THINK TASMAN: ELEVATING A SMALL MUNICIPALITY TO THE BIG STAGE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
By Tanya Dalton & Blake Repine, Tasman Council
INTRODUCTION Economic developers often face the challenge of promoting remote and regional areas that are both unseen and undervalued despite their substantial contributions to the state’ s economy and identity. This article explores the Tasman Council’ s THINK TASMAN campaign, a strategic initiative that successfully showcased the municipality’ s unique offerings to attract government decisionmakers, investors, and business leaders.
By focusing on local producers and employing creative non-fiction storytelling, the campaign demonstrated that even a small council could achieve significant economic and social outcomes. This article examines the campaign’ s journey from concept to realisation and highlights the innovative approaches that made it a resounding success.
Remote and regional areas play a critical role in the economic and cultural fabric of a state, yet these regions often face significant challenges in gaining visibility and recognition. Economic developers in these areas must navigate limited human and financial resources, geographical isolation and small populations to compete for attention on a broader stage.
This is especially true for the Tasman Council, a small municipality in Tasmania with a population of nearly 2,800 people( Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021). In 2024, the region was visited by approximately 350,000 visitors( Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority, 2024, p. 4), a third of all the visitors to southern Tasmania( Tourism Tasmania, 2024, p. 8). Despite its size, the Tasman Council has proven that it can compete with larger regions through its THINK TASMAN campaign, an initiative that has brought national attention to the area’ s rich resources and unique offerings.
This article outlines the THINK TASMAN campaign from its inception to its execution, highlighting the strategic planning, creative approaches and tangible results that have positioned the Tasman region as a key player in economic development within Tasmania
THE CHALLENGE OF PROMOTING REMOTE AREAS Remote and regional municipalities like the Tasman Council face unique challenges in promoting their regions. Isolation from urban centres often limits the exposure of local products and services, while small populations can hinder the development of largescale infrastructure and resources. Additionally, these regions frequently battle perceptions that they lack
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