ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY
The Local Government Association of Queensland’s
Economic Development and Investment Attraction
Guidelines defines local economic development
as ‘a sustainable increase in living standards that
delivers higher incomes, better education, health
and wellbeing as well as environmental protection
resulting from conscious and applied effort. At its
core economic development is about improving the
quality of life experienced in your community’ (LGAQ,
2012: 1). It provides a more nuanced account of the
aims of economic development than for example, the
Local Government Association of South Australia, with
less emphasis on wealth creation, which does not
necessarily lead to enhanced quality of life.
According to Blakely, ‘The principal goal of local
economic development is to stimulate employment
opportunities in sectors that improve the community,
using existing human, natural and institutional
resources’ (Blakely, 1994: xv). Based on this
perspective, ‘economic development and community
development are opposite sides of the same coin:
each reinforces the other’ (The South Australian
Centre for Economic Studies, 2013: 60). There
is no clear-cut divide (see Figure 1); each notion
seeks to develop human, physical, financial and
institutional assets. Whilst they are highly compatible
with one another, the latter is primarily concerned
with ‘produc[ing] assets that may be used to improve
the community’, whereas the former is primarily
concerned with ‘mobiliz[ing] these assets to benefit
the community’ (Phillips & Pittman, 2009: 11, original
emphasis).
Figure 1. Community and economic development
chain
Source: Phillips & Pittman (2009).
VIEWS FROM THE FIELD
During interviews with a range of local government
representatives and stakeholders, respondents
explained personal and organisational interpretations
of economic development and typically related their
meanings to practical experiences. The responses
varied significantly and appear to reflect diversity
across the literature. There was recognition that
economic development escapes a single definition
and the view that it “can mean different things to
different people” implies that each council is tasked
with marshalling a diversity of perspectives.
The responses from those interviewed ran along a
continuum between a focus on supporting business
and wealth creation to a broader interpretation which
encompassed ideas of community development,
social equity and sustainability; mirroring growth-
focussed and holistic definitions of economic
development found in the literature.
Growth-focussed interpretations were justified by the
belief that economic growth will gradually filter through
the broader economy, creating an economic multiplier
effect, and thus contributing to broader development
goals. Nevertheless, other respondents were of the
opinion that economic growth does not automatically
result in economic development, pointing to examples
where particular places are economicall y buoyant but
where socio-economic disparities have continued to
grow. On the other end of the continuum, were broader
framings of economic development, incorporating
notions such as sustainability, health, wellbeing
and community development. Such interpretations
were symptomatic of local government officers with
responsibility for community development functions
and those officers wearing several different ‘policy hats’
that are expected to perform a variety of roles.
Other stakeholders presented a more strategic role for
local government in terms of economic development,
with one officer stating that, “Supporting small business
is not the main role of local government in terms of
economic development. Local government’s role
is more strategic. It is about creating conditions to
facilitate opportunity …”. This view is also consistent
with a whole-of-council economic development outlook.
Within a single council, multiple framings of economic
development can be invoked, whereby each
emphasises particular aspects in accordance with
specific political and policy objectives. Interviewees
observed that multiple framings can help to
strengthen the cooperation between different council
departments, but they can also result in tensions, such
as the translation of broad-based objectives to service
delivery activities.
ENABLING AND CONSTRAINING
In terms of the (narrower) growth-focussed and
the (broader) holistic interpretations of economic
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