A RASH of new developments in Griffith has ignited hopes the city may be on the brink of an economic resurgence.
A decade of drought followed by the ominous spectre of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan had slowed growth to a crawl in the district, jolting business confidence and crippling the real estate market.
But with the basin plan likely to be finalised in the coming months and a positive outlook for a host of rural industries, local business leaders are bullish about the future.
"There's close to a billion dollars of investment in the pipeline here and that's brought a real sense of optimism," Griffith Business Chamber president Paul Pierotti said.
"The basin plan threat has really shaken the foundations of our economy but most of the water targeted has already been recovered.
"The best thing about the new development is much of it is not water reliant. It will help create economy drivers and jobs even with less water."
Among the new big ticket developments for Griffith are the private hospital, the Casella brewery expansion, the Baiada expansion, Hungry Jacks and the Railway Street development.
But it's the burgeoning medical industry that council's economic development co-ordinator Nicola James remains most upbeat about.
"We're starting to become a medical hub and it further strengthens our case for attracting new industries and new developments," Ms James said.
"People are looking to get out of the rat race and the first thing they consider when deciding where to move is what medical and education facilities are available.
"There has been a lot of negativity in the economy but it's great we are starting to see signs of positive development."