It seems like it’s putting the horse before the cart, but there’s big numbers being tossed around and it’s crucial Tamworth gets the cream from the ongoing pursuit for Chinese investment.

The business chamber president, Jye Segboer, can now pack his bags with the board signing off on the proposal to send him along with Tamworth Regional Council representatives for a business investment trip to China.

According to Mr Segboer, it’s the first time the Tamworth chamber has gone global.

No doubt, a sign of the times.

With a seat at the table, the chamber says it’s mission is to make sure local business thrives, with a potential boom in jobs around the corner.

“No one wants to see large outside organisations getting contract work in that regard, so it’s important we’re at the table through those negotiations,” Mr Segboer said.

It’s interesting the chamber defended council’s funding for foreign trips, claiming there could be a huge return on investment in terms of jobs for the region, but the business chamber still feels its presence is needed to ensure resulting jobs stay local.

The news of council sending yet another delegation to China was met with some derision from the community.

Part of the angst seemed to hinge on the emphasis put on foreign investment.

Members of the community haven’t been able to see the fruit of these trips so questions are raised about where the worth lies.

The region’s pay-off for these all-expenses-paid relationship building trips to China hasn’t visibly moved closer.

Once the pie in the sky dream for the city’s airport to become an international freight hub becomes a reality, it could bring up to 5000 new jobs to town. An unprecedented game-changer, if it comes off.

Despite the state government pledging its support to get the project soaring, it’s still a long way off.

By getting the business chamber into the Chinese meetings, maybe it is a sign things are moving quicker than they appear. While it’s great to see a voice directly from the business community getting involved in the direction of the region’s future, there’s still a piece of the puzzle missing.

Both council and the chamber have foreshadowed the trip will be centred on agricultural industries, but a farming voice is still lacking.