Like most regional areas of Australia, Coffs Harbour faces the problem of ensuring economic growth and encouraging employment growth. In recent years a number of new strategies have been implemented to foster economic growth. These range from initiatives such as the revitalisation of the Coffs Harbour City Centre and other suburbs, to direct incentives to encourage business expansion and job creation.
Coffs Harbour City Council owns and manages the Coffs Harbour Regional Airport, one of the largest regional airports in the country. Council has recognised the potential of this facility, upgrading it to improve tourism and to attract a growing number of new residents with business interests in Brisbane and Sydney – both within 60 to 90 minutes flying time.
Council teamed up with local businesses to encourage the Australian Rugby Union representative team, the Wallabies, to select Coffs Harbour as its home base, enabling promotion of the City to a worldwide audience. Other sporting partnerships, involving cricket, rugby league, soccer, basketball, touch football and sailing, have been developed to further enhance the City’s profile and attract new visitors and residents.
Council is involved in promoting the City as a place to live, work and invest, targeting and assisting certain industries through the Coffs Harbour Future group. The City’s front door is a working port, and plans are now being refined for the redevelopment of the foreshores to bring new investment.
These initiatives are showing clear results, with a 33 per cent increase in development applications experienced in 2002, compared to the previous year. The challenge now is to ensure this growth is sustainable.
