New South Wales Small Business Minister Frank Terenzini launched Economic Development Australia’s (EDA) National Awards for Excellence in Economic Development at a reception at the Novotel Hotel Brighton Le Sands in Sydney on 25 October 2010.
A high number of quality applications were received, ensuring that the judging panel had a difficult job in determining the ultimate winners.
EDA congratulates all award entrants for their innovative approaches to economic development and recognises the considerable work involved in preparing applications.
The Award recipients demonstrate innovative projects and practice in economic development in urban, rural and regional communities.
More than 130 practitioners from across Australia, as well as sponsor representatives attended event.
These National Awards would not have been possible without the generous support of sponsors Essential Economics, Regional Development Victoria, the AEC Group, RMIT University, Telstra Country Wide, Bendigo Bank, NSW Business Chamber, Australian Made Campaign, ANSTO and NSW Department of Industry and Investment.
The event was sponsored by Rockdale, Kogarah, Hurstville and Sutherland Councils.
Strategic Planning
Award – National
(Sponsor – Essential Economics)
Finalists: Prospect City Council, SA – Digital Economy Strategy; LaTrobe City Council, Vic –
Coal Councils of Australia
Winner: Prospect City Council, SA
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy, declared the City of Prospect’s Digital Economy Strategy the best Digital Economy Strategy in Australia.
The strategy was created following an economic analysis of the City of Prospect by renowned economist Professor Dick Blandy, who identified that Prospect had significant potential to increase Gross Regional Product if it could create a digital savvy community, with a specific focus on the early adopter potential of engagement in a very fast growing global digital economy.
The Strategy includes a two year integrated set of projects that are in pilot stage delivering practical, equitable economic outcomes.
Economic Development Strategic
Planning Award – Regional
(Sponsor: Regional
Development Victoria)
Finalists: Greater Taree City Council, NSW – Taree Regional Airport; Maranoa Regional Council, Qld –
The Maranoa ED Strategy; Ipswich City Council, Qld – Western Corridor ‘NBN Ready’ Region
Winner: Greater Taree City Council, NSW
After reviewing the business plan, Council resolved to reconstruct the Taree Regional Airport runway at a cost of around $4 million, to allow for the creation of an aviation business park. Stage one of the park proposed the creation of 15 new hangar sites for business development. A total of 29 expressions of interest were received, allowing Council to raise over $1 million to fund the development of the park, with additional leased sites to support a runway infrastructure fund to fund future capital works.
Economic Development
Marketing Strategy Award
(Sponsor: AEC Group)
Finalists: Ashfield Council, NSW – Ashfield’s Feast of Flavours; Manningham City Council, Vic – Doncaster Hill Developer Expo; City of Greater Geelong, Vic – ICT Cluster
Winner: Ashfield Council, NSW
Comprising street festival style events held over three days as part of the Sydney Morning Herald’s Sydney International Food Festival, Ashfield’s Feast of Flavours demonstrates the value of a well planned partnership marketing strategy. Synergies within each partner’s project enabled them to work collaboratively and achieve multipliers of their targeted key success factors without the deployment of additional resources.
Three fledgling events, designed to not only assist businesses in the short term, but also to brand the region as a ‘good food destination’ in the long term, succeeded in attracting around 50,000 visitors over the three days and injected an estimated $1.1 million into the local economy.
Economic Development Partnerships Award
(Sponsor: RMIT University)
Finalists: Christmas Island Tourism Association – CI Cruising Project; Great Lakes Council, NSW – Aged services shared labour pool; Regional Development Victoria – Victoria’s Food Bowl Initiative
Winner: Christmas Island Tourism
The Christmas Island Cruising Project saw Christmas Island position itself as a destination for the Cruise Ship industry, which is recognised as a growth area for tourism. It would not have been achieved unless there was a partnership approach between the Commonwealth, Local Government, Christmas Island Tourism Association and the community.
A Cruise Ship did arrive and the $3 million mooring system and passenger disembarking system were in place, along with a full program of activities for the tourists. The partnerships achieved from mid 2009 till December 2009 have enhanced the Christmas Island tourism industry, kick started new tourism businesses, provided a working tool kit for further visits and established new infrastructure.
