ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY
of major capital grants. It has allowed a strategic
approach to business investment attraction to
target jobs-rich industries that compliment and not
compete with existing businesses.
Ultimately, using the ACC, the EDU has been able
to reposition Council as a leader and advocate for
business in their region, provide targeted and well
attended capacity building, provide assured local
procurement. Using the ACC, they have been
able to take steps to address national economic
issues and implement strategies to mitigate
risk. ACC has rapidly expanded the capability
of Council’s EDU to respond to change, identify
emerging issues, and plan for proactive economic
development.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
INITIATIVES - UNDER 15,000
RESIDENTS
WINNER
MURWEH SHIRE COUNCIL
Development and Provision of Economic
Structures for a Remote Community
Murweh Shire Council has sought to address issues
of business attraction, business retention and
population drift by focusing its long-term economic
development strategy on adding value to the natural
resources and existing infrastructure of the region.
The main town of Charleville is a Government
service town and the main industry of the Shire
is cattle and meat processing. It also boasts the
clearest skies in the southern hemisphere.
This economic focus has been on maximising
transport access corridors through:
a) Construction of a brand new airport terminal to
increase capacity for future growth
b) Construction of a $4 million rail loading bay and
holding yards, to re-activate rail usage to the
region
c) Construction of new Industrial Estate to add
further capacity for business attraction and
business expansion
Murweh Shire Council has recently:
a) Upgraded the existing Charleville Cosmos
Centre to maintain momentum and the interest
of visitors in our clear skies and star gazing
opportunities
b) Started construction of a new Planetarium
to increase revenue and create further
employment
c) Partnered with Griffith University to develop a
World War ll Outback Tour and Museum using
state of the art technology and holograms.
d) Partnered with the Sunshine Coast University to
develop the Chinese tourism trade.
These recent initiatives have re-energised the
shire and brought in extra capacity to support the
expected capital growth in the region over the next
five years.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
LEADERSHIP AWARD (ELECTED
MEMBER)
WINNER
COUNCILLOR STEPHEN ROBINSON
Sunshine Coast Council
Councillor Steve Robinson
was elected in March 2012.
At the time, the Sunshine
Coast economy was in
post-GFC doldrums.
Unemployment rates were
above 10% with youth
unemployment above 15%.
There was no new
investment in the region and
a poor outlook for job growth. Business confidence
was at an all-time low.
Steve who came from a business background knew
how tough businesses had been doing and knew
they needed some help.
The region needed direction and impetus. Despite
the Sunshine Coast being an hour north of the
State Capital, Brisbane, it had often been left off
infrastructure priority lists and State and Federal
budget allocations. The only way to change this was
to have a plan. A plan that everyone, at all levels
of government and industry agreed to. So in 2012,
shortly after he was elected, Steve took on the
Portfolio Councillor role of Economic Development
and Innovation and with the Mayor, set about to
transform the economy.
The region’s first integrated economic strategy was
developed setting a series of aspirational goals and
game changer priorities to transform the economy
and to give the region the profile it deserved. While
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