Year in Review 2022_23

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                    18 SEPTEMBER 2023


   •   Dedicated Noosa Shire branch of FAN delivering Noosa Shire specific capability building
       programs relating to sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
   •   Opportunities for Noosa Shire businesses to participate in or leverage the future Turbine
       Project being identified.
   •   CRC Research Project including value chain mapping (an audit of all Noosa Shire businesses
       in the sector), shared infrastructure opportunities, industry collaboration and development of
       sub-regional provenance outcomes.
   •    Meet the Maker cross regional showcase of food and agribusiness suppliers and
       producers. 15 x Noosa businesses exhibited, over 400 buyers and stakeholders attended
       this important distribution channel network.

Industry and Employment Activation Plan
   •   Economic Development secured $50,000 (in matched funding) from State Government’s
       Building Better Regions Grant Fund program to develop an Industry and Employment Action
       Plan for Noosa Shire.
   •   The Plan focus on opportunities for economic diversification, resilience and employment
       opportunities in high demand, high value industry sectors.
   •   Project, delivery extended to late August 2023 through contract variation, to enable delivery
       of an Employment Land Review and recruitment of an appropriate consultancy to deliver the
       plan.
   •   Global experts, SMEC Group appointed to deliver the plan following compliant tender
       process.
   •   Project mobilised with input from Strategic Planning, Commercial Property, Waste and Sports
       and Recreation branches of Noosa Council.
   •   Projects under consideration:
          1. Future Skills Learning Hub
          2. Agribusiness Hub
          3. Renewable Energy Hub
          4. Sports Tech Hub

Review of Economic Development Grant Program (EDGP)
   •   As part of the review, consultation was undertaken with a range of stakeholders including
       local Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations. Councillors were also engaged
       in the review.
   •   The review concluded that the key issues for the program were:
          o   Application process too arduous
          o   Chambers and other proponents are voluntary, and therefore time and resource poor
          o   Strategic projects are rare, comparative to the grant funding amounts available
          o   Lack of flexibility in projects that qualify
   •   Recommendations to improve the future process have been submitted to Council for
       adoption

Small Business Friendly Charter
   •   Council adopted the signing of the Small Business Friendly Charter in late April 2023