By investing in intercultural ecosystems, councils create the scaffolding for prosperous, intertwined, and stronger, future-ready communities. If a Council doesn’ t believe it is entirely confident with reaching into its First Nations or culturally diverse business communities then look for outside assistance to develop intercultural skills. Become competent and feel confident to support your businesses.
An intercultural approach to local economic development is not optional but it is smart economics.
Similarly, Hume’ s StartNorth co-working space began with the purpose of providing low cost office space to local business owners and has surpassed expectations with more than 80 businesses using the space regularly. Local businesses are highlighted in Council promotional material, supplier relationships between local businesses are facilitated, and innovations in the way business owners are assisted to apply for grants and awards open new possibilities for broader recognition and growth.
Step 6: Evaluate and adapt Evaluation is not just about counting attendance at workshops. It’ s about understanding outcomes: who’ s at your event? Who isn’ t? Who should be? Are they? Why are they? Why aren’ t they? Will they come back? What did you want to achieve from the event? Did you? Can you improve the next event?
A simple and regular post-event review creates a feedback loop, allowing councils to refine programs, remain accountable, and strengthen intercultural ecosystems.
WHY INTERCULTURAL ECOSYSTEMS MATTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS EDO’ s connect businesses with resources, facilitate relationships, and shape how diversity is experienced in local communities. They are well placed to adopt intercultural approaches to ecosystem development.
However, some EDO’ s we have spoken with feel underprepared, concerned about“ saying the wrong thing,”“ offending someone,” or lacking cultural knowledge or language skills. Institutional barriers such as resource constraints or risk-averse council management cultures add to the challenge.
But the risks of inaction are significant. At the business level, missed engagement means missed opportunities. As Hatim Abbas observed:“ Councils have to be able to explain what they’ re doing in a way that makes sense to people from different backgrounds.” At the community level, failing to engage interculturally erodes trust. Businesses may feel invisible or undervalued which impacts ecosystem strength.
The principle is simple: when Australianborn, overseas-born and First Nations enterprises succeed, local economies succeed. Councils that embrace intercultural practice to help all local businesses grow are not only promoting inclusion, they’ re practising smart economics.
CONCLUSION Australia’ s diversity is a defining strength. More than half the population now has migrant heritage, while First Nations businesses continue to grow. But diversity on its own is not enough. Without deliberate action, ecosystems risk becoming static.
The six-step Intercultural Economic Development Roadmap provides councils with practical, adaptable tools to embed intercultural practice in economic development. What sets it apart is its people-centred ethos. Economic development is about relationships.
When councils invest in intercultural practice, they strengthen those human connections and, in turn, the local ecosystems that sustain resilience.
For EDOs, the message is clear. Every business visit, every phone call returned, every tailored workshop, every procurement opportunity is a chance to convert cultural diversity into shared prosperity.
Councils that embrace intercultural ecosystems will better navigate disruption, foster innovation, and build thriving economies. If your Economic Development team doesn’ t support its First Nations or migrant business owners to grow and meet their customers’ diverse needs, then who will?
REFERENCES
1. https:// www. abs. gov. au / statistics / people / people-and-communities / snapshot-australia / latest-release
2. Mansouri, F. & Modood, T( 2021) The complementarity of multiculturalism and interculturalism: theory backed by Australian evidence, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 44:16, 1-20
3. https:// www. mckinsey. com / featured-insights / diversity-and-inclusion / diversity-wins-howinclusion-matters
4. https:// www. oecd. org / en / publications / migration-and-regional-innovation-inaustralia _ 6d6ff472-en. html
5. AMES Australia & Deloitte Access Economics( 2015) Small towns, big returns: Economic and social impact of the Karen resettlement in Nhill, Victoria. Melbourne: AMES Australia.
6. https:// www. hume. vic. gov. au / Your-Council / Our-City / City-and-Community / Community- Profile
7. https:// economy. id. com. au / hume / businesslocations
8. Rhodes, C., Pullen, A., McEwen, C.,( 2023). Leadership Diversity Through Relational Intersectionality in Australia: Research Report. The University of Technology Sydney.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LYNDA FORD OAM Lynda Ford OAM is an intercultural consultant with more than three decades’ experience in community and economic development. She has worked with Logan City
Council and the City of
Melbourne, leading community safety and strengthening initiatives. Through Mosaic: Intercultural Solutions, she supports councils and organisations to embed intercultural practice, with a focus on youth and migrant entrepreneurship. And local economic ecosystems which harness the innovation of businesses owned by people born in Australia, born overseas and First Nations peoples.
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