INQUIRY INTO THE INDICATORS OF, AND IMPACT OF, REGIONAL INEQUALITY IN AUSTRALIA Parliament of Australia Senate Economics References Committee EVOCITIES SUBMISSION Submitted by: Cr Kevin Mack – Chair of Evocities Steering Committee and NSW Inland Forum, April 2018 ALBURY | ARMIDALE | BATHURST | DUBBO | ORANGE | TAMWORTH | WAGGA WAGA Evocities Submission - Page 1 of 10 Contents 1. Terms of Reference 2 2. Introduction 2 3. Evocities Background 2 4. Regional Hubs 3 The Evocities act as service hubs for surrounding communities, so their management structure is unique, and the growth of these regional hubs results in considerable flow- on benefits for the surrounding regions. 3 5. Collaboration and Funding of the Evocities Program (a,b) 4 Evocities’ pooled funds and collective governance makes it possible to reach a large audience, improve the capital city residents’ perception of regional city living, and attract highly productive new residents to regional NSW. 4 6. Regional Development and Australia’s Growing Population (a,c) 5 The Evocities recognise that investment in growing regional cities benefits all levels of government and results in improvements in both regional and capital city living. 5 7. Collaboration on Regional Development Strategies (b,c) 6 Evocities support the development of regional development policies that recognise existing strategies and priorities, champion strategic partnerships and collaboration, and acknowledge the importance of the regions to the greater economy. 6 8. Services and Facilities – Growing and Retaining Regional Population (e,f) 6 Evocities support the development of services and facilities that assist in actively driving sustainable population growth and retention in regional Australia. 6 9. The Workforce, Education and Employment (g,h) 7 The Evocities councils each place high premiums on attracting skilled professionals alongside developing the regions’ existing employee skills base to match the requirements of business and industry and drive new opportunities and cultural change. 7 10. Innovation, Industry, and Infrastructure (d,j,k) 8 Evocities recognise that innovation, following global trends, growing an entrepreneurial base, and improving connectivity through both technology and transport, is vital for the development of our regions. 8 11. Incentivising Business Relocation – Nashville Case Study (i,l) 9 Evocities support the development of strategic business relocation incentives that encourage companies and corporations to establish themselves in regional locations, over decentralising finite agencies or focussing on the addition of satellite offices. 9 12. Conclusion 10 ALBURY | ARMIDALE | BATHURST | DUBBO | ORANGE | TAMWORTH | WAGGA WAGA Evocities Submission - Page 2 of 10 1. Terms of Reference On 14 February 2018 the following matter was referred to the Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by the last day of sitting in June 2019. The indicators of, and impact of, regional inequality in Australia, with particular reference to government policies and programs in the following areas: a. fiscal policies at federal, state and local government levels; b. improved co-ordination of federal, state and local government policies; c. regional development policies; d. infrastructure; e. education; f. building human capital; g. enhancing local workforce skills; h. employment arrangements; i. decentralisation policies; j. innovation; k. manufacturing; and l. any other related matters. 2. Introduction The Evocities of Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga appreciate the opportunity to respond to this inquiry into the indicators of, and impact of, regional inequality in Australia. Together with an outline of the Evocities program, this report will detail how Evocities takes a collaborative approach to driving the economic growth of regional New South Wales (NSW) through increasing the regions’ population base, which fuels the economy, driving innovation, investment, cultural activity and entrepreneurial spirit. Actively contributing to the growth and development of NSW’s largest regional inland cities the campaign has proven to be beneficial for not just individuals and business within the Evocities, but also for the surrounding regions, the state and national economy. 3. Evocities Background Evocities is a joint initiative of local councils of Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga. The core purpose of Evocities is to educate metropolitan residents about what regional NSW cities have to offer and to combat long held misconceptions about regional city living. We aim to encourage people to live, work and invest in an Evocity by spreading the word that in the Evocities individuals and families enjoy an improved lifestyle with more free time, family time and time outdoors; shorter commutes; a reduced cost of living; a community focus; thriving food, arts and cultural scenes; and a rich urban experience. Evocities acts as a portal for people interested in making the move to get more information about the city/cities they may be interested in and view employment opportunities. It also provides a platform to connect with people who can guide them through the relocation process. By combining under the ALBURY | ARMIDALE | BATHURST | DUBBO | ORANGE | TAMWORTH | WAGGA WAGA Evocities Submission - Page 3 of 10 Evocities brand, each of the seven cities enjoys greater marketing, educational and promotional opportunities than they otherwise would, trying to do so on their own. Evocities’ marketing campaign and program of activities offers a proven formula to assist the NSW Government in managing Sydney’s population growth and the increased pressure this places on public infrastructure, while also driving sustainable growth and development in regional NSW. Evocities is one of the most successful regional marketing campaigns undertaken in Australia, with over 3,415 families having relocated to date. It has attracted significant market penetration and delivered fantastic key outcomes for all the cities involved. Indirectly, the Evocities project has raised the credibility of NSW inland regional cities with a range of different stakeholders and provides the cities with a collaborative model to achieve greater return on marketing investment. Since the campaign launch, Evocities staff have responded to over 7,500 relocation enquiries, most of which have been generated though the Evocities website, the central online portal for the campaign. The Evocities website, Evocities.com.au, is supported by an Evocities branded employment website, Evojobs.com.au. Since its launch, Evocities has seen more than 2.9 million visits to the Evocities suite of website. 4. Regional Hubs The Evocities act as service hubs for surrounding communities, so their management structure is unique, and the growth of these regional hubs results in considerable flow-on benefits for the surrounding regions. Because each of the Evocities are regional hubs, there are strong flow-on benefits to surrounding communities. ABS data indicates once individuals experience life in a regional city they are more likely to remain within the region rather than relocate to metropolitan areas. According to the 2016 Census data, of those residents who are moving out of the seven Evocities, more than 58% are choosing to remain within regional NSW (42.2%), regional Queensland (8.5%) or regional Victoria (7.5%). The seven councils which currently participate in Evocities have a combined population of over 340,000, with some cities servicing catchment areas up to three times their size. Each of the Evocities are large regional councils, which encompass a total land area of almost 35,000 sq. km and are made up of not only the primary regional city but also many smaller surrounding towns and villages. In contrast, Greater Sydney covers 12,367.7 sq. km and is made up of 35 local councils. This comparison of the amount of land and settlements regional councils are responsible for gives an indication that the vastness of responsibilities and management operations are completely unique to that of metropolitan councils. For these reasons, regional cities require more support from federal and state government and any support they receive benefits not just the regional cities themselves, but also the surrounding regions. ALBURY | ARMIDALE | BATHURST | DUBBO | ORANGE | TAMWORTH | WAGGA WAGA Evocities Submission - Page 4 of 10 5. Collaboration and Funding of the Evocities Program (a,b ) Evocities’ pooled funds and collective governance makes it possible to reach a large audience, improve the capital city residents’ perception of regional city living, and attract highly productive new residents to regional NSW. The Evocities concept is unique in that it is not individual cities selling themselves, but for the first time, seven regional city councils working together. Each of the seven cities has and continues to dedicate money and resources to funding the campaign. Evocities has also received funding from corporate sponsors, the NSW Government and the Federal Government. The combining of funds and resources means that marketing, PR and digital elements of the campaign, which focus on the benefits of living in an Evocity, have far greater impact than a campaign run by any individual city on its own. The cities have also dedicated considerable resources to welcome and support new residents to ensure they enjoy a smooth transition and a positive experience of their new city. In 2017 the Evocities program