2006 Overview
New initiatives outlined at Economic Development Conference
The inaugural Local Government Economic Development Conference, held in Melbourne, attracted more than 200 delegates from councils, regional development boards and Area Consultative Committees (ACCs).
Mayors, CEOs, councillors and economic development managers as well as many other senior council managers attended the two-day event, which was opened by the newly elected President of Economic Development Australia (EDA), David Keenan.
Mr Keenan said that the conference and the formation of the EDA was a “very important event in the evolution of the economic development profession and the role of economic development within councils and regional development bodies.”
“For the first time we have a truly national body which will allow for cross fertilisation of ideas and initiatives aimed at creating a better environment for business in the community and generating new employment. It’s a great challenge and the EDA will play a vital role as a conduit for new ideas and new initiatives.”
The conference was the occasion for the first Board meeting of the newly formed EDA, which has grown out of the Economic Development Association of Victoria (EDAV).
The eight sessions over the two days of the conference focused on a range of issues of immediate relevance to interest to economic development managers. The overall conference theme was “Creating the Economic Framework for Growth and Jobs”.
Speakers included Cr Angelo Tsirekas, the Mayor of Sydney’s Canada Bay Council; Peter Marshall, the CEO of the City of Wodonga (Vic); Ian Abernathy, the Group Manager Sustainability, Launceston City Council (Tas); John Francis, the Director of Economic Development, City of Whittlesea; Peter Chaffey, Manager, Business Melbourne, City of Melbourne; Greg Ratsch, the Economic Development Manager for the City of Adelaide; Stephen Hains, City Manager, City of Salisbury (SA) and David van den Brule, CEO, Logan Office of Economic Development, City of Logan (Qld).
The first session focused on creating the Framework to attract Investment with presentations by Stephen Hains, the CEO for the City of Salisbury (SA). Salisbury was the winner of the 2005 National Development Awards for Strategy.
Mr Hains portrayed the role of local government in creating the right environment for economic development and growth within municipalities. These challenges included:
- setting the right investment climate and facilitating investment
- providing efficient and effective government services, particularly in relation to DAs
- developing target services for business
- Providing appropriate infrastructure including transport, broadband and utility services
- oordinating government services within the context of the economic development forum
The CEO of the City of Wodonga (Vic), Peter Marshall, took delegates on an insightful journey when he outlined the origins and development of the City’s Logic Industrial Hub, which is setting new boundaries for active local government investment to generate industrial growth.
The Logic Industrial Hub has drawn on pacesetting examples of civic investment in the US. The 440-hectare industrial estate outside Wodonga was purchased by the City with the aim of attracting major distribution facilities based on the City’s location of being within an overnight drive of 85 per cent of the population.
The strategy is bearing fruit with major tenants including Woolworths, Toll/Patricks and PacLib having signed up and having built facilities. The strategy is generated strong employment opportunities: the Woolworths Distribution centre will itself employ up to 450 people operating 24 hours of the day.
The rate income from the Logic Estate tenants will provide the City with a rate of return that justifies the cost of purchasing the land and providing the serviced facilities.
The CEO of the Penrith Valley Economic Development Corporation, Jane Holdsworth, explained to the conference the role of the Corporation in stimulating local business activity. In particular, it has been active in working with exporters and importers to assist them in developing their operations.
With exporters from the Penrith area having grown faster than the national average, the Corporation’s work in providing high quality information, and networking for local companies appears to be working well. Importers have also been helped to develop their businesses, and Jane Holdsworth believes that the services being provided to importers is unique to the Corporation.
The Corporation has won international plaudits for its speed in developing a telecommunications strategy and setting up a successful IT network in Penrith. It has also developed a home-based business network which has become a model for other networks in NSW. The Corporation was incorporated in January 2003 by Penrith Council with financing from a special levy struck on local businesses.
The Playford Partnership
Roden Genoff, Industrial Strategist at the City of Playford (SA) addressed the conference on the theme of the regional partnerships that the City has successfully developed with strong partnerships with local and international companies, neighbouring councils, State and Federal government departments, and community and industry associations.
The Playford Partnerships initiative has driven this process and has long been recognised as one of the most successful initiatives implemented by the City of Playford. Established in 1999, Playford Partnerships is a model for the management of the local community, with a 10-year plan to provide sustainable services that help achieve the city’s strategic goals of economic prosperity, environmental care and community wellbeing.
It was developed as a way of identifying local issues and creating sustainable services and outcomes that address the needs of the entire community – and it embraces not only Council but all levels of government, not-for-profit sectors and community service providers to do this. Playford Partnerships has evolved into one of Australia’s most recognisable collaboration models within government for achieving positive community results and implementing innovative projects.
Playford has also been at the forefront of establishing the Wakefield Group. Comprising several mayors and CEOs – all part of the Federal seat of Wakefield, stretching from Salisbury in the south to the Clare Valley in the north – the Wakefield Group represents a new force to tackle some of the region’s most pressing issues.
By working collaboratively across the region, the councils can mobilise resources and energy to tackle projects that can transform the region. Through such collaboration between councils, and through the forging of equal partnerships with other government agencies, it is possible to reduce duplication, improve long term planning and ensure that the community benefits from the provision of improved and better coordinated services.
From an industrial or commercial development perspective, the great advantage local councils have is they know their companies first hand, are involved with the local sporting clubs or community organisations, and on a day-to-day basis they get to know the aspirations of their companies and community.
Playford Partnership: implementing bottom-up approaches and joined-up solutions for the knowledge economy The distinctive bottom-up approach with joined-up solutions is at the heart of the City of Playford’s economic and industry development effort. Our focus has been on developing regional and inter-regional industry projects, incorporating whole of government initiatives.
But providing this stewardship requires new governance architectures. At the local level Playford’s Economic Forum is bringing together several economic agencies to develop regional flagship projects that will be well resourced and transformative in nature. Our approach is about bundling up small and under resourced projects into ones of significant magnitude. In short, we will create bottom-up approaches and joined-up solutions to complex local and regional issues.
Limited numbers of the conference presentation notes are still available at a cost of $150 plus GST. For more information contact Denise McQueen at Hallmark Conferences on 03 8534 5021 or email denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au or click here to purchase online
The 2007 Economic Development Conference for Local Government will be held in Sydney in November 2007.