Geoff Helisma |

Thirty or more people attended a workshop at Clarence Valley Council’s Grafton chambers on Thursday March 28, to discuss the likely effects of the new highway’s bypassing of Grafton and to brainstorm initiatives to counter any negative effects.

It was second time lucky for the host, Grafton Chamber of Commerce, after previously holding a similar gathering that was poorly attended.

The chamber’s subcommittee coordinator, Carol Tachos, said there was a “very positive feel” at the workshop, the outcome of which will be discussed at the chamber’s April breakfast meeting.

“I am very optimistic after [the] meeting,” Ms Tachos said, “but there is still work to do.

“It was a great turnout of passionate individuals.

“We took the names of people who want to get involved in ongoing projects.”

Ms Tachos, however, said it was too early to share any of the preferred ideas from a list of around 50 compiled on the night.

“We will collate them and then form some project groups where people can get involved and move ideas to fruition,” she said.

Ms Tachos said that once strategies are finalised it will be a matter of the “chamber, CVC and the community working together”.

For its part, a Clarence Valley Council spokesperson said that “council staff will collate the results and work with the chamber where it can on things that came from the workshop”.