2018-2022 Southern Tablelands Regional Economic Development Strategy VISION To grow the region’s core strengths in agriculture, energy, extractive industries, aged care, transport, and tourism and deliver a highly liveable community which attracts and rewards residents and Developed with the support of the NSW Governmentvisi ats ors.part of the Regional Economic Development Strategies program to assist local councils and their communities in regional NSW. June 2018. SOUTHERN TABLELANDS REgional EconOmic DEvelOpmenT Strategy 2018-2022 2 Preface The NSW Government has assisted local councils and their communities to develop 37 Regional Economic Development Strategies across regional NSW. Each strategy is designed around one or more local government areas that form a functional economic region as defned by economic data and community input. While the strategies have been present new opportunities to strengthen Council, key stakeholders and the developed using consistent and increaseinvestment in regional broader regional community which methodology, each is a product development across NSW. benefted from economic-analytical of detailed data analysis and local assistance from the NSW Government’s Importantly, the Strategy should be community consultation to ensure Centre for Economic and Regional viewed as the frst stage of a process ownership through a ‘bottom-up’ Development (CERD). that will assist those with an interest process: it sets out a vision for the in the economic development of It is presented in two documents, the region, the strategies, and early stage the Region, particularly councils, Southern Tablelands Regional Economic actions required to achieve the vision. communities and local businesses, in Development Strategy 2018–2022, Regional Economic Development planning their future economic activities. which allows the reader to quickly and Strategies articulate a framework for It provides a vehicle for engaging the easily determine key content, while the identifying actions crucial to achieving community in a ‘conversation’ about accompanying Southern Tablelands the regional vision. Projects listed regional needs and priorities, assists in Regional Economic Development within this Strategy should therefore be bringing together key stakeholders and Strategy – Supporting Analysis 2018– viewed as example projects that have mobilising resources, and in so doing, 2022 details the Strategy methodology, emerged from the initial application can facilitate faster access to dedicated evidence and development process. of the framework. Adoption of these NSW Government funding, such as the For further information about the projects would be subject to further Growing Local Economies Fund, as Regional Economic Development evaluative processes. well as helping to capitalise upon other Strategies program please contact the economic opportunities. The power of the Strategy is its ability CERD on 02 6391 3025 or CERD@dpc. to be used on an ongoing basis to This Strategy, prepared by AgEconPlus, nsw.gov.au. identify additional high value projects was formed in collaboration with the over time. By complementing existing Goulburn-Mulwaree Council, Upper funding processes, these strategies Lachlan Shire Council, Yass Valley SOUTHERN TABLELANDS REgiONAL EcONOmic DEvELOpmENT STRATEgy 2018-2022 3 Introduction The Southern Tablelands Regional Economic Development Strategy 2018–2022 (the Strategy) sets out a long term economic vision and associated strategy for the three local government areas (LGAs) of Goulburn-Mulwaree, Upper Lachlan Shire and Yass Valley (the Region). It builds on the endowments and specialisations of the Region to guide SUSTAIN investment over the next four years.1 the Region’s agriculture and agricultural processing Economic principles suggest that endowments and specialisations advantage, especially in livestock play a key role in regional economy development.2 BUILD The Strategy aims to leverage the on the Region’s core strength in energy generation Region’s endowments: its topography, and natural resource extraction water, climate and soils, natural resources, proximity to Sydney and REALISE Canberra (including the road and the economic opportunity presented by public order, rail access), extractive and mineral resources, lifestyle advantages, historic safety and aged care heritage and villages, public order and safety institutions, hospitals, local DRIVE institutions and strong leadership, labour growth in the transport, access and logistics sector supply and specialist labour skills. These endowments are the basis of the Region’s current specialisations in ENHANCE Sheep and Beef Cattle Farming, Meat the liveability of the Region and grow its and Meat Product Manufacturing, Public visitor economy.3 Order and Safety Services, Construction Material Mining, Road Freight Transport, Residential Care Services and Tourism, The Strategy also takes account of 1 Regional Economic Development Strategies, Centre as well as the potentially emerging for Economic and Regional Development (https://www. regional risks and how they might specialisation in renewable energy dpc.nsw.gov.au/programs_and_services/centre_for_ be addressed. economic_and_regional_development/projects). generation. These endowments and specialisations were identifed through Derived through detailed research 2 Regional Economic Growth Enablers Report (2017), Centre for Economic and Regional Development. data analysis and subsequently and analysis, this Strategy is the informed and confrmed through culmination of collaboration between 3 These strategies are in no particular order of priority. Economic development priorities will vary over time community consultation. the Goulburn-Mulwaree, Upper Lachlan according to industry demand, market conditions and Shire and Yass Valley Councils, their access to infrastructure and other funding. The Strategy, which builds on the respective communities and the NSW Region’s endowments and its economic Government’s Centre for Economic and strengths and specialisations, aims to: Regional Development (CERD). SOUTHERN TABLELANDS REgional EconOmic DEvelOpmenT Strategy 2018-2022 4 Background In 2016, the Region was home to 53,446 people, with 29,609 residing in the Goulburn-Mulwaree LGA, 16,142 residing in the Yass Valley LGA and 7,695 residing in the Upper Lachlan Shire LGA. People who work in the Region typically live in the Region: 89% of the jobs in these three LGAs are held by residents. However, at least 29% of the employed The regional economy is based on Some of those economic sector labour force residing in the Region strengths and specialisations in a specialisations generating jobs and commutes to a work location outside number of industry sectors. some of the sectors that are the the Region.4 This indicates substantial main generators of Gross Regional Historically, the largest employing commuting fows are occurring out Product are the ‘engines of growth’ for industries in the Southern Tablelands of the Region, in particular from the the Region’s economy on which the have been Agriculture, Forestry Yass Valley LGA to the ACT, (but also Region’s economic development can and Fishing, Health Care and Social with a substantial commuter fow from be built. These include the Agriculture Assistance and Retail Trade. As shown Goulburn to Canberra), with the Yass sector, Manufacturing and Mining. in Figure 2, these sectors are still the area fast becoming a dormitory area Some of the services sectors are also most signifcant sectors for employment, for Canberra and being intricately in that category, especially public with Health Care and Social Assistance integrated into the ACT’s economy. administration and the safety functions. now the largest employer. Employment This is likely to become more signifcant Others are more ‘population serving’ in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing into the future. activities, such as Retail, Trade and declined between 2001 and 2011 but Residential Care and Social Assistance. According to the 2016 Census of grew from 2011 to 2016 to be the second In the Region there are also ‘enabling Population and Housing, the median age largest employer. Employment in the industries’ that support the engines of the Southern Tablelands was 43 while Retail Trade sector has declined slightly of growth, such as Freight Transport the median age of the NSW population over time from 2006. The next largest and Logistics that are important if was 38 years. The Region has a higher employing sectors, Accommodation and not particularly activities of high proportion of people in the younger Food Services, Public Administration & regional specialisation. aged groups (under 15) and 40 to 54 age Safety and Education and Training, all cohort, and a lower proportion in the 20 grew from 2011 to 2016. Using these economic performance data to 34 age group and over 60 years of in conjunction with other sources, such Employment size is one important age. There is a substantial proportion of as community consultation and online indicator of a region’s industry people with post-secondary education surveys, the Region’s endowments and structure or specialisations. Another and qualifcations. The population has specialisations can be established. is the generation of values of output also been growing strongly, at a rate from industry sectors. Based on Input- greater than for NSW between 2006 Output industry classifcations, the and 2011 and slightly less than for NSW 4 The main location of work for those commuting outside main