EDA Journal EDAJ VOL12 NO 3 | Page 25

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY Main street centres represent decades of public investment in infrastructure, transport, technology, community services and facilities. This public investment should be capitalised on through the ongoing support and encouragement of the main street centres, rather than the investment in new infrastructure in new centres simply on the basis that the old centres are tired and no longer reflect current trends. Main street centres provide opportunities for local investment and business development for the local community which are not available in other styles of corporate or retail centres. The latter do not accommodate or suit “mum and dad” business investment opportunities, start-ups businesses, business incubators and pop up businesses. Main street centres are community centres as well as business centres. These businesses keep the centre alive, active, safe and attractive and hence creating a community asset and a place where the local council can confidently locate their community facilities and services, play grounds, maternal health care centres and libraries. MAIN STREET ISSUES AND PRIORITIES Thirty years of working with a wide variety of main streets, high streets, town centres or villages across Australia suggests to me that of all the issues and aspects that need to be addressed, the most important is the quality, range and diversity of their businesses, services, facilities and activities. Whilst the aesthetic, locational and physical design are obviously important, without the right activities, providing the desired goods or services, at the right time and place, a centre is unlikely to thrive. Potential customers may well visit a centre once on the basis of its parking availability, its trees or its paving, however these customers are unlikely to return, or to pass on positive reviews of the centre if they were not able to access the goods, services or facilities they desired. This is not to dismiss or ignore the need for planning, design, streetscapes and infrastructure initiatives, but rather to reinforce the need to recognise the importance of the activity mix and support for the business community as part of any improvement program. When talking to local and state government about support for main street centres the first response usually revolves around opportunities to undertake a planning or design strategy, improve streetscapes or improve traffic management, rather than opportunities to support the business community, attract new activities or strengthen the role of the business association. ROLE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES TO SUPPORT MAIN STREETS An important role that economic development departments within state and local government can play is internal advocacy for the centre based businesses within their organisations. It is important that the needs of the business community are taken into account along with residents, property developers, infrastructure providers and other key stakeholders. Centre based businesses deserve a voice at the table when budgets, infrastructure projects, urban planning policies, urban design projects, or the location of community, cultural, education or health services and facilities are being discussed. This can best be achieved when a business association exists to represent the business community. This representation on behalf of a business community could range from a simple matter of determining the most appropriate hours to rip up a pavement or close a street within a centre, through to a locational decision for a multi- million dollar public facility. An effective business association can provide benefit for a local council as well as the business community as it provides a central point of contact and communication, hence streamlining consultation and information exchange. It is much more effective for a council to work with a centre through a business association rather than dealing with each business on an individual basis. WHAT MAKES A MAIN STREET CENTRE SMART? A smart centre, to me is one that is actively managed, marketed, monitored and measured in a coordinated way towards an agreed and sustainable future. Where: • The businesses work collaboratively and have a business association that enables them to manage and market the centre in a coordinated fashion. • The business association works in partnership with the local Council, local community and property owners to develop an integrated plan to manage and develop the centre. VOL.12 NO.3 2019 | 25