures, from housing and workforce shortages to infrastructure gaps, climate and disaster risk, changing industry conditions and increasing competition for investment.
“ProspER brings those strengths and pressures into one connected regional agenda.” Jane said.
ProspER is grounded in People, Planet and Place and guided by eight ProspER Principles:
People First; Place Matters; Shared Value; Long-Term Perspective; Fair Participation;
Regenerative Approach; Evidence and Foresight; and Collaboration over Competition.
The Plan includes 56 recommendations across 10 Domains of Action, supported by 12 Catalyst Projects designed to provide visible pathways for action, investment readiness and regional collaboration.
ProspER is designed to work alongside local council plans, government strategies and the significant work already underway across the region. It provides a business and industry-led regional lens to help connect local priorities, strengthen collaboration and build a shared case for advocacy and investment.
Mrs Laverty said the launch should be seen as the beginning of activation, not the end of the work.
“ProspER is not a standalone delivery program and it is not a fixed funding announcement. It is a shared regional platform to support clearer decision-making, stronger partnerships, coordinated advocacy and staged implementation over time.
“The next phase is about activation – taking ProspER back out to stakeholders, helping partners see their place in the Plan, and turning shared regional priorities into practical pathways for collaboration, advocacy, investment and delivery.
“Business NSW Northern Rivers will continue to help hold the regional narrative, convene partners and maintain momentum, while the long-term success of ProspER will rely on shared leadership, clear roles and the right partnerships over time.”
The Plan adopts a wellbeing economy approach, recognising that long-term economic prosperity and investment provide the foundation for strong communities, healthy environments and connected places when guided by shared regional priorities.
Ben Roche, Southern Cross University’s Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research & Education Impact) and Chair of the ProspER Advisory Committee, said ProspER reflected the Region’s future potential, the value of local knowledge and the critical role that collaboration will play in realising it.
“Southern Cross University is proud to support a plan that focuses on how to realise the Region’s prosperity with a foundational focus on wellbeing, acknowledging that our people are at the centre of our collective futures,” Mr Roche said.
Key opportunities identified through ProspER include the region’s transition to a knowledge enabled economy powered by circularity, housing as economic infrastructure, stronger agriculture and food manufacturing capability, creative industries and screen production, workforce development and trade training priorities, First Nations enterprise and stewardship, and pathways for young people to build their future in the Region.
A major Catalyst Project spotlight is Northern Rivers EDGE (Enterprise, Discovery, Growth and Environment) a nationally distinctive platform for a regenerative, knowledge-enabled regional economy.
Northern Rivers EDGE includes the flagship Northern Rivers 100 initiative, which aims to identify, accelerate and showcase 100 future-economy ideas, enterprises, pilots and
demonstration projects by 2040.
“EDGE brings ProspER’s wellbeing economy approach to life by connecting enterprise,
discovery, growth and environmental stewardship into a visible pipeline of future-economy ideas, enterprises and opportunities,” Mrs Laverty said.
“ProspER is a comprehensive body of work, and its value will be realised through active
conversations with stakeholders about their role, their priorities, the work already underway and the opportunities for alignment and action.
“The opportunity now is to move forward together with clarity, coordination and confidence – using ProspER as a platform for long-term regional prosperity, investment, collaboration and shared
delivery.”
The ProspER launch materials include the Presentation Summary, Recommendations
Register, Themes Guide and ProspER webpage, providing stakeholders with practical
resources to explore the Plan, identify alignment points and contribute to the next phase of activation.
About Business NSW
Formerly the NSW Business Chamber, Business NSW is the peak policy and advocacy body which has been representing businesses in NSW since 1826. We represent almost 50,000 businesses.
Photo: Minister Saffin launches the ProspER plan with Executive Director Jagun Alliance Aboriginal Corporation Oliver Costello and Business NSW Northern Rivers Regional Director Jane Laverty.
