BUSINESSES and tourism operators in Tenterfield came together for the Tenterfield Business and Tourism Excellence Awards 2015.
There were a total of 17 awards on offer at the event held at Sir Henry Parkes School of Arts.
The event was organised by the Tenterfield Shire Council and sponsored by TADBA, Apprenticeship Support Australia, Breeze and Rebel Radio, the Tenterfield Star and Brown Design with a host of other local businesses sponsoring individual awards.
Mayor Peter Petty gave the opening address at the event where he spoke of his fondness for the region.
Federal New England MP and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Barnaby Joyce and his wife Natalie were also in attendance.
The big winner from the night was Bald Rock Beef Jerky with three awards. They took out the People’s Choice Award, Excellence in Innovation, Excellence in Agribusiness and came as a runner-up to Business of the Year, won by Tripple C Investments who also took down the Excellence in Tourism award.
Best Western Henry Parkes also won two awards taking the Excellence in Hospitality and Excellence in Accommodation awards.
Excellence in Retail was picked up by Tenterfield Timber and Hardware and Excellence in Health, Beauty and Fitness went to Bfit Health Club
Event of the Year went to Oracles of the Bush. It is a four-day cultural event with live performance of Australian bush poetry, music and art which featured Warwick’s own Marco Gliori as one of the headliners this year.
The event concluded with a performance by Little Phoenix with feedback from the community suggesting it should continue to be an annual event in the future.
