DORSET faces tough economic times as it grapples with the massive job losses that followed the neutering of its forest industries.
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But sitting Mayor Barry Jarvis, the only candidate for the top job in this month's municipal elections, said that although things did not look great now, there was light at the end of the tunnel and a number of ventures looked promising.
"There's certainly still activity with dairy expansions and one of the most positive things around Dorset at the moment is the interest being shown by investors and the general cycling community in mountain bike developments," he said.
"There are the trails that abound Derby and the Blue Tier and the Rotary Club rail trail is expected to reach into Scottsdale, from Legerwood, by Christmas and that should have a positive impact on Scottsdale businesses.
"The Environment Protection Authority signing off on the Barnbougle sand-mining operation should mean that will happen sooner rather than later and that's a positive too.
"I also understand the Chinese linked to the $180 million Musselroe resort development will be here again next week, so that may yet go ahead."
Cr Jarvis said that Scottsdale's main shopping precinct was littered with unoccupied buildings and that was "not a good look, but I don't think we're on our own there".
"Scottsdale's service and retail industries have been hardest hit and that follows purely from the downturn in forestry," Cr Jarvis said.
"Forestry has been on a downer since the first mill shut in 2007.
"Gunns exiting native forests to concentrate on the pulp mill really knocked us around — a lot of contractors were working in the bush and they'd put all their eggs in the the one basket.
"But that basket had a huge hole in it, I'm afraid and it knocked us about as much as the closure of a sawmill because there were probably a couple of hundred blokes working in the bush all over the North-East.
"The contractors used a lot of local fuel, tyres and labour and all that was lost when they exited the industry.
"And the tightening of the federal government's financial assistance grants to smaller councils, like Dorset, will really impact on our ability to deliver infrastructure over the long term."
As far back as five years ago, then general manager John Martin was warning of the growing gap between the infrastructure funding Dorset received and the roads and bridges it maintained.
■TOMORROW: Launceston'selectorate profile and statements from the mayoral candidates.