Environmental Economic Innovation Award
(Sponsor: Telstra Country Wide)
Finalists: Whittlesea City Council, Vic – Green Industry Strategy; Business Treading Lightly, NSW – Sustainability makes business sense; Greater Geelong City Council, Vic – Geelong Biological Fertiliser Project
Winner: Business Treading Lightly (BTL)
To achieve its mission of building the capacity of business to realise the commercial and environmental benefits of becoming more sustainable, BTL developed the first sustainability coaching program for regional businesses.
This approach, one of the first in Australia to use community based social marketing techniques, has been successful in engendering real and measurable change in its partner businesses from the Illawarra, Highlands, Shoalhaven, Eurobodalla and Bega Valley regions. BTL has grown from having 80 business partners in April 2009 to now having 205 business entities.
Community Economic Development Award
(Sponsor: Bendigo Bank)
Finalists: Christmas Island Phosphate – Helping the Community to Grow Program; Ipswich City Council – Steps to success Program; Strathfield Council – Business Mentoring Program
Winner: Christmas Island Phosphate
Christmas Island Phosphates (CIP) has taken the lead corporate role in strengthening the economy of Australia’s Indian Ocean Territories (IOT) for its own community on Christmas Island and also the Cocos (Keeling) Islands some 900 kilometres away.
CIP identified the lack of diversity in the Christmas Island economy and this has resulted in an investment by CIP of well over $2 million on projects during the past 12 months, assisting the community to develop a sustainable economy.
Business/Industry Development Project Award (Sponsor:
NSW Business Chamber)
Finalists: Sutherland Shire Council, NSW –
SSHEDNet; City of Bunbury, WA – Bunbury smart building project; Gold Coast City Council, Qld – Business GC Swim
Winner: City of Bunbury, WA
As part of the development of a new regional library, the City of Bunbury incorporated a ‘Smart Building’ as part of the design. The Smart Building contains an Australian standard data/hosting centre, ICT training centre and adjoining office space.
This facility came to fruition through the efforts of the City of Bunbury and the South West Development Commission, and has attracted a joint venture between Western Australia’s largest supercomputing company ISA Technologies and major film and television production house the Vue Group.
Indigenous Economic Development Award (Sponsor: Australian Made Campaign)
Winner: Murdi Paaki Aboriginal Young Leaders Program
The Murdi Paaki Aboriginal young Leaders Project is a priority identified by the Murdi Paaki Regional Assembly and Aboriginal Community Working Parties (CWPs) of the Murdi Paaki region.
The Project is a regional leadership development program for young Aboriginal people to increase their knowledge and skills in community governance, leading to increased representation in decision making. This project has been running since 2007.
Development Leadership
Award – Economic Development Practitioner (Sponsor: NSW
Dept Industry & Investment)
Winner: Glen Hickling, Onkaparinga City Council, SA
Glenn has spent the last decade working in local and regional economic development and has almost 20 years of commercial enterprise experience prior to that.
He has demonstrated a commitment to economic and community development well beyond what is expected in his role as economic development officer at the City of Onkaparinga.
His understanding of how local economies work and how participants interact has underpinned the success of the projects he has managed. His credibility with leaders of industry and government has maximised the opportunities for local people to secure work in the growing list of major projects now underway in the southern region of Adelaide.
Economic Development Leadership Award – Elected/Committee/Community member (Sponsor: ANSTO)
Winner: Jan Pope, Cranbrook Business and Tourism Association, WA
Jan Pope has spent 30 years working on economic growth and development in area of the Shire of Cranbrook, Western Australia. Her outstanding commitment is highlighted by 30 years of service to the Cranbrook Tourism and Business Association, 12 years as a Shire Councillor and her inaugural and present membership on the Community Bank Board.
She is largely responsible for the commencement of community banks in Western Australia.
Her outstanding commitment continues with her continued involvement with the bank, the tourist association and supporting the work of the Shire by hosting events, providing support and expertise and invaluable experience.