Economy - Community Engagement Discussion Paper Economy Background................................................................................................................................. 2 Employment Areas .............................................................................................................. 2 Employment ........................................................................................................................ 2 Future Employment Growth ........................................................................................................ 2 Critical success factors........................................................................................................ 3 Tourism....................................................................................................................................... 4 Strategic Challenges................................................................................................................... 4 Retention of Character ........................................................................................................ 5 Future Planning Constraints ................................................................................................ 5 Skilled workforce ................................................................................................................. 5 Sustainable Economic Development ................................................................................... 6 Wingecarribee 2031+ Vision Statement ...................................................................................... 6 Wingecarribee 2031+ Survey Results ......................................................................................... 6 Aspects liked about living in the Wingecarribee Shire.......................................................... 6 Aspects disliked about living in the Wingecarribee Shire ..................................................... 6 Aspects liked most about living in your town or village......................................................... 6 Aspects which would make Wingecarribee a great place to live, work or place in 2031....... 7 Major issues facing the Wingecarribee community in the next 20 years .............................. 7 1 of 7 Economy - Community Engagement Discussion Paper Background Employment Areas The Wingecarribee Shire has its main transport links via highways and railways to the Sydney Metropolitan area in the north, Canberra and beyond to the south and Wollongong to the east. These pieces of infrastructure provide high level linkages to main markets. Currently there is approximately 1000 hectares of existing zoned industrial land which includes the Moss Vale Enterprise Corridor in the Shire of which approximately 212 hectares is occupied leaving approximately 788 hectares vacant and therefore available for development 1. Well established Industrial areas are currently located in Braemar, Mittagong, Bowral and Moss Vale/New Berrima. The Moss Vale Enterprise Corridor is a recently rezoned area which is likely to supply the majority of future employment opportunities for the Shire in future years. In total the corridor has on offer some 640 hectares of land available for employment opportunities. The major retail centres are Bowral, Mittagong and Moss Vale which service the local, Shire and out of Shire visitors. Berrima has a high proportion of tourist type retailing. The remaining commercial areas within the towns and villages have more localised retailing outlets. Employment The Shire’s economic base is dispersed across a relatively wide range of market sectors. This has a positive feature, in that the local workforce is characterised by a range of skills appropriate to different types of industry employment needs. This strength helps to establish some sort of buffer to structural change in the local economy where there is no specific sensitivity to the viability of one or two market sectors. 2 The Wingecarribee Shire with its proximity to Sydney, Canberra and Wollongong has a strong base of economic development. The main contributors to employment currently include, tourism, manufacturing and rural activities. Other employment opportunities include education, health, retail, construction and business. Further, there is an increasing prevalence of “working from home” as technology advancements enable people to work within a virtual office environment rather than a fixed premise. In addition, increased vehicular traffic on the Hume Highway into Sydney and the reduction in regional public transport services has meant workers generally seek to make alternative arrangements for working rather than daily travel to places of employment outside of the Shire. Future Employment Growth There are a number of inter-related factors that are expected to contribute to a sustained pressure upon Council for the provision of further employment land and economic development opportunities generally. The locational advantages (in terms of relative housing affordability, lifestyle quality, proximity to Sydney, Wollongong, Canberra and recreational opportunities) of the Shire are expected to see the Shire’s population increase over the next 25 years by 16,400 people. 3 Such an increase in population within the Shire ultimately leads to a demand for employment opportunities stemming from an increase in the demand for goods and services. Demand for employment within the Shire is also expected to be influenced by: 1 Sydney-Canberra Corridor Regional Strategy 2006-2031, Department of Planning 2 Wingecarribee Our Future Strategic Plan 2002, Wingecarribee Shire Council 3 Sydney-Canberra Corridor Regional Strategy 2006-2031, Department of Planning 2 of 7 Economy - Community Engagement Discussion Paper • The proximity of the area to major metropolitan markets for regionally based business; • The improved accessibility of the area through infrastructure such as the M7 and M5 Motorways in Sydney • Land affordability and availability • High rates of commuting out of the subregion 4 According to the Department of Planning, the Shire’s employment population is projected to increase by 9000 people by 2031 5. The Regional Strategy supports Bowral as a major regional centre and should be the preferred location for employment opportunities. 6 However it is common knowledge that Bowral suffers from increasing traffic congestion. Alternative options for moving cars and pedestrians around the centre is required in order to continue to make it attractive for new development investment in the future. Whilst the Regional Strategy identifies Bowral as the main sub regional centre for the Sydney to Canberra corridor, there is recognition that Moss Vale and Mittagong play an important role in the sub-region. The three towns are separated by rural land but are in close proximity to each other and have significant roles to play eg Moss Vale has the Tertiary education facilities, Council Chambers and Court House and therefore has a civic type role and Mittagong has two new shopping centres (Highlands Marketplace and Highlands Home Makers centres) and therefore has a retail role. Critical success factors • Skills and Workforce Capability: As the workforce is a key input or factor of production, it is important to ensure that our workforce is able to meet the skill and knowledge requirements of current and future industry needs. Initiatives will need to consider quality education and training systems that are capable of educating, training and re-training people through their working lives. 7 • Global focus: We all live in a different world today from that of only a decade or two ago. The rapid integration and interdependence of national economies mean we cannot exist in isolation of global influences. A competitive international, interstate and interregional focus is particularly important, given the limited size of the local market and its susceptibility to macroeconomic fluctuations, Real competition is with the rest of the world not with the town or local government area next door. 8 4 Sydney-Canberra Corridor Regional Strategy 2006-2031, Department of Planning 5 Sydney-Canberra Corridor Regional Strategy 2006-2031, Department of Planning 6 Sydney-Canberra Corridor Regional Strategy 2006-2031, Department of Planning 7 Economic Development Strategic Plan 2008-2016 8 Economic Development Strategic Plan 2008-2016 3 of 7 Economy - Community Engagement Discussion Paper Tourism The ultimate aim of tourism development is to develop a unique recreational and tourism profile for Wingecarribee that supports and enhances the existing quality of lifestyle image and integrates the environment into everyday thinking. It needs to achieve resource conservation benefits in the long term from a change in community perception and provide and environmental and educational playground for the broader regional population whilst having strong appeal for emerging experiential markets which are prevalent in the wide area. The objectives for achieving this are: • To enhance, preserve and present the attributes of the Shire; • To concentrate visitor activity and critical mass to fuel and encourage private sector investment in recreation and tourism; • To significantly increase visitation and the average length of stay in Wingecarribee by developing new experiences (events and product development) that provide broader appeal and attract markets from the wider region • To spread economic benefits from recreation and tourism throughout the Shire,