April 2013 - City of Armadale€¦ · April 2013 . Disclaimer . This report has been prepared on...

20120460 CoA EDS Final.docx

Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017 April 2013

Disclaimer

This report has been prepared on behalf of the City of Armadale. Any represenatation, statement, opinion or advice expressed or implied in this report is made in good faith. SGS Economics and Planning is not liable to any person or entity for any damage or loss that has occurred, or may occur, in relation to that person or entity taking or not taking action in respect of any representation, statement, opinion or advice referred to herein. SGS Economics and Planning Pty Ltd ACN 007 437 729 Level 1, 76 McLachlan Street PO Box 1177 FORTITUDE VALLEY QLD 4006 Ph: +61 7 3124 9026 Email: [email protected] Web: www.sgsep.com.au Offices in Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney Authors: Sasha Lennon, Principal SGS Economics and Planning Natalia De Faveri, Consultant SGS Economics and Planning

http://www.sgsep.com.au/

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I Economic Development Strategy Purpose and Objectives i Armadale’s Economic Development Challenges and Opportunities i

Population Growth, Industry and Employment i Skills and Workforce Development ii Opportunities for Industrial Growth and Development ii A City of Opportunity in which to Work, Live and Invest ii

Capitalising on Competitive Advantage iii The Vision for Economic Development iv Economic Development Strategy Outcome Areas and Actions iv

Outcome Areas iv Strategies v Eight Priority Actions for Implementation vi

1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Economic Development Strategy Purpose and Objectives 1 1.2 A Collaborative Approach for Real Outcomes 1 1.3 Capitalising on Competitive Advantage 2 1.4 Armadale’s Economic Development Vision and Values 3

1.4.1 Our Vision 3 1.4.2 Our Values 3

1.5 Economic Development Strategy Outcome Areas 4

2 CITY OF ARMADALE IN PROFILE 6 2.1 A City of Opportunity 6 2.2 A Youthful and Growing Population 8 2.3 A Manufacturing and Service-Oriented Industry Base 8 2.4 A Large Labour Force 11 2.5 Major Urban Centres and Precincts 13 2.6 Major Industrial Estates 14

3 LOCAL AND REGIONAL POLICY DRIVERS 16 3.1 Regional Policies 16 3.2 Local Policies 17

4 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN 19 4.1 Council’s Economic Development Charter 19 4.2 Guiding Principles for Economic Development Facilitation 20 4.3 Outcome Areas 21 4.4 Action Plan 21

Outcome Area 1: New Business Investment 22 Outcome Area 2: Existing Business Development 24 Outcome Area 3: Regional Workforce Development 26 Outcome Area 4: Marketing the Region 27 Outcome Area 5: Industry Development 28 Outcome Area 6: Infrastructure Needs 29

4.5 Project Prioritisation 30 4.6 Eight Priority Actions 31 4.7 Priority Action Implementation 32

Action No. 1.1.4 - Prepare an Investment Attraction Strategy and Prospectus 32 Action No. 1.2.1 - Attract More Professional Services Workers to Locate in the Armadale City Centre 33 Action No. 2.2.1 - Attract State and Federal Government Offices to Locate in the Armadale City Centre 34 Action No. 2.2.2 - Undertake an Armadale City Centre Development Capacity Study 35 Action No. 2.2.6 - Establish the Integrated Justice Precinct in the Armadale City Centre 36 Action No. 3.2.1 - Undertake a Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment 37 Action No. 4.2.2 - Explore Opportunities for Short-Stay Accommodation in Armadale 38 Action No. 6.1.1 - Undertake a City of Armadale Infrastructure Audit 39

5 STRATEGY RESOURCING, MONITORING AND REVIEW 41 5.1 Resourcing the City of Armadale’s Economic Development Activities 41 5.2 Strategy Monitoring and Review 41 5.3 Key Performance Indicators 42

5.3.1 Outcome KPIs 42 5.3.2 Output KPIs 42

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1. CITY OF ARMADALE IN THE REGIONAL CONTEXT ................................................................... 7 FIGURE 2. EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY, CITY OF ARMADALE, 2006 AND 2011....................................... 9 FIGURE 3. EMPLOYMENT SELF-SUFFICIENCY BY INDUSTRY, CITY OF ARMADALE, 2006 ........................ 9 FIGURE 4. EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY, CITY OF ARMADALE AND METROPOLITAN PERTH, 2011...... 10 FIGURE 5. BUSINESSES BY EMPLOYMENT SIZE, CITY OF ARMADALE AND METROPOLITAN

PERTH, 2009 .......................................................................................................................... 10 FIGURE 6. EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, RESIDENT POPULATION, CITY OF ARMADALE AND

METROPOLITAN PERTH, 2011 ............................................................................................... 11 FIGURE 7. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE, CITY OF ARMADALE AND METROPOLITAN PERTH, 2011 ........... 12

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1. POPULATION TRENDS, 2001 - 2011 ........................................................................................ 8 TABLE 2. LABOUR FORCE PROFILE IN SUMMARY, CITY OF ARMADALE, 2006 AND 2011 .................... 12 TABLE 3. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY ‘OUTPUT’ KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ........... 43

FOREWORD

FOREWORD In the past decade the City of Armadale has experienced unprecedented growth in population and especially in commercial, retail and industrial activity. That growth is unlikely to slow and is in fact likely to accelerate, with population growth in the district forecast at approximately 4% per annum for at least the next 20 years. This enormous projected growth makes it all the more crucial for the City to build on the economic stimulus built over the last 10 years by the City’s work with the Armadale Redevelopment Authority. Economic Development is a strong priority for the City as we recognise the need to diversify our rate base for the benefit of residents and ratepayers, and to bring more jobs to the area and encourage further and ongoing growth in the long term. This Economic Development Strategy is designed to assist the City, business and industry to move forward over the next five years, with informed and strategic economic decisions. This is an action based plan which clearly identifies actions where the City can be the driver of change or where the City can be an advocator for progress. Not all actions will be deliverable, but this document will enable the City and stakeholders to resource those priorities deemed highest and achievable. To future proof our local economy for a sustainable financial future we must diversify our industry base. This Strategy acknowledges the challenges specific to our area and highlights our core Unique Selling Points as a destination for industry and commercial enterprise. The Actions within the plan are linked to six key themes identified in ‘Section 3 – Economic Growth’ of the City of Armadale Strategic Community Plan 2012 – 2028. The consultation process for development of this Economic Development Strategy confirmed those six themes through engagement with a range of stakeholders including industry leaders, Council, staff, the local business community (both local and state wide) and state government agencies. As one of eight strategic metropolitan centres in WA, the City of Armadale is taking a lead role in ensuring the vibrant economic future of our region through strong financial leadership and proactive long term planning. As our City continues to grow we will continue to face the challenges to ensure the brightest future for our community.

