ISSUE 1 2013 VOL 1

Economic focus THE LATEST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MATTERS FROM

GRIFF ITH C ITY COUNCIL ’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UN IT

2013 Business Audit –Steady growth….

Griffith City Council’s Economic

Development Unit recently conducted

a business audit which has revealed

steady growth for the past 12 months

and less vacant shops and 8% more

businesses in operation than in 2011.

Just under 1000 bricks and

mortar businesses were recorded with

30 new businesses as well as less

migration in and out of the city.

Strong performance from

Mooreville Industrial, Wickham Hill

and Wakaden street has fared

remarkably well.

“The last 12 months have been a

testing time but we need to be

congratulating our business

community on their

resilience, diversification

and innovation and we need

to drive this home so that

we can continue to move

forward,” said Nicola James

Economic Development

Coordinator, “if we can

continue to grow 30 new

businesses each year, that

would be phenomenal.”

How to become a preferred provider Griffith City Council is introducing a new procurement policy to ensure workers are entering a safe

work environment. Service providers, trades people and retailers wishing to become a preferred

provider with Council can apply through an expression of interest form on our website.

Providers will be asked to supply certain information (insurance, evidence of tickets and other

related information) which will allow Council to look up its preferred provider list of suppliers /

providers to see who to call. Go to www.griffith.nsw.gov.au

Businesses are taking pride in their shop fronts with

numerous stores receiving a face lift.

Visitor numbers show opportunities to grow…. The Griffith Visitor Information Centre is an

important portal for visitors entering Griffith.

Statistics show that the Griffith

Visitors Centre is usually the

first port of call for tourists and

visitors to the City.

Over the past 12 months the VIC

receives up to 3000 enquiries a

month ranging from face to

face, telephone, email and

social media.

The peak time for touring

according to statistics is in May /

June where 84% and 64% of

enquiries were from people

Touring. However, the

busiest holiday making

period is in March and

October.

For overseas

visitation or the

backpacker

market, it

seems that

Australia is the

country of choice, particularly

for those people in Europe and

New Zealand. The promise of

work shows that Griffith is a

popular destination

consistently all year round.

Our largest domestic market is

NSW and many of our visitors

are from Sydney, the south

coast as well the Riverina

region.

The number of

coach groups is

increasing with 15

recorded for

October in line with

the Festival of the

Gardens.

While assisting visitors, the

Griffith Visitor Information

Centre can also assist in the

promotion of local events

through the website Calendar

of Events , to contact the VIC

call 1800681141 or 69624 145.

We need local jobs to

entice people from the

city, industrial land and

other opportunities

SALM EMPLOY-MENT RATE FALLS

Griffith’s small labour force

market rate has fallen by a full

per cent to 5% which is now

lower than the national average.

This is in sharp contrast to this

time last year when we were

above the national average at

6.6%.

Griffith had 13, 895 in the labour

force in September 2012.

Airport upgrade on schedule Griffith City Council’s airport expansion

and refurbishment is on schedule and on

budget for an April / May completion.

Stage 1 has been completed with works

now starting on stage 2 which is the area

between the existing terminal and the apron.

Works will continue on this stage for a

further 6 weeks.

Stage 3 will see the existing terminal

being completely gutted and the erection of

a big awning on the eastern side of the

building closest to the car park.

Whilst staff are trying to minimise

disruptions to passengers it is challenging

during a major construction project.

“We would like to apologise to patrons

during this time, however, it really is for the

greater good of Griffith and when complete

will become a much better gateway to the

City of Griffith and the Riverina generally,”

said Airport Coordinator Bob Campbell.

Census data Reveals…..

Census data can paint an interesting

picture but can help with the allocation of

funding & resources.

The 2011 census results

are trickling in with some new

categories providing an

interesting snap shot.

The most recent census

was the first time questions

relating to help in the home,

year of arrival and disability

were posed to the Australian

population. The data allows us

to explore whether the Griffith

community is adequately

resourced for our ageing

population, to identify changes

in our population and how we

can best support growth and

resources to infrastructure and

lobby for more services.

Our population increased

slightly to 25,200. The biggest

change was our

youth, which

has the highest

portion of

people in the

under 15 age

group

compared with

the region.

Griffith’s

households are predominantly

made up of couples with

children (33%) which is larger

than the in regional NSW.

