2023 FINALISTS AND WINNERS SHOWCASE
2023 FINALISTS AND WINNERS SHOWCASE
Economic Development Australia ( EDA ) is honoured to present the remarkable organisations and individuals demonstrating leadership and excellence in economic development .
CATEGORY 1 . ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN - STRATEGIC THINKING This award recognises best practice strategies where economic development outcomes are the leading factors and basis influencing the approach adopted .
WINNER : City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Kalgoorlie-Boulder – Economic Diversification Project
FINALIST : The Adelaide Economic Development Agency The Activity Level Barometer To understand whether we are in an economic downturn or whether programs , initiatives and activities are influencing the economy , we must be able to first , measure the economy .
Currently , capital cities around Australia are using isolated metrics to explain activity levels . This means that certain metrics can be highlighted when performing well or glossed over when performing poorly .
To address this , The City of Adelaide through the Adelaide Economic Development Agency has created the Activity Barometer which models several unique activity variables into one overall visual . The tool uses data from daily foottraffic , public transport validations , onand-off street car parking , e-scooter trips , and expenditure categories to create an overall activity score and visualisation .
in partnership with local governments and industry groups across the state to help secure strategic investment in new and emerging industries thereby supporting the diversification of regional economies .
CATEGORY 2 : THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MARKETING AND PROMOTION Marketing and promotion is a vital skill for many economic development practitioners . This award focusses on the planning stage through to implementation . It is not influenced by the size or budget of a campaign but the effectiveness of the methods adopted .
WINNER : Yarra Ranges Council Region of Choice - A Celebration of the Yarra Ranges ’ Leading Employers
Kalgoorlie-Boulder ’ s history is filled with the lustre of gold , but City leaders knew economic diversification was the key to a strong , sustainable future . The City is at the centre of an emerging global industry crucial for a low emissions future .
Kalgoorlie-Boulder was already attracting international attention for its growth in mining of the Critical Minerals needed for low-carbon technologies . The downstream processing of Critical Minerals also presents powerful economic opportunities . The City worked collaboratively with State Government to secure a head lease over a major site and actively sought suitable proponents to construct and operate a processing facility . Lynas Rare Earths has since invested $ 575m dollars in the plant , providing strong employment benefits with a $ 1b economic impact predicted by 2025 .
FINALIST : NSW Office Of Regional Economic Development Regional NSW Investment Attraction Strategy 2022-2027 The Office of Regional Economic Development ( ORED ) was established to lead investment attraction , promotion and strategy work across regional NSW . It is now recognised as the only fully dedicated regional Investment Promotion Agency ( IPA ) in Australia .
Private sector investment is a key enabler of regional economic development . It creates sustainable jobs , activates new industries , increases export opportunities , promotes cluster development , drives innovation and makes capital more readily available .
ORED leads a whole of Government approach to maximise the benefits for regional NSW from unprecedented investment opportunities in areas like net zero , hydrogen , circular economy and advanced manufacturing . The team works
Emerging from the pandemic , several extreme weather events and a shift in the employment landscape , Yarra Ranges needed to capitalise on its strengths of being one of the most iconic and visited destinations in Australia to attract , retain and grow a sustainable workforce .
Following a 4-week , 300 business face to face consultation exercise where members of the economic development team traversed the business communities across the Yarra Ranges , it was clear that
VOL 16 NO 3 2023 26 www . edaustralia . com . au