Cr Henry Zelones JP Mayor, City of Armadale

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Economic Development Strategy Purpose and Objectives

The City of Armadale has adopted this Economic Development Strategy for the Armadale region encompassing the period 2013-2017. Consistent with Council’s corporate and community planning objectives, this strategy articulates a clear plan of action for Council to play its role in helping to stimulate, attract and maintain business activity, investment and employment in the City of Armadale. The Economic Development Strategy will deliver the following outcomes for Council and the community: • A shared vision for the City of Armadale’s economic development. • Agreed economic development priorities. • A confirmed economic development facilitation, advocacy and support role for Council. • The identification of economic development strategies, programs and activities. • Monitoring mechanisms / key performance indicators (KPIs). Prioritising where Council’s resources can best be directed for the purpose of facilitating and promoting the economic development of the Armadale region is a key consideration of the Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017. The strategy identifies specific activities for which Council can take the lead and for others to potentially have a key role in. However, these lead organisations cannot be all things to all people, and for this Economic Development Strategy for the City of Armadale to be successful, a shared understanding and commitment is needed from other stakeholders in government and industry (including Federal Government agencies, State Government agencies and other important contributors to local economic development such as local industry associations). This is critical for the City of Armadale’s economic development challenges to be met and the opportunities realised.

Armadale’s Economic Development Challenges and Opportunities

Population Growth, Industry and Employment

The City of Armadale is experiencing a healthy rate of population growth and over the last five years, the City’s population has grown quickly, at an average annual rate of 4.4%. This is notably higher than the average annual rate for both the Greater Perth region and Western Australia as a whole. The City of Armadale’s population is forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 3.8% between 2011 and 2031, compared to an average of 1.7% per annum for Western Australia. Armadale is also home to approximately 13,000 jobs (at the time of the 2011 ABS Census). This is approximately 2,500 more jobs than there were in the City of Armadale in 2006. The majority of industry employment in Armadale is located in the Health Care and Social Assistance sector (18.1%), followed by Retail Trade (16.7%) and Education and Training (14.1%). Compared to the Perth metropolitan average, the City of Armadale has a higher proportion of its resident workforce employed in the Manufacturing, Construction, Transport, Postal & Warehousing and Retail Trade sectors. However, many of those jobs held by Armadale residents are located elsewhere outside the City of Armadale. The fact that many residents who work in Manufacturing and in the Construction, Transport, Postal & Warehousing sector must travel outside the City to work is representative of a missed opportunity for local employment in Armadale, something this strategy seeks to address.

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Skills and Workforce Development

Despite the relative prominence of employment in Armadale’s Health Care and Social Assistance sector, the Education and Training Sector and Retail Trade sector, each of these local industries show low levels of employment self-sufficiency. These industries, like all industry sectors in Armadale, import workers from outside the City of Armadale local government boundaries. This reflects Armadale’s relatively under-skilled labour force. Armadale’s resident population has a relatively low level of education attainment compared to metropolitan Perth. Only 11% of the City of Armadale’s resident population hold a Bachelor or Higher Degree compared to 20% for metropolitan Perth. Armadale also has a high level of social disadvantage and inter-generational unemployment; anecdotal evidence suggests youth unemployment is high. As a result, education, training and workforce development is a focus of this Economic Development Strategy.

Opportunities for Industrial Growth and Development

Notwithstanding its challenges, the City of Armadale is presented with notable opportunities for investment attraction, economic growth and development. Armadale has large tracts of industrial land available for occupation or development. Kelmscott, Forrestdale and South Armadale are existing industrial centres that cater for a broad range of manufacturing, fabrication, processing, warehousing and bulk goods handling activities. Vacant industrial land (150 hectares) is available for development at the Forrestdale Business Park (West). Under the Western Australian Planning Commission’s Industrial Land Strategy, South Forrestdale (300 hectares) is identified as one of six priority industrial sites which are currently under investigation to determine their suitability for future industrial development over the next 20 years. This strategy seeks to capitalise on these opportunities for industrial development in the City of Armadale. Despite the availability of commercial and industrial land, like metropolitan Perth as a whole, the business profile of the City of Armadale is dominated by micro-businesses and small businesses, with just six companies in Armadale employing 200 or more workers. In this context, there is significant scope to promote Armadale’s industrial land attributes to markets in Perth and beyond, emphasising the many attributes the City has to offer prospective investors.

A City of Opportunity in which to Work, Live and Invest

The Armadale City Centre, which is designated as a Strategic Metropolitan Centre, is conveniently located at the crossroads of the Albany and South Western Highways and Armadale Road, and is directly linked to Perth CBD via the metropolitan rail network (and to numerous other centres on the line), the Tonkin Highway and the Kwinana Freeway. A Strategic Metropolitan Centre is defined as multi-purpose centre that provides a mix of retail, office, community, entertainment, residential and employment activities, which is well serviced by high frequency public transport. While certain shortfalls are currently apparent, such as public transport limitations, a lack of suitable office space and short-stay accommodation facilities, there is considerable scope to capitalise on Armadale’s designated role as a Strategic Metropolitan Centre. The City’s semi-rural hills lifestyle is appealing to many, providing an important pillar of future investment attraction, particularly efforts to attract a greater diversity of professional workers and businesses to the area. Armadale also offers affordable living, particularly for young families. It has an established sense of community and offers diversity of housing and lifestyle choice. But Armadale’s lifestyle offer needs to be communicated to both prospective investors and residents. There is a long-standing perception, particularly amongst the population of the greater Perth

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metropolitan region, that Armadale is an un-inviting area blighted by crime and other social issues. However, this perception is far from the truth and there is a role for Council to play in countering negative perceptions in a strategic and concerted fashion. It is with these challenges and opportunities in mind, and a clear desire on the part of Council to help stimulate, attract and maintain business activity, investment and employment in the City of Armadale, that this City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017 has been prepared.

