STRATEGY
TOOL BOX
STRATEGY 1: Effective Planning
What is it?
Effective
Planning
Why do it?
How is it achieved?
STRATEGY TOOL BOX
Local Governments through their role as advocate, facilitator, investigator,
planner and service provider are able to use the tools of Local Government to
implement and influence economic development.
The following sections contain examples, explanations and learnings from a
range of actions that council can undertake and how they can be incorporated
into the various planning instruments available to them.
They include the following:
Economic
Development
Strategies
FACILITATE
INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT
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• Urban Renewal Brisbane, 20 years – Brisbane City Council, QLD
• Gateway Village Revitalisation – Wodonga City Council, VIC
• Clarence River Way Project – Clarence Valley Council, NSW
What is it?
A clear, consistent and coordinated approach to regional and local
planning that is focussed on business and industry growth.
Why do it?
EFFECTIVE
PLANNING
EMBRACE
INNOVATION
Case Studies
SUPPORT
LOCAL
BUSINESS
ATTRACT NEW
BUSINESS
INVESTMENT
Effective planning provides a clear, consistent and strategic
direction for Council and the community moving forward. This
underpins all other strategies. Effective planning ensures regions
have adequate land, labour, capital and infrastructure for business
attraction and industry and community growth.
How is it achieved?
Effective planning is achieved through:
• An in depth understanding of the region and its competitive
advantages and disadvantages
• Identifying and prioritising opportunities
• Targeted outcomes and requirements
• Incorporating planning goals into budgets
• Allocating responsibility
• Clear timeframes
• Performance monitoring and communication.
www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
STRATEGY
TOOL BOX
STRATEGY 2: Support Local Business
What is it?
Support
Local
Business
Why do it?
How is it achieved?
Local business support by councils can take many forms, and is
largely dependent on the type and size of businesses targeted
for assistance. Activities to support local businesses can
include:
• Information provision – e.g. through business resource
centres, networking events and seminars, local business
databases
• Capacity building
• Skills and labour force development
How is it achieved?
• Incentives
• Increase local business networks
• Removal of red tape – streamlined process for development
approvals and appropriate zoning
• Business incubators and clustering strategies
Case Studies
• Bendigo Inventor Awards – Greater Bendigo City Council, VIC
• Creative Connections – Gold Coast City Council, QLD
• Flavours of Campbelltown Food Trail – Campbelltown Council, SA
• Historic Gulflander Train - Croydon Shire Council, QLD
• Upskilling the Cassowary Coast Transport Industry Sector – Cassowary
Coast Regional Council, QLD
What is it?
Support and assist the development, expansion and growth of existing local
business.
• Business Awards and support of Industry-based organisations
• Improvements in infrastructure
• Supporting the growth of local producers by increasing access
to markets, or expanding the base for their product
o Promotion and marketing of regional products
o Festivals showcasing local products or industries
o Lobbying Federal Government for trade deals in particular
commodities
o Fostering inter-regional trade agreements with other areas
o Buy Local campaigns
o Organising collectives of producers under a brand
o Providing advice to exporters
o Encouraging nodes of specific industries.
Why do it?
Local businesses are the lifeblood of the local economy and have a marked
impact on the economic strength of a region. Providing assistance and support
for existing local business is an important way of building a more resilient
economy, improving networks and generating greater business confidence.
This can be of particular importance for small business or home-based
enterprises.
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www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
STRATEGY
TOOL BOX
STRATEGY 3: Attract New Business
Investment
What is it?
Attract New
business
Investment
How is it achieved?
Businesses are attracted to local areas that offer positive and
supportive local business environments, with competitive costs
and efficient business start-up processes. Some of the activities
that Local Government can undertake to attract new businesses
include:
• Competitive pricing schedules for infrastructure and services
• Clear, consistent and appropriate planning, including:
Why do it?
