2022-05-10 Planning and Environment Committee Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   10 MAY 2022




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PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                 10 MAY 2022

              In 2020, Daily Mail Australia cited University of Newcastle's Centre of Full Employment and
              Equity’s identification of Noosa as particularly vulnerable to economic downturn - ‘Noosa, an
              exclusive resort town north of Brisbane, was listed as a 'red alert - high risk’ area for
              employment vulnerability - even more so than other parts of the Sunshine Coast.
              The Noosa Chamber of Commerce and Industry has a key role to work in partnership with
              Council, industry and business groups, businesses, and other key stakeholders to drive,
              support and advocate for economic diversification through a collaborative, unified approach
              towards attraction and retention of key talent, businesses and institutions, training, capacity,
              and skills development along with evidence based data to inform and support policies and
              practices from all levels of government and industry. Council’s LEP cites the importance of
              business assistance and that it has never been higher. The Chamber with its network and
              real-time business skill set could play a valuable role as a conduit between Council,
              Government and business by distilling information so it is easy to understand, practical and
              accessible. According to the Regional Australia Institute, across regional Australia there is
              an emergence of start-ups, business accelerators, co-working spaces, and entrepreneurial
              hot spots. Much of this activity is occurring in areas less connected to traditional R&D
              institutions. A university or other R&D presence remains a real innovation asset for any
              community, but a modern economy it is the ecosystem around that capability — the region’s
              entrepreneurs, business start-ups and the strength of their connections to the R&D presence
              — that will drive the economic outcomes from innovation.

              The below diagram shows how Noosa, and the Sunshine Coast are ranked on the updated
              Insight Innovation index which enables Australian communities to benchmark their
              innovation performance on eight foundations of innovation.

              Noosa’s scorecard as ranked by others diversifying economy and innovative culture

               a (eee                                     eee Why does innovation matter to
                   re          9      ‘  @ ree           9       +  Noosa?
                   =           9       © Cie             9       +  As Council mentions in its LEP, the
                       ey             ‘      —                      goal is to move towards an
               FA Erinn        9         2               9       “economy shaped around knowledge
               £Gp Buses              +      Business            .  and service products with a focus
                               9         @    =          9          on exports. The Regional Australia
               Gye eee         9       | Ge              9       +  report cites ‘our ability to compete
                ae             °          a                         internationally will depend largely on
               Ja) baile              O] (RO) stent eateices 9   *  our collective capacity to innovate...
                   urn capi           :      ==                  _  Innovation will be the major driver of
                               9         &               9          any productivity growth.’ This
               BEB demography  9      +  BER Demogrepn    9°     +  presents both significant challenges
                   vsorvanen                                        and opportunities for Noosa and
               We enon         9      +) | ae tate ete   9       *  evidenced based data to inform
                   —                  i      a                   _  Strategies and actions will be
               v               9         Y    mews       9         critical.

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