Capitalising on Competitive Advantage

This Economic Development Strategy recognises ‘economic development’ as the continuous process of growing the Armadale region’s level of income and capital (wealth) and distributing that wealth (through local expenditure and jobs) to the community. Economic development is measured in terms of income and employment, together with improvements in education, health, culture, community wellbeing and the environment. These are the elements of ‘sustainable’ economic development, a concept which looks beyond advances in industry output, gross regional product and employment. As fundamental as these economic growth measures are, ‘economic sustainability’ requires long-term economic growth without compromising essential community, cultural and environmental attributes which will be inextricably linked with the Armadale region’s long-term economic success. In order for the City of Armadale to realise its economic development objective, this strategy identifies actions for Council to facilitate, advocate and support activities which build on the Armadale’s region’s sustainable competitive advantages. Armadale’s competitive advantages are those attributes which give it a competitive edge over other places by offering something appealing and preferable to prospective residents, businesses and investors. The City of Armadale’s unique selling point (USP) is defined by its strategic competitive advantage, that is, those pertinent ‘enablers’ of economic development which help to stimulate, attract and maintain business activity, investment and employment in the City of Armadale. Armadale’s USP is encapsulated in the following statement:

City of Armadale’s Unique Selling Point

The City of Armadale offers a unique blend of attributes which make it a City of opportunity and an emerging location of choice in which to work, live and invest, defined by:

• A healthy rate of recent and anticipated population growth, bringing with it

a rapidly expanding labour force; • An identifiable, attractive and truly ‘Armadale’ lifestyle, characterised by a

strong sense of community, culture and cohesion; • The availability of large tracts of industrial land available for development,

coupled with Armadale’s superior location, conveniently located at the crossroads of the Albany and South Western Highways and Armadale Road, and directly linked to Perth CBD via the metropolitan rail network (and to numerous other centres on the line), the Tonkin Highway and the Kwinana Freeway; and

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• An established Strategic Metropolitan Centre providing a healthy mix of existing and planned retail, office community, entertainment, residential and employment activities, well serviced by high frequency public rail transport.

It is the City of Armadale’s unique selling point which provides the pillars supporting Council’s vision for economic development.

The Vision for Economic Development

The City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017 is guided by a vision that builds on the City’s and region’s strengths and assets, acknowledges the challenges and capitalises on emerging opportunities for growth and development. Embracing Council’s economic growth objective as articulated in its Strategic Community Plan, the vision for the economic development of Armadale is as follows:

City of Armadale Economic Development Vision

The City of Armadale will be recognised throughout metropolitan Perth, Western Australia and beyond for the strength and depth of its economy, offering a diversity of investment and employment opportunities, services, facilities and infrastructure

to the benefit of both its existing and prospective businesses and residents.

This statement encapsulates the City of Armadale’s vision of economic prosperity for the next 20 years by taking appropriate actions today and over the life of this strategy, from 2013-2017. The actions put forward in this strategy, to realise the vision for a prosperous future, will be monitored and reviewed over the life of the strategy.

Economic Development Strategy Outcome Areas and Actions

Outcome Areas

Six outcome areas form the basis of the City of Armadale’s Economic Development Action Plan: 1. New Business Investment: a dynamic and diverse local economy. 2. Existing Business Development: strong and profitable local business.

3. Regional Workforce Development: a skilled, mobile and diverse workforce.

4. Marketing the Region: local, national and international recognition.

5. Industry Development: a well-developed relationship with industry, commerce and government.

6. Infrastructure Needs: infrastructure that supports sustainable economic development. These six Economic Development Strategy themes provide the framework for Council’s economic development activities. They articulate the core areas of focus for Council in its role as a promoter and facilitator of economic development, providing clear direction by identifying the priority areas for action to promote investment and employment growth, while ensuring Armadale’s opportunity as an appealing place in which to work, live and invest is protected, nurtured, promoted and capitalised upon for all segments of the Armadale community, now and in future.

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The action plan contains initiatives that are designed to stimulate, attract and maintain business activity, investment and employment growth in Armadale, while remaining sensitive to the desire to nurture a City which offers its citizens the best of living and working environments, and is recognised for its community spirit, desirable character, and business success in a safe and sustainable environment. The actions are framed to provide directions for the implementation of projects which will meet key policy objectives and which will have an economic impact. Simplified, the actions can be separated into activities which are: (i) City-led (the things Council can and will do within resource and jurisdictional limits consistent with its charter); or (ii) external stakeholder-led (activities which Council does not have direct control over but which it can advocate and support).

Strategies

The six outcome areas contain 13 strategies, summarised as follows. Outcome Area 1: New Business Investment (A dynamic and diverse local economy)

1.1 Market and promote Armadale and its potential to the business and investment communities.

1.2 Progress new commercial and industrial development in the City of Armadale.

Outcome Area 2: Existing Business Development (Strong and profitable local business)

2.1 Facilitate access to business development skills building opportunities. 2.2 Capitalise on Armadale’s designated role as a Strategic Metropolitan Centre.

Outcome Area 3: Regional Workforce Development (A skilled, mobile and diverse workforce)

3.1 Facilitate the provision of a full range of education and training opportunities. 3.2 Ensure an efficient movement network to travel to employment opportunities.

Outcome Area 4: Marketing the Region (Local, national and international recognition)

4.1 Promote and support the Champion Lakes complex and events. 4.2 Promote Armadale nationally in partnership with State and regional tourism initiatives. 4.3 Market and promote the locality of the City of Armadale to residents, stakeholders and the

wider Western Australian community. Outcome Area 5: Industry Development (A well-developed relationship with industry, commerce and government)

5.1 Develop and maintain relationships with local industries. 5.2 Develop and maintain inter-governmental economic development relationships.

