ED Awards 2009 - Winners & Finalists
Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the
2009 Economic Development Awards
Finalists came from Cardinia Shire Council, City of Kingston, Cities of Hume & Whittlesea, Gold Coast City Council, Dubbo City Council and Lake Macquarie City Council.
In presenting the Partnership Award, Professor Bruce Wilson indicated that this award was an extension of the partnership between RMIT and EDA to deliver post graduate program in economic development.
Economic Development Australia’s Chairman, Stephen Chapple said “This is the fourth year that we have run these awards and the judging gets more difficult every year. The strong quality of submissions highlights the diverse network and innovative nature of those working across the profession”.
This year, Victoria won the lion’s share of awards highlighting the strong commitment and achievements of those working to advance and sustain communities across the State.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MARKETING STRATEGY AWARD
L to R: Brian Gould City of Greater Bendigo, Megan Dixon, Dubbo City Council, Marshall Dwyer Hume City Council/City of Whittlesea
(presented by Sean Stephens, Senior Economist, Essential Economics)
WINNER: CITY OF GREATER BENDIGO
The Bendigo and Region Skilled Migration Marketing Strategy was developed over a six month period in early 2008; it was implemented during the 2008-09 financial year, and is now ongoing through to June 2010. It is part of a three-year business plan developed to strategically align Victorian State Government objectives of increasing skilled migrant numbers in Victoria with the specific needs of the economies that the Bendigo & Region Skilled Migration Program represents.
The program sits within the Economic Development Unit at the City of Greater Bendigo. Through consultation with existing strong networks, it was able to develop a marketing strategy that includes a suite of branded marketing collateral that became the hub from which all campaigns associated with the program would hang.
The successful development and launch of the marketing material was a catalyst for educating industry and community of the economic and social benefits that flow from employing a skilled migrant. Additionally, it raised the regions international profile as a place that welcomed people from overseas with the skills local employers required.
Partnering with higher education has led to an international research team being engaged by the program to evaluate the global movement industry specific to skilled migration worldwide, and to establish industry best practice. It has also yielded great benefits such as the program being profiled on French television in early 2009. The program has brought great benefits to the economy to the extent that, in the six months to January 2009, skilled migrants contributed more than 11 million dollars to the economy.
It was also calculated that for each skilled migrant employed in Bendigo and region, one more job is created.
FINALIST: DUBBO CITY COUNCIL
In the last 18 months, Dubbo City Council has pioneered an integrated marketing approach that serves not only the market of tourism, but also the markets traditionally served by economic development.
Dubbo City Council has successfully transitioned from being wholly focused on tourism marketing, to taking an integrated approach that supports all industries that operate in the region. Essentially, it has shifted the City from a very fractured approach to an approach that creates synergy between each of the markets that it is seeking to expand.
This shift occurred not only in the marketing strategy, but also in the Council’s organisational structure, establishing an (internal) marketing and communications unit, known as the City Image Branch.
The project has involved creation of a City Image Strategy and repositioning the City with a new brand (distinct from Council’s corporate communications), which both involved a fundamental philosophy of stakeholder engagement on the basis of ensuring long term engagement.
The project shows that the by engaging stakeholders in the process, the roles of ‘economic development’, ‘tourism’ and ‘city image’ can become a shared responsibility and community vision. The added bonus for Council has been the achievement of operational gains that have included both efficiencies (turning our VIC into a City Information Hub) as well as far greater participation in programs and campaigns by stakeholders.
FINALIST: CITY OF WHITTLESEA
The Plenty Food Group Online Product Directory was successfully launched in April 2009 as a joint initiative between Hume City Council, the City of Whittlesea, the Victorian Government, and local food manufacturers.
The objective is to assist small to medium manufacturers to diversify their current markets and to provide additional opportunities for them to participate in global strategies, thereby supporting a strong and growing industry sector of great economic importance to Melbourne’s north.
This marketing strategy was implemented to promote and support the region’s 150-plus food manufacturers who primarily manufacture for the wholesale markets - and who supply products to the retail, food service, and hospitality sectors. Their customers are local, national and international buyers - making it essential for marketing initiatives to have a global focus.
The Online Product Directory is accessed via an interactive website tool that provides valuable information to national and international buyers, and is the main source of communication to food manufacturers and the industry. The directory has generated new national and international enquiries and opportunities for local food manufacturers.
ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIC INNOVATION AWARD
L to R: Dave Barry Towong Shire Council, Suzanne Ferguson Kingston City Council
(presented by Margaret O'Rourke, Telstra)
WINNER: TOWONG SHIRE COUNCIL
Towong Shire Council has had a long-term focus on sustainability derived from its natural environment and reflected in its ‘Pure Towong’ brand. In recent years, Council has been keen to adopt a leadership position in relation to sustainability and deliver a project on a major scale. Pure Towong Energy is that project and is an Australian First to deliver triple bottom line benefits through a local government facilitated group solar energy system purchase.
