At its meeting last night, Council approved the draft Campaspe Economic Development and Tourism Strategy (CEDTS) and Action Plan for adoption following extensive community and industry consultation conducted throughout 2023 and 2024.
Campaspe Shire Mayor, Cr Rob Amos said this was a significant milestone for Council and thanked everyone who provided feedback in the preparation of the strategy.
"Your engagement has been crucial in ensuring that our strategy truly represents the needs and aspirations of our community.
"It was really important to us to be assured that we had input from all areas – geographically and industry-wide, to assist with the economic growth and tourism prospects of the shire," Mayor Amos said.
The strategy is a result of over 12 months extensive engagement with the community and industry, including two phases of consultation which included a summit event, industry forums and workshops, 1:1 stakeholder interviews, an online survey, plus phone and email feedback from the exhibition period.
"We are grateful for the hundreds of submissions that were received during the consultation process for this strategy from across the municipality.
"The final CEDTS Report and Action Plan has been amended to incorporate the valuable input received, reflecting the community and industry aspirations and feedback," said Mayor Amos.
The CEDTS sets out its aim in supporting shire-wide economic development and is supported by a supplementary Action Plan which outlines short, medium, long term and ongoing projects and Council's role in supporting these.
"On behalf of all councillors I would also like to extend sincere congratulations to all the officers involved in the completion of this pivotal strategy.
"During the development of this strategy we have faced hurdles including devasting flooding events, plus staffing shortages and changes so we are grateful for the dedication and hard work of the team to get this important piece of work finalised," said the mayor.
"We look forward to the implementation of this strategy and we are confident that it will bring about a transformative impact on the economic landscape of Campaspe, benefiting residents, businesses, and visitors for years to come.
Residents can review the adopted Campaspe Economic Development and Tourism Strategy and Action Plan 2024-29 here.