Outcome Area 6: Infrastructure Needs (Infrastructure that supports sustainable economic development)

6.1 Identify future infrastructure needs of industry and business and determine funding and implementation options.

6.2 Advocate appropriate information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure to support industry and business.

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Eight Priority Actions for Implementation

The 13 strategies contain a combined total of 34 individual actions, as presented in the Economic Development Strategy Action Plan. Priority tasks for implementation have been identified based on the application of a broad set of assessment criteria, which considers the project’s likely benefits as well as the capacity of Council to implement the action concerned. The application of the assessment criteria is informed by the research, data analysis and consultation findings documented in this strategy and its supporting background documents. They reflect priorities to advance as short and medium-term priorities. Eight priority actions, to be pursued by the City of Armadale over the course of the next 12 to 24 months, are:

• Prepare an Investment Attraction Strategy and Prospectus • Attract More Professional Services Workers to Locate in the Armadale City Centre • Attract State Government Departments to Locate in the Armadale City Centre • Undertake an Armadale City Centre Development Capacity Study • Establish the Integrated Justice Precinct in the Armadale City Centre • Undertake a Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment • Explore Opportunities for Short-Stay Accommodation in Armadale • Undertake a City of Armadale Infrastructure Audit

It is intended that the City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy action plan will be continually reviewed and updated during the life of this strategy, led by Council’s Economic Development Manager. Considered collectively, the actions represent a comprehensive strategic implementation agenda for Council (and its partners) to progressively advance over the next five years. Following annual reviews, the strategy and action plan will be updated after five years.

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INTRODUCTION

1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Economic Development Strategy Purpose and Objectives

The City of Armadale has adopted this Economic Development Strategy for the Armadale region encompassing the period 2013-2017. Consistent with Council’s corporate and community planning objectives, this strategy articulates a clear plan of action for Council to play its role in helping to stimulate, attract and maintain business activity, investment and employment in the City of Armadale. This strategy recognises ‘economic development’ as the continuous process of growing the Armadale region’s level of income and capital (wealth) and distributing that wealth (through local expenditure and jobs) to the community. Economic development is measured in terms of income and employment, together with improvements in education, health, culture, community wellbeing and the environment. These are the elements of ‘sustainable’ economic development, a concept which looks beyond advances in industry output, gross regional product and employment. As fundamental as these economic growth measures are, ‘economic sustainability’ requires long-term economic growth without compromising essential community, cultural and environmental attributes which will be inextricably linked with the Armadale region’s long-term economic success. This ideal is encapsulated in the City of Armadale’s economic development vision.

1.2 A Collaborative Approach for Real Outcomes

The Economic Development Strategy delivers the following outcomes for Council and the community: • A shared vision for the City of Armadale’s economic development. • Agreed economic development priorities. • A confirmed economic development facilitation role for Council. • The identification of economic development strategies, programs and activities. • Monitoring mechanisms / key performance indicators (KPIs). Prioritising where Council’s resources can best be directed for the purpose of facilitating and promoting the economic development of the Armadale region is a key consideration of the Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017. The strategy identifies specific activities for which Council can take the lead and for others to potentially have a key role in. However, these lead organisations cannot be all things to all people, and for this Economic Development Strategy for the City of Armadale to be successful, a shared understanding and commitment is needed from other stakeholders in government and industry (including Federal Government agencies, State Government agencies and other important contributors to local economic development such as local industry associations).

1.3 Capitalising on Competitive Advantage

This Economic Development Strategy recognises ‘economic development’ as the continuous process of growing the Armadale region’s level of income and capital (wealth) and distributing that wealth (through local expenditure and jobs) to the community. Economic development is measured in terms of income and employment, together with improvements in education, health, culture, community wellbeing and the environment. These are the elements of ‘sustainable’ economic development, a concept which looks beyond advances in industry output, gross regional product and employment. As fundamental as these economic growth measures are, ‘economic sustainability’ requires long-term economic growth without compromising essential community, cultural and environmental attributes which will be inextricably linked with the Armadale region’s long-term economic success. In order for the City of Armadale to realise its economic development objective, this strategy identifies actions for Council to facilitate, advocate and support activities which build on the Armadale’s region’s sustainable competitive advantages. Armadale’s competitive advantages are those attributes which give it a competitive edge over other places by offering something appealing and preferable to prospective residents, businesses and investors. The City of Armadale’s unique selling point (USP) is defined by its strategic competitive advantage, that is, those pertinent ‘enablers’ of economic development which help to stimulate, attract and maintain business activity, investment and employment in the City of Armadale. Armadale’s USP is encapsulated in the following statement:

City of Armadale’s Unique Selling Point

The City of Armadale offers a unique blend of attributes which make it a City of opportunity and an emerging location of choice in which to work, live and invest, defined by:

• A healthy rate of recent and anticipated population growth, bringing with it

a rapidly expanding labour force; • An identifiable, attractive and truly ‘Armadale’ lifestyle, characterised by a

strong sense of community, culture and cohesion; • The availability of large tracts of industrial land available for development,

coupled with Armadale’s superior location, conveniently located at the crossroads of the Albany and South Western Highways and Armadale Road, and directly linked to Perth CBD via the metropolitan rail network (and to numerous other centres on the line), the Tonkin Highway and the Kwinana Freeway; and

• An established Strategic Metropolitan Centre providing a healthy mix of existing and planned retail, office community, entertainment, residential and employment activities, well serviced by high frequency public rail transport.

It is the City of Armadale’s unique selling point which provides the pillars supporting Council’s vision for economic development.

1.4 Armadale’s Economic Development Vision and Values

1.4.1 Our Vision

The City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017 is structured to reflect the strategic focus areas of Council’s Community Plan. Under Focus Area 3 ‘Economic Growth’, the desired community outcome is for a strong local economy which improves local employment opportunities and provides a broader range of services, facilities and infrastructure to the benefit of Armadale’s business and residential sectors. The City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017 is guided by a vision that builds on the City’s and region’s strengths and assets, acknowledges the many challenges and capitalises on emerging opportunities for growth and development. Embracing Council’s economic growth objective as articulated in its Community Plan, the vision for the economic development of Armadale is as follows:

City of Armadale Economic Development Vision

The City of Armadale will be recognised throughout metropolitan Perth, Western Australia and beyond for the strength and depth of its economy,

offering a diversity of investment and employment opportunities, services, facilities and infrastructure to the benefit of both its existing and

prospective businesses and residents.

