The local environment, provision of industrial land and utilisation of power station by-products emerged as key issues proposed by participants at a Lithgow Jobs Summit on Tuesday.

The day long summit was hosted by Member for Macquarie Bob Debus, Member for Bathurst Gerard Martin and Lithgow Council after job creation was identified as number one on Greater Lithgow’s wish list at political forums during Mr Debus’s Federal Election campaign last year.

Stakeholders from across the community were invited to the summit at the Workmens Club to put forward ideas to promote growth, particularly in the employment sector.

At the end of the day the participants split into three workshop groups, each asked to prepare a minimum of three ideas based on individual themes.

The ‘Environment Group’ submitted three ideas to the final session:

* AN Energy Hub, similar to a technology park for both research and manufacturing with practical applications including ‘scrubbing Co2’ and glasshouse growing.

* GREATER development of tourism including eco, cultural, heritage and sports related, to maximise existing infrastructure.

* DEVELOPING the concept of a more ‘Livable Lithgow’ — ‘how we can make the area a more attractive place to live and work just over the hill’.

This would involve boosting the environmental appeal and greater greening programs involving both the Council and community.

Group Two, the Social Group, said they were seeking to provide alternatives to Lithgow’s ‘sporting and pub culture’.

This included ideas for:

* CULTURAL Precinct development including a cinema, music centre, pottery centre and archives centre.

* FOSTERING and enlarging the district’s creative sector.

* SEEKING to attract and integrate more migrants into the community to set up business.

Group Three, the Economic Group, had its priority clear.

* HIGHEST value was placed on the establishment of a business park in various forms; marketing Lithgow and its festivals; drought proofing the city (by accelerating the Clarence transfer system project); building on the information technology sector; building on the power generation sector to get a spin off from by-products.

But the number one vote was clearly the business park issue, according to Tom Murphy, chief executive of the Western Research Institute.

He said the Summit had come up with numerous ideas that could be developed further.

“We have plenty of good and useful work to build on,” Mr Murphy said.

He said the Western Research Institute would prepare a report on the day’s proceedings and hoped to have it ready for submission to Council within two weeks.