FROM THE CEO
Jacqueline Brinkman , Chief Executive Officer
I am delighted to present the final edition of the Economic Development Australia ( EDA ) Journal for 2024 .
As always in this end of year edition , we showcase all the 2024 National Economic Development Awards for Excellence winners and finalists who were announced at the recent gala event held during the National Economic Development Conference ( NEDC24 ) in Melbourne ( Naarm ). All categories were highly contested and the winners and finalists reflect the excellence and innovation which characterise the Australian economic development sector .
This edition of the Journal also includes a wrap up of NEDC24 . With close to 300 delegates , this was the largest EDA conference ever held . The theme , The Power of Place resonated strongly with attendees with discussions focussing on how using a place-based lens in economic development is the key to supporting prosperous , inclusive and sustainable communities . We have been overwhelmed by the fantastic feedback for NEDC and are grateful to all our sponsors and supporters for their valuable contribution .
EDA will continue to amplify this message of best practice , place based economic development in 2025 with the inaugural EDA National Roadshow . This series of events will be in capital cities across Australia in March and will build on the Power of Place theme within a more localised context .
This Journal provides a synopsis of some of the data emerging from the Economic Sector Report conducted by the University of Newcastle ’ s Institute for Regional Futures for EDA . The objective of this project was to help EDA be able to articulate the scale and scope of the economic development professional sector and to demonstrate the economic impact of the work by our sector professionals . I hope you agree the data is compelling and provides a powerful argument for investment in place based economic development .
Also in this edition , Chair of the Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity , Kylie Hargreaves provides an erudite argument for investment in national supply chains and an efficient freight network to boost economic and decarbonisation objectives .
Madeline Jovanov ACEcD from the City of Melbourne delivers a great summary of the City ’ s national economic development award winning project ; Mainstreaming Twilight Trade . This joint project by the City of Melbourne and the Australian Retailers Association , underscores the need for collaboration across the retail , hospitality , and events sectors to enhance consumer engagement and boost visitation during the transition from day to night economy .
Sasha Lennon summarises the findings of a report commissioned by Regional Development Australia Far North in South Australia to consider and assess the potential economic impacts of regionalisation of government services to South Australia ’ s Far North Region . Sasha demonstrates the importance of taking a data informed approach to advocate for greater government and private sector investment in regional Australia .
The article by Linda Tillman and Kushla Gale from the Tilma Group illustrates the value of events for regional economies , how their economic value can be maximised , and ways to measure the economic value from events , using case studies from across regional Australia to illustrate .
Once again , thank you to all our contributors . I hope you enjoy this edition .
Jacqueline Brinkman GAICD Chief Executive Officer Economic Development Australia
VOL 17 NO 3 2024 04 www . edaustralia . com . au