This statement encapsulates the City of Armadale’s vision of economic prosperity for the next 20 years by taking appropriate actions today and over the life of this strategy, from 2013-2017. The actions put forward in this strategy, to realise the vision for a prosperous future, will be monitored and reviewed over the life of the strategy.

1.4.2 Our Values

For Council (and for other agencies), co-ordinated and collaborative strategic effort which works towards realising the shared vision for economic development, will have a direct influence on the critical enablers which facilitate local business and industry investment, employment creation and economic competitiveness. The enablers for economic development, that is, those things that Council can have a direct or indirect influence on in order to help stimulate, attract and maintain business activity, investment and employment in the City of Armadale, provide the pillars supporting the vision. These economic development pillars provide a focus for Council and its economic development partners in government, industry, institutions and the community, to work in partnership, to help diversify and grow the Armadale region’s economy. They include: • Quality physical and community infrastructure that supports sustainable economic

development and employment growth; • A skilled, mobile and flexible workforce that is supported by responsive education and training

and which can respond to the needs of industry and which can readily adapt to changing circumstances as they arise;

• An identifiable, attractive and truly ‘Armadale’ lifestyle which is characterised by a strong sense of community, culture and cohesion; and

• A supportive local governance structure characterised by connectedness and collaboration

between stakeholders in government, industry, research and learning institutions and community organisations, all with a shared interest in sustainable economic and community development in Armadale.

These are key strategy elements which are reflected in six Economic Development Strategy themes.

1.5 Economic Development Strategy Outcome Areas

Six outcome areas form the basis of the City of Armadale’s Economic Development Action Plan: 1. New Business Investment: a dynamic and diverse local economy. 2. Existing Business Development: strong and profitable local business. 3. Regional Workforce Development: a skilled, mobile and diverse workforce. 4. Marketing the Region: local, national and international recognition. 5. Industry Development: a well-developed relationship with industry, commerce and government. 6. Infrastructure Needs: infrastructure that supports sustainable economic development. The six outcome areas provide the framework for Council’s economic development activities. They articulate the core areas of focus for Council in its role as a promoter and facilitator of economic development, providing clear direction by identifying the priority areas for action to promote investment and employment growth, while ensuring Armadale’s opportunity as an appealing place in which to work, live and invest is protected, nurtured, promoted and capitalised upon for all segments of the Armadale community, now and in future. The six outcome areas contain 13 strategies with a combined total of 34 individual actions. The strategies and actions are presented in the Economic Development Strategy Action Plan in Section 4.

CITY OF ARMADALE IN PROFILE

2 CITY OF ARMADALE IN PROFILE 2.1 A City of Opportunity

The City of Armadale is located 28kms to the south-east of the Perth CBD, and is part of the Greater Perth region. The City covers an area of 560km2, of which more than half is made up of state forest which rises up into the Darling Scarp. Armadale City has a population of over 70,000, which made up 3.6% of the Greater Perth population in 2012. The Armadale City Centre is a designated Strategic Metropolitan Centre within the hierarchy of the State Government’s metropolitan plan “Directions 2031 and Beyond”. A Strategic Metropolitan Centre is defined as follows:

Strategic metropolitan centres are multi-purpose centres that provide a mix of retail, office, community, entertainment, residential and employment activities, and are well serviced by high frequency public transport. The purpose of these centres is to provide a range of housing, services, facilities and activities necessary to support the communities within their catchments, thereby reducing the requirement for travel outside the catchment. This diversity will be a key component in developing the liveability of these centres.

There are a number of challenges and opportunities to strengthen the role and function of the City of Armadale Strategic Metropolitan Centre to help elevate its role and function, consistent with the key elements and characteristics of a transit-oriented development (TOD), including:

• Public Transport: Public transport is limited to the rail line and the addition of new and

integrated public transport connections would strengthen the City Centre.

• Housing: The Armadale City Centre requires more medium and high density housing, the availability of which would improve accessibility to employment, services and transport.

• Amenity and Civic Space: Although significant improvements to the city centre’s amenity have been made, particularly to the areas surrounding the City of Armadale Council building and Armadale Central Shopping Centre, Jull Street Mall requires improvements. Place-making strategies and the provision of / improvement to community facilities are needed to enhance the appeal of the Mall and City Centre. The Mall is in need of engaging, high quality civic spaces for gathering and entertainment purposes.

• Office Space: Armadale needs a higher quantum of suitable office space, in the Armadale City Centre (and elsewhere), to attract investment in the professional services sectors and to enhance the City’s diversity of employment and businesses. An increase in professional service workers would also translate to a boost in retail expenditure in the city centre.

• Short-Stay Accommodation: The Armadale region is in need of quality short-stay / tourist accommodation.

This Economic Development Strategy includes a plan of action for the City of Armadale to address the challenges and capitalise on the opportunities for development, and to compel the State Government’s co-operation with the City’s strategic direction. The Armadale City Centre is conveniently located at the crossroads of the Albany and South Western Highways and Armadale Road and is directly linked to Perth CBD via the metropolitan rail network (and to numerous other centres on the line), the Tonkin Highway and the Kwinana Freeway (via Armadale Road).

Armadale’s semi-rural hills lifestyle is appealing to many and will form an important pillar of future investment attraction strategies, as a backdrop to our rapid urbanisation, particularly efforts to attract a greater diversity of professional workers and businesses to the area. Armadale also offers affordable living, particularly for young families. It has an established sense of community and offers diversity of housing and lifestyle choice. Armadale has large tracts of industrial land available for occupation or development. Kelmscott, Forrestdale and South Armadale are existing industrial centres that cater for a broad range of manufacturing, fabrication, processing, warehousing and bulk goods handling activities. Vacant industrial land (150 hectares) is available for development at the Forrestdale Business Park (West). Under the Western Australian Planning Commission’s Industrial Land Strategy, South Forrestdale (300 hectares) is identified as one of six priority industrial sites which are currently under investigation to determine their suitability for future industrial development over the next 20 years.

