The future of agriculture in the North West is looking bright, if a breakfast attended by some of the industry's best and brightest is anything to go by.
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About 50 people came together on the roof of B&W Rural Moree to discuss the future of ag and how Moree can take advantage of the opportunities that the Inland Rail and Special Activation Precinct (SAP) will bring during a breakfast event hosted by the University of New England Smart Region Incubator (UNE SRI).
"The Smart Region Incubator is all about fostering that community within the region to better grow businesses," UNE SRI Moree startup connector Anna Harrison said.
"The future of agriculture is so important and such a big part of my role ... it's all about building and enabling a better region."
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Ms Harrison has only recently started in the role as Moree's startup connector, which she said is to offer focused and targeted support to provide opportunity, skills and motivation for startups in the Moree Plains Shire.
The Future of Ag breakfast was the first event she's organised in her new role, and one she said was a great success.
"I think it was excellent," she said.
"It was a conversation catalyst. It has started that trajectory of conversation about what is happening and what the Special Activation Precinct is and how we can benefit from it in Moree."
The breakfast was emceed by UNE's Gary Morgan and featured a panel of key industry stakeholders including B&W Rural manager Peter Birch; AFF CEO Joe Robinson; Ottley Capital's Sally Glynn; and Moree Plains Shire Council's Daniel Boyce, who is the executive planner for council's Regional Activation Unit, as well as special guest, Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall.
Ms Harrison said the key message from the breakfast was about building community, building infrastructure and building industry to encourage more people to come and live and work in Moree.
"The biggest point was about building the community and getting people back to the area," she said.
"Getting people back and living in Moree and wanting to be in Moree ... what attracts people to Moree to make a better Moree.
"With the Special Activation Precinct, we've got the opportunity to build something good for Moree. Now's the time to start talking about how we build that so it will be an incredible resource for Moree and attract people to town.
"It's about starting those conversations to have the right outcomes. If we don't talk and have those conversations, what will the outcomes look like without community input?"
As a result of the breakfast, a number of SAP focus groups will be formed with key stakeholders and Ms Harrison is hopeful of running another Future of Ag event early next year to keep the conversation going.
"That is the most amazing outcome for the event, to have that flow-on effect," she said.
"It was a great day."
