Cross-border Initiatives

TEDC/REDAB Cross-Border Working Group

The TEDC initiated the formation of a Cross-Border Working Party, which was formally endorsed by Gold Coast City Council's Regional Economic Development Advisory Board on 29th October 2005. Since then, the Cross-Border Working Group has identified a range of cross-border issues that are considered major constraints to economic growth in the cross-border region of Tweed and Gold Coast.

Preliminary research by Gold Coast City Council confirmed small business compliance issues, while TEDC research confirmed the major issues of Payroll Tax and Workers' Compensation costs.

Statistics

The Board of the Tweed Economic Development Corporation Ltd (TEDC) has long believed that the economy of the Tweed is inextricably linked to south-east Queensland, not only in terms of population growth, but by virtue of location and proximity to the Gold Coast Airport, and the city, port and airport of Brisbane, which are within 1½ hours drive time from the Tweed. By comparison the ports of Sydney are 12 hours by road from the Tweed.

Two statistics in particular support the fact that the Tweed region relates more to the south-east Queensland economy:

• 43,923 vehicles cross the border daily (and this number is increasing rapidly); and
• Journey to work figures from 2001 show the Tweed with a total working population of 23,880, of which 8,820 leave the Shire on a daily basis, 5,150 of whom travel into the Gold Coast and south-east Queensland.

At a local level, cross-border regulatory differences have been of concern to the business community for many years. Differing cross-border requirements have led to:

• Additional costs for small businesses, including home-based businesses, where these businesses are working in, or supplying to, areas on either side of the border.
• A lack of clarity and, at times, confusion on the responsibilities of small businesses.
• Duplication of activities, licensing and requirements for businesses.
• Commercial disadvantages to small businesses.
• Additional costs when businesses are trying to meet the requirements in two different local government authority areas.

At a state level, the TEDC has undertaken significant research into inconsistencies in state regulations that disadvantage Tweed-based businesses, small and large, and also make it difficult for the Tweed to compete with neighbouring south-east Queensland in terms of investment attraction. These regulations include, but are not limited to:

• Workers compensation;
• Payroll tax; and
• Stamp duty.