Pure Towong Energy (www.puretowongenergy.com) has revolutionised the way in which the Towong community powers itself with over 5% of all solar energy in Victoria ultimately being generated in a Shire possessing only 0.1% of the population. This is being achieved while also delivering capital savings and an ongoing electricity cost saving to each participant.
Not only does the program introduce environmental sustainability. The program has been developed to deliver economic sustainability through industry development and community sustainability through innovative financing options as well as the delivery of a community benefits fund, derived from the program.
FINALIST: KINGSTON CITY COUNCIL
The City of Kingston's Industry Stormwater Program has focused on ways to reduce stormwater pollution from industry and to improve the health of the local Mordialloc Creek which empties into Port Phillip Bay.
Many business managers associate stormwater pollution with large spills or significant incidents - and were not aware that their everyday activities added to the bigger problem. This diffuse pollution is difficult for EPA Victoria to regulate and their intervention, at the small business level , is mostly due to more significant incidents or complaints.
The stormwater program was based on site audits which compared business activities to a set of best practice stormwater standards and, where necessary, made recommendations for improvement.
Follow-up audits were then undertaken to assess the outcomes and progress of improvements once the agreed timeframe for implementing changes had lapsed.
The audits identified poor housekeeping as the most common cause of persistent, diffuse pollution which was typically caused by site operators allowing everyday ‘drips and drops’ to accumulate in external areas. If not recovered effectively, these pollutants were washed into the stormwater drainage system during rain events.
Council provided support for businesses and gained credibility by providing cost effective and practical solutions to stormwater management issues.
Complementary monitoring by the Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research revealed an improvement in stormwater quality after the audit program. The findings of this project were extremely encouraging and demonstrated local government can improve poor stormwater management practices at SME sites and make a difference to waterway health.
INDIGENOUS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARD
L to R: (presented by Ian Harrison, CEO - Australian Made Campaign - sponsor) Dave Brudenall, Snr Mgr Strategic Engagement – Indig. Business Aust – National office, Alan Comben, Mgr Home Lending – Indig. Business Aust – Melbourne office
WINNER: INDIGENOUS BUSINESS AUSTRALIA
As part of its objective of providing quality leadership in facilitating and enabling Indigenous Australians engagement in the wider economy, Indigenous Business Australia operates a Home Ownership program to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples participate in home ownership.
For many reasons, Indigenous Australians have not been able to participate in home ownership at the levels enjoyed by the broader Australian community. Currently, 36 percent of Indigenous households own or are purchasing a home compared to 70 percent of non-Indigenous Australians.
The Home Ownership program aims to close this gap by providing affordable home loan assistance to Indigenous Australians who would otherwise not be able to obtain, or who have difficulty in obtaining ,a housing loan from a mainstream home lender.
The program is operated in accord with sound commercial business principles. The asset base of the program has grown significantly to approximately $550 million in capital, which has been re-lent since 1975 to the tune of $1.3 billion. All funds obtained can only be invested in home loans.
The program began with an initial Federal Government capital injection of $10 million in 1975. It has received capital injections from Federal Government on an irregular basis in the order of $200 million. Since its establishment, the Home Ownership program has assisted more than 13,000 families to buy their own home. In 2008-09, IBA approved 348 new loans, valued at $86.7 million. IBA currently has 3,364 active home loans across Australia.
Key features of this enduring and successful program are low interest rates, low deposit requirements, extended loan terms and personalised assistance throughout the application process. Indigenous Business Australia also offers a tailored after-care service to ensure that clients successfully manage their home loan to support financial literacy development.
Indigenous Australians are encouraged and supported to take personal responsibility for their financial affairs and home ownership helps them achieve economic self-sufficiency. IBA provides support for the sole purpose of ensuring that ultimately Indigenous Australians can participate in the mainstream economy.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS AWARD
L to R: Mark Hogan, Ararat Rural City Council, (presented by Prof. Bruce Wilson, RMIT) Graeme Hooper,
Lake Macquarie City Council, Shaelee Richards Gold Coast City Council
WINNER: ARARAT RURAL CITY COUNCIL
Film Ballarat Hepburn and Beyond is the leading local government film partnership in Australia, and has set the benchmark for attracting and supporting film activity into provincial locations. Major Hollywood backed productions such as Ned Kelly, Charlottes Web, and Ghost Rider were shot in the region, along with Australian features such as Lake Mungo, My Brother Jack, Loves Brother and Dalkeith.
The film cluster has also been instrumental in attracting lucrative television productions such as the Saddle Club, The Man From Snowy River and US production Salems Lot, along with commercial work, with the recent Victoria Bitter Commercial being shot in the region, along with ads for Ford, Nike, Nissan, McCains, Good Year Tyres, Transport Accident Commission and ANZ and dozens of others.