FIGURE 1 . CITY OF ARMADALE IN THE REGIONAL CONTEXT

Source: SGS Economics and Planning

A comprehensive socio-economic profile of the City of Armadale has been undertaken to help inform strategic directions which underpin the City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017. The following provides a summary.

2.2 A Youthful and Growing Population

• According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the City of Armadale had a population of 65,281 people in 2011, making up 3.6% of the total population in the Greater Perth region.

• The age profile of the City of Armadale reflects a younger population than that of metropolitan Perth.

• In the last 5 years the population of Armadale has grown quickly, at an annual average rate of 4.4%, which is notably higher than the annual average rate for both the Greater Perth region and Western Australia as a whole over the same period.

• The City of Armadale’s population is forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 3.8% between 2011 and 2031 compared to an average of 1.7% per annum for Western Australia.

• Around 3.0% of the population of the City of Armadale is made up of Indigenous persons.

TAB LE 1 . POPULATION TRENDS, 2001 - 2011

2001 2006 2011

Average Annual Growth Rate 2001-

2011

Average Annual Growth Rate 2006-2012

Armadale (C) 52,273 52,732 65,281 2.2% 4.4% Greater Perth 1,452,058 1,590,007 1,832,114 2.4% 2.9% Western Australia 1,901,159 2,059,381 2,352,215 2.2% 2.7%

Source: ABS Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2011

2.3 A Manufacturing and Service-Oriented Industry Base

• The City of Armadale is home to approximately 13,000 jobs (at the time of the 2011 ABS Census). This is approximately 2,500 more jobs than there were in the City of Armadale in 2006.

• The majority of industry employment in Armadale is located in Health Care and Social Assistance (18.1%), followed by Retail Trade (16.7%) and Education and Training (14.1%).

• Compared to the Perth metropolitan average, the City of Armadale has a higher proportion of its resident workforce employed in the Manufacturing, Construction, Transport, Postal & Warehousing and Retail Trade sectors. However, many of those jobs held by Armadale residents are located elsewhere outside the City of Armadale. The fact that many residents who work in these industries must travel outside the City to work is representative of a missed opportunity for local employment in Armadale.

• The Armadale region has a relatively low level of employment self-sufficiency of 58%. Employment self-sufficiency refers to the ratio of locally provided jobs (i.e. jobs in the local area / region) to the number of employed residents living in the area, allowing for journey to work movements.

• Levels of employment self-sufficiency vary by industry sector. Despite the relative prominence of employment (in terms of the number of people employed) in Armadale’s Health Care and Social Assistance sector, the Education and Training Sector and Retail Trade sector, each of these local industries show low levels of employment self-sufficiency, of 49%, 42% and 64% respectively. These three industries, like all industry sectors in Armadale, import workers from outside the City of Armadale local government boundaries. This reflects Armadale’s relatively under-skilled labour force and the resultant need to import skilled workers from elsewhere to fill local job positions.

• Like metropolitan Perth as a whole, the business profile of the City of Armadale is dominated by micro-businesses and small businesses, with just six companies in Armadale (just 0.2% of total businesses) employing 200 or more workers.

FIGURE 2 . EMPLOYME NT BY INDUSTRY, CITY OF ARMADALE , 2006 AND 2011

Source: .id and ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2006 and 2011

FIGURE 3 . EMPLOYME NT SE LF-SUFFICIE NCY BY INDUSTRY, CITY OF ARMADALE, 2006

Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2006 with interpretations by SGS Economics and Planning

0% 5% 10% 15% 20%

Agriculture, Forestry & FishingMining

ManufacturingElectricity, Gas, Water & Waste

ConstructionWholesale Trade

Retail TradeAccommodation & Food ServicesTransport, Postal & WarehousingInformation Media & Telecomm.

Financial & Insurance ServicesRental, Hiring & Real Est. Services

Profess., Scientific & Tech. ServicesAdministrative & Support Services

Public Administration & SafetyEducation & Training

Health Care & Social AssistanceArts & Recreation Services

Other ServicesInadequately desc./not stated

% of total local employment

Indu

stry

2011 2006

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Indu

stry

Sel

f-suf

ficie

ncy

%

Num

ber e

mpl

oyed

Industry

Total workers Resident workers % industry self-sufficiency

FIGURE 4 . EMPLOYME NT BY INDUSTRY, CITY OF ARMADALE AND ME TROPOLITAN PERTH, 2011

Source: .id and ABS Census of Population and Housing (Usual Residence Data), 2011

FIGURE 5 . BUSINESSES BY EMPLOYMENT S IZE, C ITY OF ARMADALE AND ME TROPOLITAN PE RTH, 2009

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Business Register 2009. Cat. No. 8165.0. Compiled by .id Note: "No employees" contains sole proprietors where the proprietor does not receive a wage or salary separate to the business income.

0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12%

Agriculture, Forestry & FishingMining

ManufacturingElectricity, Gas, Water & Waste

ConstructionRetail Trade

Wholesale tradeAccommodation & Food ServicesTransport, Postal & WarehousingInformation Media & Telecomm.

Financial & Insurance ServicesRental, Hiring & Real Est. Services

Profess., Scientific & Tech. ServicesAdministrative & Support Services

Public Administration & SafetyEducation & Training

Health Care & Social AssistanceArts & Recreation Services

Other ServicesInadequately desc./not stated

% of total employed persons 15+

Indu

stry

City of Armadale Greater Perth

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

% o

f tot

al b

usin

esse

s

Business size (employees)


2.4 A Large Labour Force

• Armadale’s resident population has a relatively low level of education attainment compared to Perth as a whole. Only 11% of the City of Armadale’s resident population hold a Bachelor or Higher Degree compared to 20% for metropolitan Perth.

• Armadale has a relatively high proportion of residents qualified with a vocational qualification compared to metropolitan Perth as a whole.