Griffith’s household

incomes increased with 9.9% of

households earning a higher

income compared

with the region and

state, but 24% of

households were

low income

households.

The number of

people who

provided unpaid

care increased by

378 people. Griffith has 1,196

people or 4% of the population

with a disability who needs

assistance in their day to day

lives.

Griffith volunteers

increased by 38 people

between 2006 and 2011

but we have a lower

portion of people

volunteering in Griffith

compared with the

region.

JOIN THE ICN

NETWORK

Businesses can sign up to the

Industry Capability Regional

Gateway to find out what

projects you can tender for and

to promote your services and

experience.

It’s a free state government

initiative that helps to put

suppliers in touch with a myriad

of projects on offer, nationally,

state wide and regionally, sign

up on http://regional.icn.org.au/

Red Tape taskforce The State Government in their

2012 budget speech announced a

program to “roll up the red tape”

The program , dubbed the “Red

Tape Trouble Shooter Taskforce” is a

partnership between the Office of the

Small Business Commissioner and the

NSW Business Chamber to develop

practical solutions to streamline

services and identify blatant red tape

which often is the blocker for enabling

small business to grow.

The Office of the Small Business

commissioner is keen to hear from

small business about what kind of red

tape is preventing them from getting

on with the job of running a business

or expansion growth. This could be

from a local government level, state

or even federal level.

“It’s an opportunity for local

small business to have their say and to

enact change. The NSW Small

Business Commissioner is keen to

interact one on one with small

business to hear some solutions to red

tape, this could be a real game

changer for small business and I

encourage you to have your say,” said

Manager of Tourism and Economic

Development, Greg Lawrence.

Top : The NSW Small Business Commissioner,

Yasmin King.

NSW Small Business Commissioner visits Griffith

The NSW Small Business

Commissioner Yasmin King was

in Griffith on January 30 to

engage with small business

operators and to launch the

Small Biz Connect Program.

The Small Biz Connect

program is a subsidized

program allowing face to face

Business Advisors from the BEC

(Business Enterprise Centre) to

provide confidential advice and

practical assistance to small

business.

Ms King was keen to meet

with local business operators

and to promote the Small Biz

Connect

program and

bus outside the

NAB bank.

Yasmin

met with ft

technologies

and A & G as

well as the Griffith Business

Chamber.

The BEC business

advisors can help people to

become fully business ready, to

build better businesses, to

prepare for growth, to plan to

employ and

become ready to

exit.

The success of the

program will be

linked with demand

for the service. The

more people who

access the program the more

likely more resources will be

allocated to Small Biz Connect

in the future.

Yasmin is keen to hear

from businesses who are

being ham strung from

growth due to

government red tape.

VALUE OF DA’S FOR 2012

The value of development

applications for the 2011-

2012 financial year was in

excess of $33 million for

Griffith local government

area.

This is down from previous

financial years but still shows

activity in the residential and

commercial sectors is

steady.

Tourism & Economic Development

Griffith City Council's Economic

Development, Marketing and Tourism team

play an important role in encouraging

growth and efficiency within

existing businesses, attracting

complimentary business investment and

encouraging new enterprise to the region.

Economic Development, Marketing

and Tourism are more than creating jobs; it

is about harnessing opportunities, fostering

entrepreneurship and building community

capacity.

The ethos that the Economic

Development, Marketing and Tourism team

adhere to is built on the following Three

Pillars -

Pillar One….assist current business

operators to grow

Pillar Two…source complimentary

businesses

Pillar Three….source new businessbe

ready for public consultation in which your

business may wish to get involved, to

provide feedback on the strategies and to

ensure your voice is heard in this process.

Feel free to contact the team by calling

Council on 69628 100 and ask for Greg

Lawrence Manager Tourism and Economic

Development, Nicola James Economic

Development Coordinator, Paige Campbell

Marketing and Promotions or Mirella

Guidolin Manager Visitor Information

Centre.

Griffith City Council is

working closely with the BEC

and hosts BEC Business Advisor

Paul Crack at the main Council

office in Griffith two days a week.

Businesses or people

considering starting a business

can contact Paul on

0409 494 492 or email

pcrack@riverinabec.com.au

Pictured left is Kon Gryllakis ft

technologies CEO, Yasmin King, ft

technologies Paul Smith, Leon Skaliotis and

Graeme Sayer Riverin / Murray BEC.