A diverse range of businesses, industry leaders, and service providers from Mitchell Shire and beyond attended the Mitchell Economic Summit on Tuesday, 28 November.
Participants had the opportunity to hear about the significant strides made in the development of the upcoming Mitchell Shire Economic Development Strategy.
The Strategy provides the direction for Mitchell Shire Council, together with its partners and the community, to strengthen, grow and build resilience in the local economy in line with Mitchell Shire's 2050 Community Vision.
It also provides an economic development framework to support business growth, encourage investment, job creation, and identifies the broad directions for the towns, lifestyle villages and rural land areas within the Shire.
The overarching goal is to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by the changing local and global context, ultimately contributing to a resilient and thriving economy in Mitchell Shire.
A key component of the summit was the interactive roundtable consultation, where attendees shared insights, challenges, opportunities, and priorities for Mitchell's future economy.
This collaborative approach ensured a diverse range of perspectives were considered and networking sessions provided a valuable platform for building relationships and exploring potential collaborations.
Renowned economist, author, and producer of the podcast "The Great Transformation," Tim Harcourt was the guest speaker at the event.
He examined challenges and opportunities impacting the economy, highlighting how the global becomes local.
Professor Harcourt's insights offered valuable perspectives as Mitchell Shire Council considers the next stage of its economic development.
"There is significant innovation and technology advancement coming out of the agricultural sector," he said.
"We are starting to see Australia's mining boom joined by what has been called the 'dining boom'.
"The dining boom is the growing international demand for Australia's agricultural exports and the technology that helps to produce them.
"Technological advancements, especially artificial intelligence, will mean that reskilling the workforce is imperative.
"Achieving this necessitates a comprehensive reform of education and training systems and cooperation across all levels of government.
"There is also the continued need to consider the enduring significance of the Asian region for Australia.
"Asia continues to wield substantial economic and geopolitical influence, playing a central role in shaping our decision making and our economy."
Mitchell Shire Mayor Louise Bannister said the event was a resounding success and thanked the wide range of businesses and industry leaders who attended.
"The event provided a platform to collaboratively envision a future where Mitchell Shire not only survives but thrives, with innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability front of mind.
"I really appreciate local businesses taking time out of their busy lives to contribute and work with Council to develop and improve Mitchell Shire's economic landscape and I look forward to working with them in the future.
"The roundtable consultations were a highlight of the day, fostering engaging discussions and collaborative efforts.
"We will use what we learnt today to inform development of the Economic Development Strategy and look forward to sharing more about it with you as it progresses."
Council will now work to incorporate ideas and feedback from the event into the development of the Economic Development Strategy.
