WDA COVID-19 Recovery & Revitalisation Strategy, 2021 Report
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00 COVID -19 Recovery & Revitalisation Strategy PLANS STRATEGIES GROWTH GRAMPIANS 01. Executive Summary 3 TABLE OF 02. Background 5 03. Understanding the Wimmera Southern Mallee region 7 Regional Challenges 7 CONTENTS Regional Strengths 8 04. Existing plans and strategies for growth in the region 9 Goals for regional growth 9 Actions identified for long-term growth 10 Actions identified for medium-term growth 10 Priorities identified by Councils 11 Current projects and programs for regional growth 12 05. Guiding principles for responding to economic shock 13 06. COVID-19 impact 15 Threats 15 COVID-19 as a catalyst for revitalisation 16 COVID-19 Stimulus 17 Emerging threats and opportunities 18 07. State and Federal Government priorities for regional Victoria 18 State Government strategic interventions 18 Federal Government strategic interventions 18 Priorities relevant to WSM region 19 08. Regional response 20 COVID Community Advisory Committee (CCAC) 20 Infrastructure and transport 20 Economic development 21 Education and training 21 Health and wellbeing 22 Tourism, arts and culture 22 Sport and recreation 23 Environment, water and energy 23 09. Mapping changing priorities in the region 25 10. The road to recovery and revitalisation in the WSM 29 Priority projects and programs 30 11. Wimmera Southern Mallee Recovery & Revitalisation Framework 33 12. Conclusion 35 2 This community-led strategy will guide the investment of resources by local, state and federal governments to drive a coordinated, collaborative, and sustainable recovery in the region. 01 Executive Summary The purpose of the Wimmera Southern Mallee strategy identifies those sectors and projects (WSM) COVID-19 Recovery and Revitalisation that will assist the region to recover from the Strategy (the strategy) is to review existing impact of the pandemic and the measures regional plans and priority projects through put in place to protect the lives of people in the lens of the new world ushered in by the the region. The identified areas have been COVID-19 pandemic, and outline a coordinated, mapped to the key sectors identified for the responsive path ahead for the region. region: infrastructure and transport; economic development; education and training; health and An analysis of existing regional reviews, plans wellbeing; tourism, arts and culture; sport and and strategies that identify the challenges, recreation; and environment, energy and water. strengths, opportunities and priorities for the region, provide a starting point for this Immediate projects and programs will respond strategy. A resource developed by Regional to the economic and social crisis challenges Development Victoria is drawn upon for being faced by communities in the region. evidence-based insight to building resilience Longer-term revitalisation projects will in the region. A discussion of the impact of build resilience in the region and reduce COVID-19 in the region is provided, along with the vulnerabilities and challenges that the the state and federal governments’ indicated region faces, to ensure a sustainable future. recovery plans relevant to the region. A community-led response to recovery Drawing on the existing information, overlaid and revitalisation in the WSM will enable with critical insights provided by the local the community to take ownership of their stakeholder COVID Community Advisory recovery journey and their future. Committee (CCAC), a strategy for recovery and revitalisation of the region is set out. The For the WSM to transition to a dynamic contemporary society, it will need to diversify its economy; improve service delivery and systems; and reduce its dependence on government. This can be achieved through: Increased investment in Diversifying the economy through Building capacity through development critical infrastructure such as value adding to existing regional of skills, training and a knowledge housing, digital access and strengths such as building on the economy. Key projects include the energy, as well as integrated agricultural industry to develop attraction of health professionals, town and regional planning. food manufacturing, increasing increased apprenticeship and tourism product to enhance the traineeship opportunities, improved existing visitor economy, and the financial literacy of sporting clubs, potential mining resources sector. and governance training in key organisations across the region. 