The partnership involves six councils in Central Western Victoria, being Ararat, Ballarat, Hepburn, Moorabool, Northern Grampians, and Pyrenees. The cluster of councils has worked in partnership with Film Victoria to establish a film attraction support program that is the standard-bearer among local and State Government, and is now being emulated across Victoria and inter State as the true value of film activity in regional areas becomes more understood
FINALIST: GOLD COAST CITY COUNCIL
The Yatala Enterprise Area Skills and Labour Supply Chain project was initiated in 2005 by the Queensland Government’s Community Renewal program; Gold Coast City Council’s Economic Development and Major Projects division; the Australian Governments Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and the Yatala Business Community who secured the engagement and collaboration of an array of partners.
The project delivers targeted employment and educational services to residents of the Gold Coast and Logan - including many Queenslanders residing in social housing - whilst also supporting business growth in the fast-growing Yatala Enterprise Area business community.
The project successfully supported more than twelve hundred people into employment - and during the course of the project, the uptake of Apprentices and Trainees increased by 250 per cent The project created a communication conduit that disseminated information between 400 local businesses and 160 employment and training service providers.
FINALIST: LAKE MACQUARIE COUNCIL
The City of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales has a population of approximately 195, 000, spread over 90 communities around the largest coastal saltwater lake in NSW – with those communities clustered around nine town centres.
Lake Macquarie City Council’s Town Centre Program is a partnership approach to town centre management, enabling an integrated approach to the marketing, operation, development, and planning of traditional multi-ownership business and retail centres. Chambers of commerce, property owners, tenants, and the local council work in partnership for the collective benefit of the centres.
Council has a dedicated Town Centre Program Coordinator to facilitate and develop focused activities within the town centres across the city. To date, the Town Centre Program has successfully developed three-year Community Strategic Plans for each town centre, based on community consultation. The Program is a model of town centre management that highlights the unique partnership between Council and the individual Chambers of Commerce to deliver community economic development outcomes.
STRATEGIC REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARD
L to R: Shaelee Richards,Gold Coast City Council, Garry McQuillan, Cardinia Shire Council, Matt Taylor, City of Wodonga,
Ross Gliddon, City of Wodonga, unknown, (presented by Justin Hanney, Regional Development Victoria)
WINNER: CITY OF WODONGA
An initiative of Alpine, Indigo, Towong, Wangaratta and Wodonga councils, in conjunction with the region’s premier daily newspaper, The Border Mail, and The Age, the ‘North East Victoria – A Place To Call Home’ publication promotes the many benefits of living and working in the North East of Victoria to a metropolitan audience.
The North East Victoria project sought to address the low level of unemployment and subsequent skill shortage through the targeted promotion of key industries and their employment opportunities to the Melbourne area as well as the promotion of the unique liveability aspects of the North East. These messages were depicted through a range of features within the publication
Rather than fighting each other for workers, encouraging migration from the nation’s capitals was viewed as a way introduce new labour, new skills and new people to regional towns, thus stimulating the growth of businesses, schools enrolments, amenities and capital investment.
More than 110,000 copies of the regional publication which was distributed to targeted suburbs in Melbourne which displayed the characteristics of those people most willing to consider a tree-change. Utilising real view technology the publication was also placed on-line on the North East Victoria website and 230 websites giving access to a national and international audience.
FINALIST: CARDINIA SHIRE COUNCIL
Cardinia Shire Council, in Melbourne’s south east, wanted to ensure that residential development in the Cardinia growth corridor matched employment opportunities. In particular, Cardinia was keen to improve employment and facilitate a more diverse mix of job. It saw an opportunity to generate jobs closer to where people live via the Cardinia Road Structure Precinct structure planning process.
The Cardinia Road Structure Precinct comprises 601 hectares of employment land located within the Cardinia Casey urban growth corridor, which is 55km SE from Melbourne’s CBD. Council’s vision for the Precinct is to create a sustainable regional employment environment that is attractive to professional and high skilled businesses.
Council understood that fulfilling this vision would be disrupted if delays in the planning process caused a loss of investor confidence. It sought an innovative development solution to this problem and found it in the structure planning process for the Precinct. The critical step was the “Enquiry by Design” workshop held early in the planning process. While there have been other similar processes involving councils in Australia, this project was unique because of its large scale (601 hectares) and the number of parties CSC collaborated with (fifteen landowners and developers).
FINALIST: GOLD COAST CITY COUNCIL
Since January 2009, the Gold Coast fashion community have been offered a variety of industry development seminars, competitions and resources provided by Gold Coast City Council’s Business GC - with assistance from the National Retail Association
In a bid to create cross-industry collaboration, the construction company Astoria Group has provided space to support the Gold Coast fashion designers - giving the fashion industry an opportunity to come together to build a hub - and to network for growth on the Gold Coast.
Programs included fashion sketch designs, business skills for designers, as well as a project that links emerging designers and successful industry people, which then culminates in a three day expo called Create Connect 09.