GAWLER Council hosted an Economic Development online workshop last Tuesday night to discuss the region’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and explore its strategy moving forward.
Guests included Gawler Business Development Group (GBDG) executive officer Caren Brougham, RDA Barossa, Gawler, Light & Adelaide Plains (RDA BGLAP) CEO Anne Moroney and business growth strategist Trevor Taylor.
Gawler Mayor Karen Redman said the informal gathering held two keen aims:
“(Firstly) to ensure the council members were informed of actions being taken to support local and regional business in our area, both collaboratively and separately… and ensuring that council members could make future decisions knowing the big picture of the support being provided for economic development as part of the COVID-19 recovery,” she said.
“And two, to discuss how council would like to shape the draft Economic Development Strategy (which had been created prior to the pandemic occurring) to provide for the longer-term recovery journey that will be required to fully economically recover from the impacts of the pandemic shutdown.”
Opportunities for open discussion arose between elected members and guests during the workshop.
Ms Redman said several more opportunities for councillors, businesses and community to “feed into the development of the draft Economic Development Strategy” would arise.
“This may be done in various ways including surveys, consultation submissions, interviews and group discussions,” she said.
“Future workshops may well be held as the discussion had proved to be productive with good discussion had by all involved.”
Key take-aways on the night were:
- The power of collaboration. Regular fortnightly collaboration meetings (sometimes weekly) have been held since April between Town of Gawler, Gawler Business Innovation Hub, GBDG, and RDA BGLAP to respond quickly to the pandemic to support local businesses and community. A lot has been done in just a few short weeks by all involved.
- The response has been swift and broad. It is clear that some businesses are doing well from the restrictions, others severely impacted and threatening their survival therefore the response cannot be a one size fits all.
- The recovery/stimulus package of council to assist in economic recovery will be expanded based on council’s recent further deliberations. Council will be wanting to make sure that its response is fair and equitable which does not put the viability of the Town of Gawler at risk.
- The Economic Development Plan is going to have a key role to play in the recovery of the region and council members want to ensure that the plan will be correctly targeted and prepares Gawler for the future, whilst also positioning it to leverage the opportunities that arise with recovery.