• Almost half of the City of Armadale’s population (47.9%) hold no formal tertiary education qualification.

• Technicians and trades workers account for the largest share of occupations for City of Armadale residents, accounting for 19% of the total compared to 16% for metropolitan Perth.

• The City of Armadale is home to a relatively low number of managers and professional workers compared to the metropolitan Perth average.

• The City of Armadale is home to a proportionally greater number of labourers with 11% of Armadale’s resident workforce employed in this occupational category compared to 9% for metropolitan Perth.

• In 2011, according to the Small Area Labour Markets data, the City of Armadale had an unemployment rate of 6.4%, compared to a rate of 4.2% for Western Australia as a whole. Over the 12 months to June 2012 Armadale’s unemployment rate declined.

• According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Armadale’s labour force participation rate (the number of people employed and unemployed as a proportion of the population aged 15 years and over) is 64.3% compared to 61.1% for metropolitan Perth.

FIGURE 6 . EDUCATIONAL AT TAINME NT, RES IDENT POPULATION, CITY OF ARMADALE AN D ME TROPOLITAN PE RTH, 2011


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Bachelor or Higherdegree

Advanced Diplomaor Diploma

Vocational No qualification Not stated

% o

f per

sons

age

d 15

+

Qualification


FIGURE 7 . OCCUPATION AL PROFILE , CITY OF ARMADALE AND ME TROPOLITAN PERTH, 2011


TAB LE 2 . LABOUR FORCE PROFILE IN SUMMARY, CITY OF ARMADALE, 2006 AND 2011

2011 2006

City of Armadale Greater Perth City of

Armadale Greater Perth

Employed 29,748 - 23,042 -

Unemployed 1,709 - 1,062 -

Labour Force 31,457 - 24,104 -

Not in the labour force 14,466 - 12,940 -

Labour force status not stated 3,004 - 2,431 -

Total persons aged 15+ 48,927 - 39,475 -

Unemployment Rate 5.4% 4.8% 4.4% 3.7%

Labour Force Participation Rate 64.3% 64.5% 61.1% 62.2% Source: .id and ABS Census of Population and Housing (Usual Residence Data), 2006 and 2011

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Managers

Professionals

Technicians & TradesWorkers

Community & PersonalService Workers

Clerical & AdministrativeWorkers

Sales Workers

Machinery Operators& Drivers

Labourers

Inadequately desc.

% of total employed persons 15+

Occ

upat

ion


2.5 Major Urban Centres and Precincts

The City of Armadale has five major urban centres and precincts in various stages of development. These centres and precincts play an important role in shaping the City’s community and economic development. There is potential to develop a diverse range of complementary activities in each of these centres, to consolidate Armadale’s role as a Strategic Metropolitan Centre in the wider metropolitan Perth context. Urban Centre Current Focus Future Growth Strategy

Armadale City Centre (Jull Street Mall and surrounding area)

Designated as a Strategic Metropolitan Centre in Directions 2031 and Beyond. Major retail and commercial centre.

Strengthen the City Centre’s role and function by providing a greater mix of retail, office, community, entertainment, residential and employment activities that are well serviced by high frequency public transport.

Kelmscott

Designated as a District Centre in Directions 2031 and Beyond. Major retail and commercial town centre, for example Kelmscott Plaza, Kelmscott Village Shopping Centre and Stargate Kelmscott Shopping Centre. An established residential and industrial area, with commercial areas along the Albany Highway.

Strengthen Kelmscott’s District Centre role with expanded retail and commercial activities, but in a way that is complementary to, rather than competitive with, Armadale’s role as the Strategic Metropolitan Centre.

Hilbert in Wungong Urban Water

Designated as an emerging District Centre in Directions 2031 and Beyond.

Develop the centre as an emerging District Centre in a way that is complementary to, rather than competitive with, Armadale’s role as the Strategic Metropolitan Centre.

Harrisdale Designated as an emerging District Centre in Directions 2031 and Beyond.

Develop the centre as an emerging District Centre in a way that is complementary to, rather than competitive with, Armadale’s role as the Strategic Metropolitan Centre.

Champion Lakes Precinct

Venue for a range of sports and recreational activities, including the Aboriginal Interpretive Centre.

Regional scale recreational facilities with a water-based focus, including an international standard rowing course and a white-water canoeing/rafting facility. It is anticipated that there will also be commercial and residential development.

Roleystone An established residential area, with substantial fruit orchards and native bushland areas.

Develop and promote Roleystone’s natural attributes in a way that is complementary to, rather than competitive with, Armadale’s role as the Strategic Metropolitan Centre.

2.6 Major Industrial Estates

Armadale has large tracts of industrial land available for occupation or development. Industrial Centre Current Focus Future Growth Strategy

Forrestdale Business Park (East)

Forrestdale Business Park (East) is an existing industrial centre.

Forrestdale will cater for a broad range of manufacturing, fabrication, processing, warehousing and bulk goods handling activities.

Forrestdale Business Park (West) The land is contained within the jurisdiction of the MRA on the western side of the Tonkin highway.

Forrestdale Business Park (West) is a short-term non-heavy industrial site in the Economic and Employment Land Strategy (0 – 4 year timeframe).

Forrestdale Business Park (West) will be developed by the MRA as an extension to the Forrestdale Business Park. The planned future use of the land is for predominantly light, general and service industrial development.

South Forrestdale – Rowley Road Precinct (354 ha)

South Forrestdale – Rowley Road Precinct is a medium-term non-heavy industrial site in the Economic and Employment Land Strategy (4 – 10 year timeframe).

Planned development at South Forrestdale – Rowley Road Precinct is for predominantly light, general and service industrial development with some commercial / showroom development. Potential for an ‘industrial business’ zone containing land uses such as recreation-public, garden centre, restaurant and showroom. South Forrestdale – Rowley Road Precinct will contain a high degree of producer and consumer services, largely due to its proximity to existing and future planned residential development and other sensitive land uses.

South Armadale Industrial Area Extension (81 ha)

South Armadale is a potential long-term non-heavy industrial site. It has good transport linkages, being adjacent to South Western Highway and having easy access to the Tonkin and Albany Highways.

