Hear from our locals how they have found boundless opportunity in SWQ.
Discover Balonne
Balonne Shire is a prime agricultural and horticultural region. Its producers are global leaders in food and fibre production and early adopters of innovative technologies. They are growing the best quality cotton in the world, along with table grapes, onions, garlic, carrots and cereals.
St George is the regional centre of the Balonne Shire. It is the central hub for services and is intersected by three major road freight routes. Two routes are aligned east-west and another north-south; together they provide efficient access to ports and other major centres.
St George also houses the region’s main airport for both commuter and commercial aircraft, where industrial lots are available for lease.
Dirranbandi has Cubbie Station and Ginnery, is a hub for cotton production with about half a million bales of cotton processed annually in the town.
Heavy rail freight access to the Balonne Shire is at Thallon. Grain is shipped directly to the Port of Brisbane from two sites: GrainCorp and Thallon Grains.
The Balonne Shire has a re-emerging small livestock industry, covering both meat and wool/pelts. Sheep and goat herds are growing following significant investment in exclusion fencing, making way for adjacent industries in the region.
Residing within Balonne are corporates such as Cubbie Station, Olam (Queensland Cotton), Moonrocks, JBS Australia, Romeo’s, GrainCorp, Lammatina’s, Elders and Nutrien.
$30m in private and public funding in exclusion fencing projects with a further $100m+ capital projects to support the re-emergence of the small livestock sector (sheep and goats) and supply chain opportunities.
$50m in road infrastructure projects slated for 2021-2023.
$6m invested in the St George Library and Innovation Hub supporting business needs, encouraging innovation, and connecting to regional hubs including AgTech and inbound and outbound education.
A Country Universities Centre is providing access to tertiary education for all, connecting the region to universities and registered training organisations nationwide.
Discover our Accessibility
St George airport is integrated wihtin the regional air network with Rex Airlines flights to Brisbane and Toowoomba.
Centrally located on five Queensland and interstate highways providing excellent access to regions in Queensland, western regions (SA and NT) and southern states (NSW and VIC).
Western end of the South-Western Rail line (Thallon) and linkages to Inland Rail
Investment in digital technology infrastructure for mobile and internet services (Telstra, Optus, Field Solutions Group) and near “junction”of fibre optic lines to Brisbane and Sydney.
Discover our Affordability
House prices are very affordable as is the price of land.
Industrial land is available and affordable.
Lower cost of living and doing business.
Discover our Amazing Lifestyle
Balonne has a full events calendar including a golf carnival, country shows and rodeos, endurance rallies, fishing competitions, and flower, craft and wool shows.
The 399 race comes through Balonne annually, attracting hundreds of spectators to see off road motor sport up close.
Stratospheric Growth
Moonrocks is a family owned, Australian business, operated by fifth generation farmers Andrew and David Moon. Built on a strong foundation of consistent quality through environmentally sustainable farming practices and attention to detail, the Moonrocks farms are located in St George.
Moving to the region over 40 years ago the family has been farming there ever since. Known for growing rockmelons in their early days, the brothers ventured into onions over 20 years ago, with garlic following shortly after.
With a predominantly hot and dry climate the region provides the perfect environment for high quality produce to be grown. By continually investing in the latest technology, Moonrocks has added value to its staple product lines of onions, garlic and broccoli, producing peeled onions and dried garlic, and demonstrating the enormous opportunity for continual refinement and innovation within horticulture in the region.
“We were brought to the region by the soil and growing conditions, and we expect the area to continue to evolve as a mega hub for horticulture.”
Boundless Opportunities for Investment
Housing
Housing shortage with demand exceeding supply - requirements for various housing types including 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes and opportunities to expand housing stock (units, worker accommodation). Median house prices are $183,500 with rent at $300 per week (3-bedroom home).
Industrial space
Range of opportunities within agriculture, including:
Top producing cotton region and opportunities (value-add, waste) with 3 cotton ginneries
Feedlots (cattle and sheep)
Small Livestock supply chain (sheep and goat meat processing, wool)
Animal feed processing
Trialling and adoption of new AgTech related technologies
AgBiotech development
Education
Recycling
Potential to manage regional waste.
Horticulture
Prospects for corporate investment in food production with the region tipped to be mega horticulture hub in the future.
Table grapes, carrots, broccoli, onions, garlic, blueberries, and citrus
Food and beverage processing opportunities
Seasonality opportunities for southern and northern region growers
Native bush foods and nutraceuticals
Further value-add opportunities
Environmental
Energy including renewable, alternative and hydrogen
Waste recycling and energy recovery
Water saving technologies
Animal and plant-based waste and byproducts
Tourism
As a gateway to the outback, Balonne has opportunities to develop tourism further:
Farmstays and Agritourism
Opportunities on the Balonne River (water activities, tourism facilities, iconic structures)
Indigenous tourism
Space and science tourism opportunities
Corporate Tourism
Australian Super Cotton
Rogan Pastoral Company is a third-generation family cotton farming operation and is the home of Australian Super Cotton. Growing inland cotton at St George since 1976 Super Cotton is Australia’s only remaining dedicated grower of Australia’s Long Staple (ALS) cotton since its inception in 2007.
Australian Super Cotton was launched and trademarked in 2012 and can value add to brand owners via “ingredient marketing”. The brand has multiple layers including the Australian family farming story, high quality and care for the natural environment and was designed to position Australian cotton against other competing nations such as America and Egypt.
Boundless Opportunities in South West Queensland
South West Queensland, a place of immense natural resource, talent and enterprise, a place that people and businesses are proud to call home. A place of boundless opportunity.
Discover our Accessibility
Unrivalled access to regional Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Northern Territory.
Discover our Affordability
Lower costs of living and doing business.
Discover our Amazing Lifestyle
Infinite possibilities to explore the expansive landscape, and thrive in a unique and supportive environment.
“We do everything here to grow and promote this extraordinary crop, from bed renovation to fertilising, planting, cultivation and harvesting, and we’re continually looking at ways to add further value within the region. We know from CSIRO research that ALS cotton can go into many high-quality yarns and fabrics”
Contact for More Information
Balonne Shire Council
Garnet Radford, Economic Development Officer
Tel: 07 4620 8805
Email: Garnet.Radford@balonne.qld.gov.au
Web: www.balonne.qld.gov.au
South West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils
Simone Talbot, Executive Officer
Tel: 0427 990 201
Email: simone.talbot@swqroc.com.au
Web: www.swqroc.com.au