2017-2021 Whitsunday Regional Council Economic Development Strategy A Blueprint for Regional Prosperity The Whitsunday Regional Council Economic Development Strategy, 2017-2021 Table of Contents has been prepared on behalf of: Executive Summary I-VII 1. Introduction 1 2. Informing a Strategic Approach to Economic Development 9 It has been prepared by: 3. Economic Development Strategy Themes and Actions 24 Theme 1: A Diverse and World-class Tourism Destination 29 \ Theme 2: A Sustainable and Profitable Farming Region 35 SC Lennon & Associates Pty Ltd ACN 109 471 936 Offices in Brisbane and Melbourne Theme 3: PO Box 45 An Environmentally-Sustainable Region Supported by Climate-Adapted Industries 41 The Gap Queensland Australia 4061 p: (07) 3312 2375 Theme 4: m: 0410 550 272 A Globally-connected and Dynamic Region of Choice for Investment 45 e: [email protected] w: www.sashalennon.com.au Theme 5: Authors: Sasha Lennon and Anthony Whitaker A Skilled Workforce and Prosperous Mining and Small Business Sector 51 Theme 6: A Region of Vibrant Towns and Centres 57 4. Implementing the Economic Development Strategy 62 Disclaimer This report was prepared by SC Lennon & Associates Pty Ltd on behalf of Whitsunday Regional Council. It has been References 69 prepared on the understanding that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use and interpretation. Any representation, statement, opinion or advice expressed or implied in this publication is made in good faith. SC Lennon & Associates Pty Ltd and the individual authors of this report are not liable to any person or entity taking or not taking action in respect of any representation, statement, opinion or advice referred to above. WHITSUNDAY REGIONAL COUNCIL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2017-2021 WHITSUNDAY REGIONAL COUNCIL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2017-2021 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY PURPOSE AND PLANNING Executive Summary FRAMEWORK The Whitsunday Regional Council Economic Development Strategy, 2017-2021 is a strategy for the region. Informed by research, analysis and consultation with the communities of the region, it provides Whitsunday Regional Council, as its custodian, with a clear, actionable and achievable ‘road map’ for economic development until 2021. Whitsunday Regional Council’s approach to economic development is aligned with its corporate planning framework and it embraces the wider regional objectives of the Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3), Regional Development Australia Mackay-Isaac- Whitsunday and the Queensland Government through its Advancing Our Cities and Regions Strategy. MINING AN INFORMED AND TARGETED APPROACH (Mining, Exploration and Support Boasting a strong and relatively diverse economy and with a population of 34,300, Services) around 3,500 businesses, a labour force of 19,500 and almost 14,000 jobs, the TOURISM AGRICULTURE Whitsunday Regional Council area has the potential to become a driver of the North (Whitsunday Islands and (Sugarcane, Queensland economy. Land-based Horticulture and Grazing (beef Tourism) cattle) This is despite the impacts of Cyclone Debbie which, in March 2017, caused tremendous damage and economic loss affecting important infrastructure and the region’s key industries of mining, agriculture and tourism. The Economic Development Strategy recognises the cyclone’s impact and a number of actions contained in this plan directly refer to the Whitsunday Regional Council Local Recovery Plan which is designed to put the region ‘back in business’. The Three Attracting investment and supporting local business is a feature of the Economic Pillars of the Development Strategy and small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are a very Whitsunday important component of the Whitsunday Regional Council area’s economy. Non- Regional employing businesses and ‘micro-businesses’ (those employing fewer than five staff) Economy together account for 85% of businesses in the Whitsunday Regional Council area. Mining, tourism and agriculture are the three ‘pillars’ of the Whitsunday regional economy. Other industries like transport and construction are closely integrated with the three pillars through local supply chain links. The region’s population-driven industries like retail trade, personal services, health and education, are reliant on the three pillars for their own sustainability and growth. