Mayor Keith Campbell - Economic Development Portfolio Report - 16 November 2016

South Burnett Directions (SBD) and SBRC Economic Development staff are working on several projects including:

South Burnett Rewards:

60 businesses across the region have signed up to the innovative South Burnett Rewards shop local program. These businesses will benefit from ongoing marketing throughout the 3-month support local program through media and daily rewards for shoppers’ who participate. I encourage shoppers’ to obtain their Rewardle Card from any participating business which are easy to find with the promotional flags out front of their businesses.

Our Economic Development staff are visiting businesses to encourage participation and to signing up to the program. Our target is 100 participating businesses in the program, which will ‘kick off’ during the last week of November.

Agriculture Project

Agriculture is the cornerstone of our region.  By building on our existing agriculture base this project will create and implement a vision for sustainable agriculture for the long-term benefit of the South Burnett. The project considers current agriculture grown in the region and looks to identify value add opportunities through growing higher value crops, food processing opportunities, job skills and transport logistics. We intend to work with the University of Southern Queensland, local growers, and potential investors.

This project will be run in conjunction with projects soon to commence by WBBROC in which our economic development staff together with the Department of State Development participate. The projects include:

The availability and accessibility to water for economic development.

• Heavy vehicle transport efficiencies
• South Burnett Community Hospital
• As previously advised the Lady Bjelke-Petersen Community Hospital has been undertaking procedures on eyes, dental, scopes and infusions. Specialists consulting services have also commenced.
• The Board of the South Burnett Community Hospital Foundation together with South Bank Day Hospital has identified and is in the process of purchasing equipment that will allow the hospital to undertake gynaecology and general surgery commencing January 2017.
• Respite care is also being considered.

Swickers

As part of our Economic Development staff’s role in the Disaster Recovery Committee a function for local businesses hosted by Swickers, South Burnett Directions, Department of State Development and South Burnett Regional Council was held last Monday evening in the South Burnett Directions office. Swickers informed local businesses of their contingency plans and their commitment to the region.

Transport Reference Group:

To improve transport efficiencies by facilitating communication between the State Department of Main Roads, the Federal Heavy Vehicle regulator and local transport companies SBD has established a Transport Reference Group.  The first meeting will be held late November 2016.

South Burnett Food Forum

Just on 70 businesses have registered for the inaugural South Burnett Food Forum which is designed to facilitate the ‘paddock to plate’ concept. Over time the intention is to establish the South Burnett as a culinary food destination that complements our wine and tourism industries and ultimately bring more visitors to our picturesque region.

The forum will be held on Monday 28th November and will include guest speakers who work in this field of growing, preparing and selling local produce in  the region.

Discover South Burnett Website

The region’s new tourism website has been up and running for a few months. Statistics show that more people are visiting the website and the site is becoming easier to navigate.

The site promotes:

• things to do
• what’s on
• places to stay
• towns
• drives
• trip planning

Tourism operators and event holders are encouraged to promote their businesses and events on the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse which promotes all such experiences throughout Queensland and Australia by linking many other websites across Australia including ‘discoversouthburnett.com.au’.

Most visitors to the website go to the homepage, accommodation, events and the South Burnett Wine Trail.

During December through ‘on-line’ marketing we will be targeting potential visitors from South East Queensland to our region – that is those visitors searching for wineries and weekend holidays. 

BIEDO

It has been a very busy couple of months for BIEDO with several events and activities across the region.

On Friday 14th October International Day of Rural Women was celebrated with a coffee and cake morning in Wondai.  This special day resonates strongly with BIEDO as much of BIEDO’s work engages with the women of our rural communities.  The celebration in Wondai featured inspiring guest speakers Tracy Anderson of Anderlea Pork Hivesville, Carol McArthur of Circles of Women Brisbane and Cr Kathy Duff.  Ladies travelled from many communities across the region to attend including Councillors Danita Potter and Ros Heit.

BIEDO was pleased to assist Council in coordinating a session of Laughter Yoga in the Town Hall forecourt to acknowledge Mental Health Week. It was fantastic to have our Councillors and staff along with several members of the community joining in…it was impossible not to laugh!

The BIEDO Girl’s Day Out, held in Murgon on Saturday 5th November, was the first Women’s Wellness Day to be held on a weekend. This enabled women who have work and other commitments during the week to attend one of the Wellness events.  This event was well supported with women of all ages travelling from across the South Burnett (and beyond) to share the afternoon together. Informative addresses from guest speaker Heather Eagleson (focusing on self-esteem), Liz Nicholson (Women’s Health), Erin Jeffs (Centacare – Financial Wellbeing) and social media safety all left feeling inspired and raised awareness of some very important issues. Other support agencies, businesses and organisations joined in to provide information and activities as well.  Thank you to Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff for making time in her extremely busy day to speak at the event and connect with women afterwards.

The next activity on the BIEDO calendar is the South Burnett Business Expo. It is an opportunity for all stakeholders with an interest in business (and the general public) to come together. The Expo will take place on Monday 21st November 2016, 5.30pm-8.30pm at the Kingaroy Town Hall.  It will include an address by guest speaker ‘Stay at Home Mum’, a well-known blogger with a significant social media profile and Agforce ambassador. The evening will also feature other speakers and trade and information stands from a wide variety of businesses and organisations.

The Expo is open to the public and admission is free. There has been a great response so far with many confirmed bookings for trade and information stands at the event.  We look forward to a fantastic evening at the South Burnett Business Expo and hope to see you there!