THE ROLE OF PARTNERSHIP IN DEVELOPING MULTICULTURAL ACTIVITY CENTRES
By Andy Waugh
INTRODUCTION The need for small local businesses located in activity centres( town centres) to thrive, or merely survive, in an economic climate impacted by the continued growth in on-line shopping, increased investment in malls and shopping centres by developers, and other contributing factors is more crucial than ever. The impact of COVID-19 may have subsided but the important role that small shopping centres play in both community and economic development cannot be underestimated. This paper will highlight the work of local government, and the business community working together in partnership to implement process to support the recovery and growth of Jackson Court, an activity centre located in Doncaster in Melbourne’ s eastern suburbs
JACKSON COURT Jackson Court is one of ten neighbourhood activity centres and twenty-eight local activity centres in Manningham consisting of ninety businesses dominated by a food and hospitality offering. It is a multicultural centre where business owners and operators, and the community embrace difference and inclusion. The centre has undergone change in the last ten years driven by significant private investment delivering mixed use developments and improved commercial and dining options. An average of 20,000 traffic movements per day provides a high level of exposure to a suburban centre that has a loyal and connected customer base.
A number of contributing factors including private investment have resulted in the centre undergoing a transition in business composition.
Between 2017 and 2024, approximately 20 % of premises have changed business type. There has been a significant transformation from retail and service industry to hospitality. In the seven-year period, small retail businesses such as a locally owned carpet store and a sports shop were among the seven retail businesses to leave due to a mixture of factors, including moving to on-line retail and stronger competition from major brands located in malls and big box retailing. Additionally, nine service industry businesses left the centre with eleven hospitality-based businesses commencing operation. This has resulted in more than thirty food and hospitalty businesses, contributing to Jackson Court’ s growing reputation as a multicultural food and dining precinct.
Jackson Court is no different to many other centres affected by COVID-19. Businesses which didn’ t pivot or establish a strong on-line presence suffered greatly. The impact of online shopping is felt to this day with Manningham residents ' on-line spending increasing 7.15 %( December 2024-December 2025) to a total of $ 192M, exceeding the amount local residents spend outside the municipality.
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