We are in unprecedented times, first the longest drought in living history, then the bushfires and now COVID-19.
Almost all businesses in our Local Government Area (LGA) are small businesses with almost two-thirds of businesses being owner/operator and one-third employing less than 20 staff. Employment growth has been particularly strong over the past year, up 16.3%. However, despite the region's labour force market strengthening in recent years, our unemployment rate could be more aligned to the RDA Northern Inland averages for the region.
The challenge is set to grow our local economy and that means supporting our small businesses, providing services and initiatives to facilitate business growth and attracting new businesses to join our vibrant community.
COVID-19 SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES
There are different support packages available to micro-businesses, small to medium businesses, sole traders and small non-profits depending on your annual turnover. Please visit nsw.gov.au for more information or call Service NSW on 13 77 88.
Tailored payments are also available to support businesses in the creative arts sector with the cost of running productions. Visit Create NSW for more information.
Additional grants are available for accommodation providers who can demonstrate room cancellations during the school holiday period. More information is available at nsw.gov.au.
For businesses that are not able to open, there is financial support available. Businesses and individuals can find out if they are eligible by visiting nsw.gov.au or calling Service NSW on 13 77 88.
For businesses that can remain open, it is critical to have an up-to-date COVID-19 Safety Plan in place, ensure all customers, staff, delivery drivers and contractors check in and out using electronic check-in systems as required and follow COVID safe behaviors.
COVID-9 DIGITAL RESOURCES
A suite of collateral has been developed by the NSW Government that you can use across your social media platforms or in-store for those businesses able to remain open. Specifically, collateral that has been translated into other languages for our indigenous community members and those where English may not be their first language. Access digital resources here.
Did you know that we lose $200,000,000 out of our local economy every year? If 20% of that was retained locally an additional $56 million would be circulating in our local economy each year.
That means more business growth, more profits and more jobs. We've funded a digital platform through the Bushfire Recovery Agency to provide our community with a game-changing tool to assist local business to connect and increase their revenue from within the community.
Highlands Hub - Business builds digital communities for local businesses to promote their products, their people and services. A modern business discovery tool with social network features. Supporting how businesses connect and generate more local revenue.
The Policy may be used to provide financial assistance to:
(a) A business entity – proven by an Australian Business Number (ABN) and/or Australian Company Name (ACN) proposing to establish or expand an industry, service or business in the LGA; and
(b) Local Volunteer Community Groups and/or Committees, Not-for-Profits, 355 Committees, Local Consortiums and Local Event Organisers proposing to incubate, activate or grow local initiatives, programs or events.
This report was commissioned by Glen Innes Severn Council, funded under the Building Better Regions Fund, and undertaken by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI). It was motivated by the Council’s desire to examine the Shire’s workforce challenges and understand the future of jobs in the region.
The report seeks to develop a workforce attraction and retention strategy for the Glen Innes Severn Local Government Area (LGA) as envisaged under the Glen Innes Highlands Economic Development Strategy 2020-2040 and its Action Plan 2020-20205.
Designed to inspire readers to visit our region, consider moving to our region and investing in our region this is a must-have for visitors exploring our area. This edition of the Guide will include comprehensive visitor information including; our towns and villages, maps and guides, history, heritage and culture, national parks, adventure activities, Celtic experience, events, food and drink, and much more.
Glen Innes Highlands were successful in securing a place to become a Neighbourlytics Launch City. Launch Cities is a purpose built program giving innovative local governments the opportunity to establish a wellbeing analytics baseline for their municipality, and empower decision-making through developments in data.
Why measure wellbeing?
To truly optimise our places, we need to launch a revolution in how we understand quality of life. We need to change the way we measure performance, by combining traditional measures of success with direct measurement of population wellbeing.
Our places are complex, diverse, dynamic and rapidly evolving. We believe wellbeing is the missing piece of the puzzle that can help places to assess their community’s needs and measure their progress. By putting citizen wellbeing at the centre of city governance, we can change the way we measure and understand city performance.
With human-centred analytics, we can use wellbeing as a framework to guide investment in technology and infrastructure for our places. Through quantitative measurement of Social, Economic, Physical, and Community Prosperity, we create a baseline and establish benchmarks to guide budgetary planning and resource allocation, as well as monitor and evaluate program impact over time.
Registration means that Manager Economic Development, Margot Davis will be able to contact you and invite you to participate in a range of GGITT workshops on a variety of topics.
Looking for a place to start your new business?
Glen Innes Severn Council have been funded under the Federal Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund to fit-out a co-working space in Glen Innes Highlands.
The Hub will create a central place where business and community can come together with a common purpose of creating a thriving local economy and a socially prosperous community. A place that collectively and inclusively inspires people to realise the vision of being a place "Where we connect, innovate, connect and grow".
The funding will also enable subsidised programs for one (1) year following the opening of the Hub, which is estimated to be in June 2022.
"Our place grows from the people that live within it. We celebrate and honour our shared Indigenous and European history and traditions. We connect, engage, nurture and motivate each other for mutual prosperity to create a vibrant and close-knit community that welcomes new people.”
From research services to funding and grant applications if you’re looking for some assistance for your new business idea a wealth of information is available with RDANI.
RDANI is a not-for-profit community based organisation with all committee members and staff having a broad and diverse skills base with extensive networks including local Governments, the private sector, education and health.
RDA Committees are strong advocates for their region and drivers of change and, as such, have a pivotal role in fostering regional economic development. They aim to be the driver of business growth, new jobs, skills development and business investment within the Northern Inland region.
On every economic metric the Glen Innes Severn LGA Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing Industry over-indexes against the Regional Development Australia Northern Inland (RDANI), which presents a major risk to the sustainability of our local economy especially in times of drought.
It is essential that a project is undertaken to promote, inform, guide and nurture landholders and primary producers to diversify their on-farm products and add further value to their on-farm assets. We will deliver a business development program of events to accelerate the diversication of our region from primary production to broader agri-food and agri-tourism value-added economy.
This project is being delivered in partnership with Regionality and is supported by GLENRAC.
Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date with what's happening in Glen Innes Highlands!
We're on the move and we're on the pulse to ensure our community prospers into the future. We're all about:
PARTNERSHIPS
PEOPLE
PLACE
PROSPERITY
Check out the latest ED reports here
2022 © All Rights Reserved. Website designed by gocrossmedia and built by Cloud Concepts