Source: SC Lennon & Associates
To move beyond the prospectus to investment enquiries and ultimately, actual investment on the ground, it is essential that the shire, city or region’ s key stakeholders be clear on investment facilitation roles and responsibilities. This will ensure a whole-of-organisation and whole-of-region approach to investment promotion is established and supported.
This means engaging with local politicians to champion the city, shire or region in line with economic development and investment attraction objectives. Equally important is engagement with existing local business and industry stakeholders, so that they too‘ own’ the investment attraction strategy and are well-placed to promote the prospectus and its contents.
To keep the prospectus‘ alive’, it is important to consistently deliver investment promotional messages through state and federal government investment agencies, who have direct links to key markets. And importantly, the prospectus should not serve as a passive document. It should be underpinned by efforts to proactively identify and target prospective investors.
This includes looking for opportunities to host inward visits from investors or industry interest groups. It also means representing the shire, city or region at investment seminars and events( domestically and overseas).
And when investors begin to express interest, it is important to maintain an investment enquiry register and follow up, as necessary.
From investment prospectus to investment on the ground. A strong document must be supported by a clear enquiry pathway, defined organisational responsibilities, timely follow-up and practical investor facilitation.
As government funding bodies are one of a number of target audiences for regions and locales striving to boost investment in their infrastructure and services, their industries and their communities, councils and regional bodies should utilise the investment prospectus as an advocacy tool when seeking government support or funding.
And finally, to maintain the currency of the prospectus and the organisation’ s( and region’ s) approach to investment attraction, the prospectus will ideally be reviewed and updated on a regular( preferably annual) basis.
Ultimately, a strong investment prospectus is more than a publication: it is a practical tool for articulating a shire’ s, city’ s or region’ s value proposition, generating investor interest and supporting a coordinated pathway from initial enquiry to real investment on the ground.
REFERENCES
Lennon, S.( 2025), Investment Prospectus Fundamentals and Real-World Examples, presented to the 2025 National Economic Development Conference, Newcastle, Australia
Lennon, S.( 2021), In Pursuit of Prosperity: The ' Core ' Economic Development Activities of Councils, in Economic Development, The Quarterly Journal of Economic Development Australia, Volume 14, Number 1
Lennon, S. and Hanna, J.( 2015), Global Village: Determinants of Investment Attraction and Economic Development, in Emnothweni, the Quarterly Magazine of Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Issue 16
https:// dictionary. cambridge. org / dictionary / english / investment, viewed 10th July 2026
https:// www. rba. gov. au / education / resources / explainers / economic-growth. html, viewed 10th July 2026
https:// www. abs. gov. au / statistics / economy / national-accounts / australian-system-nationalaccounts / latest-release, viewed 10th July 2026
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SASHA LENNON Sasha Lennon is an economist and consultant with more than 30 years’ experience specialising in the preparation of regional economic development strategies, destination management plans, tourism strategies, investment attraction strategies, economic impact assessments and business cases. He holds postgraduate qualifications in economics and journalism and is a Certified Economic Developer. Sasha is the Director of SC Lennon & Associates.
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