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | PAGE IV EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | PAGE I WHITSUNDAY REGIONAL COUNCIL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2017-2021 WHITSUNDAY REGIONAL COUNCIL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2017-2021 THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VISION AND COUNCIL’S CHARTER The vision is supported by Council’s leadership and its commitment to sustainable growth as encapsulated in its economic development charter. The economic development charter The vision for the Whitsunday Regional Council area is a statement of intent regarding the articulates how Whitsunday Regional Council pro-actively promotes, facilitates and co- region’s economic future. ordinates economic development activities in the region. Our Whitsunday: Our Economic Future Whitsunday Regional Council’s Economic Development Charter WHITSUNDAY REGIONAL COUNCIL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VISION Whitsunday Regional Council works in collaboration with its Through innovation and growth in a diversity of sustainable partners in industry, government and the community, to secure a industries, the Whitsunday Regional Council area will be a prosperous future that is driven by innovation and investment in region of choice in which to live, visit, work and invest. strategic projects and industries that will drive regional growth. The vision and Council’s charter inform the Economic Development Strategy themes and actions. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY ACTION AREAS The Whitsunday Regional Council Economic Development Strategy, 2017-2021 documents a plan of action for Council and its partners THEME 1 THEME 2 THEME 3 THEME 4 THEME 5 THEME 6 in government, the non-government sector, industry and the community to facilitate change towards a prosperous ENVIRONMENTALLY- A GLOBALLY- A SKILLED WORKFORCE future for the Whitsunday Regional A DIVERSE AND A SUSTAINABLE AND SUSTAINABLE REGION CONNECTED AND A REGION OF AND PROSPEROUS WORLD-CLASS TOURISM PROFITABLE FARMING SUPPORTED BY DYNAMIC REGION OF VIBRANT TOWNS Council area. SMALL BUSINESS DESTINATION REGION CLIMATE-ADAPTED CHOICE FOR AND CENTRES SECTOR INDUSTRIES INVESTMENT The Strategy contains six strategy themes or ‘action areas’. They are: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | PAGE II EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | PAGE III WHITSUNDAY REGIONAL COUNCIL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2017-2021 WHITSUNDAY REGIONAL COUNCIL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2017-2021 Each theme in the Strategy represents an area of strategic intent. The strategic objective A suite of 70 individual actions has been prepared across the six themes. They include: statement for each theme, is articulated as follows. • COUNCIL-LED ACTIONS: These are actions that will involve specific tasks for A Diverse and World-class Tourism Destination Whitsunday Regional Council and an allocation of human, physical and financial resources. Action statements are to be sufficiently specific so that the desired outcome Take a collaborative and co-ordinated approach to promotion and development can be measured; and to expand the Whitsunday Region’s tourism offer with a depth and diversity of attractions and facilities and grow the market for coastal and land-based • COUNCIL-SUPPORTED ACTIONS: These are advocacy or support initiatives where the experiences that are unique to the region. implementation of the actions is to be led by agencies other than Council. A Sustainable and Profitable Farming Region The actions are further categorised according to whether they represent: ‘catalyst project planning & development’ which requires priority action combined with a well-planned course Capitalise on the Whitsunday Region’s strengths and opportunities in sugar of project implementation; and ‘strategic programming’ that can be addressed as part of production, beef cattle, horticulture and aquaculture to value-add and meet Council’s day-to-day economic development planning and facilitation functions in a strategic demand from existing and new markets in Australia and overseas. and informed manner. An Environmentally-Sustainable Region Supported by The Whitsunday Regional Council Economic Development Strategy identifies actions for the Climate-Adapted Industries five years 2017 to 2021. An implementation plan will be identified and articulated each year. Support a healthy and liveable natural environment for everyone in the Whitsunday Region to enjoy by providing means to encourage and support climate-adapted 2017 Implementation Plan industries as key contributors to the region’s economic development. THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROMOTION AND FACILITATION A Globally-connected and Dynamic Region of Choice for ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHITSUNDAY REGIONAL COUNCIL AREA, WHICH Investment WILL BE INITIATED OVER THE FIRST 12 MONTHS OF THIS STRATEGY, ARE: Establish and continually promote the Whitsunday Region as a globally- Complete the planning and development approvals processes for a mixed-use 5-star connected region of choice for investment, supported by ‘best-in-class’ strategic hotel and entertainment precinct at Airlie Beach (Action 1.1). infrastructure including transport, communications, water and energy. Prepare a business case for the Bowen Marina site (Action 1.2). A Skilled Workforce and Prosperous Small Business Sector Collaborate