Joondalup’ s innovation credentials. Together, they co-funded the purchase of a humanoid robot with advanced programming capabilities.
The robot supports future-focused skills development, strengthens Joondalup’ s role in the digital economy and aligns with the City’ s Destination Strategy by offering interactive visitor engagement at events. This project demonstrates how collaboration, innovation and strategic planning can deliver outcomes across education, visitor engagement and economic development. It also supports Joondalup’ s advocacy for emerging industries such as automation, AI and cyber security, reinforcing its position as a smart, connected city.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EXCELLENCE IN REGIONAL AND REMOTE AUSTRALIA
WINNER: Mable Community Partnerships The Grassroots Engine – Driving Rural Economies Through Care and Collaboration
FINALIST: Murray River Council Live, Work, Invest In the wake of COVID-19, Murray River Council identified an urgent need to reposition the region for long-term growth. While the demand for regional living was increasing, traditional economic development approaches were no longer sufficient to compete for talent, investment, and business relocation. Council responded by developing Live, Work, Invest— a strategic platform designed to showcase the region’ s lifestyle, workforce capability, and investment potential in one cohesive, accessible format. The initiative combines digital storytelling, real-time data, and local business insights to present the Murray River region as a place of genuine opportunity. Since its launch, the platform has enhanced investor engagement, supported population and workforce attraction, and contributed to a renewed confidence in the region’ s economic future.
FINALIST: District Council of Kimba Kimba Quality of Life Index- Valuing What Matters In regional towns like Kimba, economic development is often reactive, under-resourced, and measured by inputs instead of outcomes. Success is often measured by activity, rather than impact or lasting improvements. To combat this, the District Council of Kimba aimed to create a robust, community-informed performance tool that measures what truly matters in a small, remote town.
The Quality of Life Index was developed to drive real, measurable change in the community’ s wellbeing and economic resilience. Built on a globally recognised UN-Habitat framework but tailored locally, it integrates quantitative data with community voice to identify priority areas. It has become a unifying tool that links economic development with broader social goals, ensuring Council invests where it makes the biggest difference, not just where it ' s easiest.
Mable Community Partnerships was established to address the rural aged care crisis. In many towns, older people were being forced into distant residential care due to a lack of local services, stripping communities of their people and culture. At the same time, small towns struggled with underemployment and economic leakage. At a national level our ageing population and associated workforce shortage presents a major challenge which is exacerbated further in rural areas where service provision is already minimal.
Mable’ s initiative flips the model. By partnering directly with rural communities, Mable helps them coordinate their own aged care, using local workers and Mable’ s national platform. The result? More local jobs, millions in economic activity, and older people able to remain where they belong, at home.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EXCELLENCE IN CITIES AND LARGER REGIONS( OVER 15,000)
WINNER: Rural City of Murray Bridge Murraylands Skills Centre
The Rural City of Murray Bridge is on the cusp of unprecedented transformation, set to become South Australia’ s largest development since the 1950s with 17,100 new homes planned. But, with growth comes responsibility to ensure the community has the skills, support, and opportunities to thrive alongside this
VOL 18 NO 3 2025 40 www. edaustralia. com. au