Liam McNally
Moorabool council has postponed adopting its four-year economic development strategy as it aims to attracting bigger businesses to the shire.
In October 2021, the council engaged Urban Enterprise to develop the economic development and visitor economy strategies.
Following a council meeting in May, drafts of the two documents were adopted and made available for public consultation.
At a council meeting on August 2, the final visitor economy strategy was adopted, but the economic development document was knocked back.
The strategy outlined the aims the council has for the local economy the next four years and focuses on employment growth, investment attraction and business development within the shire as it prepares to almost double in population over the next 20 years.
Councillor David Edwards said he wanted an economic plan that targeted more large businesses to promote local employment.
“What I’d like to see us do is rather than target just our small existing businesses and try to grow more small existing businesses with the growth, I’d like to see us target some big capture,” he said.
Councillor Ally Munari initially seconded the motion to adopt the plan, but changed her mind following the discussion.
“These two documents are a massive amount of work and they hold that bowl of work for many years and we need to make sure it’s correct…a little bit more robust discussion in terms of those topics may be where we have to sit and where we have to go,” she said.
Ballan Chamber of Commerce president Michael Ryan said it was surprising that the strategy was rejected at the meeting.
“I would have thought that objections and misgivings would have been addressed well before the strategy was put to council for adoption,” he said.
“This strategy is critical to the economic future and planning for the shire in relation to government funding options and for those businesses, workers and families wanting to build their futures in the Moorabool shire.”
Council officers will revisit the concerns raised by councillors about the strategy and bring it back to the council.