How is it achieved?
o Appropriate land zoning
o Remove “red tape” and reducing wait time for development
approvals
• Marketing and promoting the business advantages of the region
• Developing investor briefs
• Providing incentives for new developments
• Single point of entry, information provision and communication
Case Studies
• Providing a strong, positive first impression to interested
businesses.
• Clermont Preferred Futures Model – Isaac Regional Council, QLD
• Makes Good Business Sense Campaign – Salisbury City Council, SA
• Australian Marine Complex – Landcorp, WA
What is it?
Attracting new business and investment to the region.
Why do it?
New businesses are an important source of new investment in communities.
Attracting new business to a local area generates employment and increases
the diversity and prosperity of the local economy. Attracting business
investment to the area and achieving critical mass demonstrates a strong
business environment and “investment readiness”, which can attract further
business investment.
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www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
STRATEGY
TOOL BOX
STRATEGY 4: Facilitate Infrastructure
Investment
What is it?
Facilitate
Infrastructure
Investment
Why do it?
How is it achieved?
Why do it?
Direct investment stimulates the local economy and provides
opportunities for employment. Facilitating investment (indirect)
can also achieve these objectives through providing opportunities
for the private sector.
Strategically aligned infrastructure generates development that
is in harmony with community values and enables a connected
region. It has positive effects for local business and investment
attraction by creating a business environment that is “investment
ready” and improving efficiencies in service provision and
business operation.
How is it achieved?
Investment in infrastructure is achieved by:
Case Studies
Hard Infrastructure
• Renewing Rhodes – City of Canada Bay Council, NSW
• Identifying a need and align it with the strategic vision and
planning
• Developing a business case for the infrastructure
• Identifying and lobby funding sources
• Coordinating delivery.
• Rebuilding for the Future – Lockyer Valley Regional Council, QLD
Investment in infrastructure can involve the following
actions:
• Development of Rockingham City Centre – Rockingham City Council, WA
Hard Infrastructure
• Charleville Dental Surgery – Murweh Shire Council, QLD
• Maintenance or upgrading of infrastructure e.g. transport,
accommodation, telecommunications, buildings
• Build new facilities
• Facilitate innovative new uses for existing facilities
• Encourage local investors to consider the opportunities provided
by the rejuvenation of older facilities e.g. through incentives
• Implement street-scaping and urban rejuvenation programs
• Obtain sponsorship or grants
• Audit of Council assets and buildings
• Changes to the planning scheme and material change of use
approvals
• Develop commercial or industrial land.
• Charleville Cosmos Centre - Murweh Shire Council, QLD
Soft Infrastructure
• Central Highlands Workforce Response Strategy – Central Highlands
Regional Council, QLD
• Regional Skills Attraction and Retention Project – Mackay Whitsunday
Regional Economic Development Corporation, QLD
• SHINE – Department of Education and Training, Geraldton WA
What is it?
Facilitate and directly invest in hard and soft infrastructure.
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Soft Infrastructure
• Provision of training and mentorship
• Investment in local education and training facilities
• Improve community networks and capacity.
www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
STRATEGY
TOOL BOX
STRATEGY 5: Embrace Innovation
How is it achieved?
The following actions can encourage innovation in the local
economy:
What is it?
Embrace
Innovation
Why do it?
How is it achieved?
• Incentives
• Investment in research and development
• Provision of training and mentorship
• Encourage and support partnerships across industries and
institutions
• Investment in infrastructure.
Case Studies
• Central Queensland Innovative Built Environment Network – Capricorn
Enterprise, QLD
• ICT Initiative – Walkatjurra Cultural Centre, Leonora, WA
• Discount Card Scheme – Frankston City Council, VIC
• Advancing Technology as a tool for Construction, A Digital Economy
Capacity Building Model – Ipswich City Council, QLD
What is it?
Encourage innovative thinking and the adoption of new technology
Why do it?
Encouraging innovation in has the following effects:
• Economic activity, new business and employment generation
• Efficiency improvements
• Partnerships
• Community capacity building.
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