3 STRATEGY CHALLENGES Vision – A dynamic § A more resilient local economy § Inability to attract a fair share of investment in critical community § More cost efficient and effective service delivery infrastructure stymies efforts to improve liveability in the region § and contemporary § Reduce household and societal dependence on The region is often unprepared or unwilling to take up opportunities society government resulting in reliance on traditional industries and ways of operating § Inflexible and often overly complex service delivery and administration impacts on the availability and suitability of those services Health and wellbeing Tourism, arts and Sport and recreation Environment, water Infrastructure and Economic development Education and training culture and energy transport SECTORS § Attraction and retention of § Tourism product § Community sports § Water security § Regional housing and § Value adding to agriculture § Workforce skills and health professionals development governance § Affordable, reliable and accommodation strategy § Growing manufacturing readiness § Paediatric health § Community events § Youth sports development sustainable energy § Regional infrastructure (particularly food § Increased investment in § Mental health services § Cultural heritage and § Recreational waterways § Enhancing environmental strategy manufacturing) local education delivery § § § § Community strategy indigenous tourism strategy assets Digital connectivity Migrant attraction and Leadership development § § § support § § Aging Population Regional walking trails Adaption to climate change Integrated town planning Lifelong learning development § § § Economic diversification § Family Violence Roadmap to zero emissions Sustainable local § Regional cycling trails Government (inc. mining) PRIORITIES development § Investment in electricity grid and supply § Regional transport strategy § Mobile phone global roaming § Victorian Grains Innovation Hub § ByFive Project § Settlement services § CALD driving regional growth (CALDRG) § Leadership Wimmera § Roadmap to zero emissions implementation PRIORITY PROGRAMS § Attraction and retention of § Increasing tourism § Governance and finance § Western § WSM Digital Plan § Food manufacturing § Apprenticeship and training professionals strategy product training of clubs (AFL Victorian transmission implementation and processing industry strategy § Horsham Hospital upgrade § Regional events program) upgrade (500kvA) and stage § Strategy and investment development § ByFive early years § 2 and 3 § § Telehealth expansion calendar Integrated community for increased housing at all Business expansion innovation hub § including ByFive paediatric § ‘Unearth Amazing’ facility planning Community energy market points support and attraction § Warracknabeal Education telehealth Campaign § Sporting events attraction § Regional § Roads upgrades – council strategy Precinct integrated service § § Mental health services § BGLCAC Cultural Centre § Youth sport development Purchase Power capital planning and shared Community wealth building delivery Agreements services strategy § § Family and native foods project strategy AgTIDE implementation § § § Violence Orange Door § Halls Gap development § Horsham Motorcross East Grampians and WW WIFT upgrade Migrant and refugee § Agricultural Drought Water pipeline § attraction strategy PRIORITY PROJECTS § Wildlife Art Museum of events Murray Basin Rail Resilience Hub § § Australia (WAMA) § Great Lakes of the Grampians Regional Energy completion HR network § Asia Pacific Renewable Grampians Strategy Implementation Plan § Quality accommodation for § Overcoming Energy Poverty Energy Training Centre § Attraction and retention of tourists (APRETC) Stawell Gift sponsorship The purpose of the Wimmera Southern Mallee COVID-19 Recovery and Revitalisation Strategy is to review existing regional plans and priority projects through the lens of the new world ushered in by the COVID-19 pandemic, and outline a coordinated, responsive path ahead for the region. 02 BACKGROUND The aim is to identify those sectors The COVID-19 Community Advisory and projects that will assist the WSM Committee (CCAC) comprises 10 community to recover from the shock of COVID-19 members, representing a cross section and the measures put in place to protect of the region, including geographic, skill, the lives of people in the region, and to gender and age diversity. COVID response identify the longer-term revitalisation groups already established in Victoria include projects that will build resilience in the representatives mainly from government region and reduce the vulnerabilities and service delivery agencies. This community-led challenges that the region is facing. committee ensures that key community and business sectors are involved in planning for The Wimmera Southern Mallee’s Gross recovery and revitalisation in region, and that Regional Product (GRP) is estimated at businesses and individuals do not suffer from $3.601 billion. The Wimmera Southern ‘consultation fatigue’ with multiple groups Mallee represents 25.4% of Grampians trying