Investment Opportunities
Competitive strengths, combined with a range of market drivers, create a range of future growth opportunities for the Scenic Rim region:
Food and Beverage Production
The Scenic Rim is a key region for quality agricultural production in Queensland. Known for its premium beef, dairy, fruit and vegetables, many of Scenic Rim’s primary products are transformed into award-winning artisan foods and craft beverages.
Producers such as Tamborine Mountain Distillery - renowned for handcrafted liqueurs and spirits - and Summer Land Camels - Australia’s largest camel dairy with cheese, milk and skincare products - have exported across Australia and internationally.
It is a strategic location for food and beverage production, agritourism ventures and export opportunities and maintains a thriving food culture highlighted by initiatives like Eat Local Month.
Case Study: Witches Falls Winery
Witches Falls Winery is one of Queensland’s largest wine producers and has been producing wine on Tamborine Mountain for 20 years.
Witches Falls is one of the region’s most well known and popular cellar doors, offering a range of locally produced cheeses, and patés, relishes to pair with their own wines. Witches Falls continues to grow, expand and increase their investment with an onsite brewery.
Advanced Manufacturing
The Scenic Rim is an ideal location for advanced manufacturing.
There are a range of advanced manufacturing products that are produced in region, ranging from house frames and roof trusses, veterinary pharmaceuticals and automobile parts, inground pools to organic skincare products.
Advanced manufacturing businesses can benefit from the region’s access to road and rail for distribution, a skilled workforce, as well as a range of sites for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and very large sites for production.
Manufacturing contributed approximately $432 million or 10.1% of the region’s output in 2023-24 and has been identified as a key growth sector.
Case Study: Plasvacc Pty Ltd
Plasvacc is a local manufacturer of veterinary biologics for horses, dogs and camels. Its Kalbar facility is one of a kind in Australia and from here the business exports its high-quality blood plasma products to fifteen different countries.
Plasvacc is a world leader in veterinary pharmaceuticals and has a dedicated research team proactively identifying new products to care for animals. Plasvacc has production facilities in the United Kingdom and the United States that are managed from the production facility and headquarters in the Scenic Rim.
Agribusiness
The Scenic Rim’s pristine environment, fertile soils and water security make it an ideal location for agribusiness.
Agriculture is the region’s largest industry, accounting for over 20% of the local economy.
In 2023-2024, the Scenic Rim produced $577 million worth of agricultural products. The region benefits from rich basalt soils, a sub-tropical climate, and an average annual rainfall of approximately 1,500mm - conditions well suited to a wide variety of crops.
In addition to horticulture, the Scenic Rim produces beef, dairy and poultry. Water security for the region is supported by three major dams - Moogerah, Maroon and Wyaralong - with a combined storage capacity of 231,000 megalitres.
Case Study: AE Hinrichsen & Co (part of Kalfresh)
Utilising the fertile soils of the region, AE Hinrichsen & Co is a fourth generation farming family business, growing and supplying carrots, beans, pumpkins and onions to Kalfresh Vegetables.
Kalfresh operates its own state-of-the-art packaging facility. Washing, processing and packaging products for the national market, including hundreds of Woolworths stores, and overseas markets. .
Agritourism
The Scenic Rim’s pristine environment, stunning landscapes and diverse agricultural production is an ideal location for agritourism.
There are a range of existing agricultural properties that can host agritourism ventures including accommodation, tours or other experiences. The region’s had 1.6 million visitors and the clean and green environment is a significant attractor. However, a lack of accommodation and tours has been identified as a significant gap in the existing tourism offer, meaning there is an existing market to tap directly into.
Council has recently adapted its planning scheme to better accommodate on-farm businesses to encourage more agritourism experiences, particularly on-farm accommodation and tours.
Case Study: Summer Land Camels
Summer Land Camels is the largest camel farm and dairy in Australia and produces a range of award-winning products including milk, cheese, skincare and more.
Summer Land Camels also operates a number of visitor experiences including camel rides, farm tours and cameleer experiences as well as operating the onsite Homestead café and farm store.
Renewables and Sustainability
The Scenic Rim is committed to sustainability through waste reduction, increased resource recovery, and adaptability.
In 2022-23, Australia generated 75.6 million tonnes of waste, with just over half recycled - highlighting further opportunities for material recovery and or repurposing. Construction and demolition waste made up the largest share at 26.8 million tonnes (Mt), also:
14.6 Mt of organics
10.3 Mt of ash
6.5Mt of hazardous waste
6.0 Mt of metals
4.9 Mt of paper/cardboard
3.0 Mt of plastics
National Waste and Resource Recovery Report 2024
KPMG estimates that the circular economy in Australia will equate to a $210 billion market by 2048.
Potential Economic Pay-off of a Circular Economy, KPMG April 2020
Bromelton State Development Area (SDA)
The Bromelton SDA consists of 15,610 hectares of land and is one of the largest industrial precincts in Australia.
The precinct includes direct access to the main North-South rail line between Sydney and Brisbane and is ideal for large-scale industry including large-scale recycling, waste to value conversion, bioenergy and other complex industrial activities.
The Queensland Government, through Shaping SEQ, has identified Bromelton as a potential site for a Recycling Enterprise Precinct (REP).
Tourism
The Scenic Rim just an hour from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, is a globally recognised ECO Destination and one of Lonely Planet’s top 10 regions to visit. Home to six national parks, dramatic mountain ranges, picturesque lakes, and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests, it offers exceptional nature-based tourism. Visitors enjoy fresh local produce and immersive experiences - from farm stays and glamping to luxury eco-retreats - paired with warm country hospitality, breathtaking scenery, and vibrant local characters.
Lonely Planet named the Scenic Rim one
of the Top 10 regions to visit in 2022.
The Scenic Rim is ideally positioned for sustainable tourism, investment, and growth - especially in the lead-up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games - making it a prime destination for travel and development.
In 2024, the region welcomed 1.6 million visitors, with more than half visiting for holiday or leisure.
Case Study: Beechmont Estate
Beechmont Estate is the most recent tourism accommodation investment in the Scenic Rim region, opening in 2021. Beechmont Estate features 17 luxury cabins, three larger luxury pavilions, a day spa, a restaurant and bar. The property has been built on a former dairy farm, which was earlier converted to a Wagyu cattle and polo field. The new property has already won numerous accolades and its restaurant, The Paddock, has been awarded two Chef Hats. It focuses on sourcing local ingredients, including maintaining its own market garden.
Professional Business Services
The Scenic Rim is a smart choice for professional business operators looking to capitalise on a growing regional economy. With affordable premises (with leasing costs significantly below metropolitan averages) in towns such as Beaudesert, Boonah, Tamborine Mountain and Canungra. Other advantages including advanced digital connectivity and close proximity to major markets, allow firms to service clients locally and nationally with ease.
Council’s proactive Economic Development and Tourism team supports new and expanding businesses, making the region an attractive hub for accountants, consultants, planners, and other service providers seeking long-term opportunities.