The site is a long-term strategic land bank and potential future land uses are subject to further investigation.

Kelmscott Industrial Area

Kelmscott is an established major industrial area. It has good transport linkages, having easy access to the Albany Highway and the railway line.

Planned development at Kelmscott is for predominantly light, general and service industrial development with some commercial / showroom development.

LOCAL AND REGIONAL POLICY DRIVERS

3 LOCAL AND REGIONAL POLICY DRIVERS This Economic Development Strategy is informed by key policy, strategy and research documents concerning economic development in the City of Armadale and the wider region. These include the following regional policy and strategy documents and local (Council) policy and strategies.

3.1 Regional Policies

• Directions 2031 and Beyond - Directions 2031 is a high level spatial framework and strategic plan guiding the future growth and development of the metropolitan Perth and Peel region. It recognises the important role of the City of Armadale through the City Centre’s role as a Strategic Metropolitan Centre and through its existing and future industrial development sites. However, population growth in the City of Armadale has exceeded the initial predictions contained in Directions 2031.

• Outer Metro Perth and Peel Sub-Regional Strategy - The draft Outer Metropolitan Perth and

Peel Sub-Regional Strategy is an extension of Directions 2031 and Beyond, providing more detailed planning direction at a local level. It recognises the important role of the City of Armadale in the regional land use framework in that it presents significant opportunities to accommodate future population growth and development. As such the City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy has been developed to capitalise on these opportunities.

• Economic and Employment Lands Strategy - The Economic and Employment Lands Strategy

(EELS) was prepared to ensure adequate land is available for general and light industry needs over the next 20 years. It was prepared as part of the State Government’s response to a recognised shortfall in industrial land supply. The City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017 recognises how the provision of such industrial and employment land could be used to stimulate, attract and maintain business activity, investment and employment growth in the City of Armadale.

Importantly, the EELS states that “the continued effort to improve the amenity of the city centre and capitalise on the area’s distinctive cultural and location attributes will be critical to attracting new business and employment to the area and improving employment self-sufficiency”. This statement supports the underlying themes of the City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy, in that economic development is not only measured in terms of income and employment, but also in terms of education, health, culture, community wellbeing and environment.

• Perth Regional Plan - The Perth Regional Plan (the Plan) outlines the priorities Regional

Development Australia (RDA) Perth has identified for the region. The Plan’s five priority areas are: Environmental Sustainability; Transport; Economic Development, Education and Training; Social Inclusion; and Collaboration and Regional Co-operation. RDA’s role is to be a highly effective collaborator within the community and across all levels of government to address social, economic and environmental issues. The City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017 is consistent with and seeks to reinforce the priorities as articulated in the Perth Regional Plan as it applies to the City of Armadale and Armadale region.

3.2 Local Policies

• City of Armadale Strategic Community Plan 2013-2028 - The City of Armadale’s Strategic Community Plan 2013-2028 (the Plan) is a broad outline of the City’s approach to meeting the current and future needs of the community across a broad range of social, economic, environmental and governance issues. It sets out community values and a vision for the future development of the City and identifies strategies to be put into place. The strategic directions of the City are structure around four major goals, supported by a series of outcomes to achieve by 2028. The four major goals are: Community Wellbeing; Enhanced Natural and Built Environments; Economic Growth; and Good Governance and Management. Through its Strategic Community Plan 2013-2028, the City of Armadale has articulated its strategic vision and desired outcomes for economic growth. The Economic Development Strategy is an important step forward to ensure the City of Armadale is best placed to achieve its objectives. As such, the Economic Development Strategy aligns with Council’s broader strategic planning framework for economic growth, as well as giving consideration to the three other major goals of Community Wellbeing, Enhanced Natural and Built Environments and Good Governance and Management.

• Plan for the Future, 2011-2025 – This Plan is guided by the City’s Strategic Plan and seeks to

map out, in a logical sequence over time, the range of services and facilities (both current and proposed) considered essential to support the anticipated growth of the City. The Plan identifies a suite of initiatives and these are acknowledged and supported by the Economic Development Strategy for their importance to future facilities and service delivery to the growing communities of the City of Armadale.

• Armadale Alive! – This document articulates the City’s positive attributes, future opportunities

and recent achievements across a broad range of areas including economic development, investment, business and employment, housing, education and lifestyle. These attributes inform and underlie key elements of the Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017.

• Tourism Destination Marketing Strategy – The Tourism Destination Marketing Strategy reflects

the growing importance of tourism to Armadale’s economy. The primary purpose of the Strategy is to identify opportunities that will result in increased tourism within the City of Armadale. It provides an important input to the Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017, particularly in terms of how tourism might play a greater role in local investment, business development and employment creation.

Understanding the policy context and strategic directions for the City of Armadale and its surrounds, helps to inform principles for guiding the City’s economic development as well as the strategies and actions which are designed to realise the vision for the City of Armadale’s Economic Development, not just over the current planning period to 2017 but for the next 20 years and beyond.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN

4 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN 4.1 Council’s Economic Development Charter

The City of Armadale recognises it has an implicit charter to serve its community, and its roles and responsibilities in fulfilling this obligation are multi-faceted. With a positive development attitude, Council embraces its role in facilitating, advocating and supporting the economic development of the ‘Armadale region’. This means it has an important part to play in assisting local businesses (and residents) to adjust to economic challenges and to identify and capitalise on opportunities for economic development as they arise. The City of Armadale is a key player in its local (and regional) economy in a number of ways in that: • It spends money on development infrastructure that facilitates business and community activity

and sustains environmental quality (e.g. roads, drains, parks, and gardens). • It provides important community services that support economic activity and promote the

health and well-being of the local population. These services assist in social cohesion and the development of local identity (e.g. child care, recreation services, aged care, etc.).

• It is an effective partner in the early stages of project development through its role in

development approvals (e.g. planning, building and health). • It is often the first point of contact for local businesses and the community in relation to day-to-

day concerns that affect the immediate environment for business production and quality of life (e.g. local land use conflicts and their resolution, lobbying other spheres of government for attention to problems outside the Council’s responsibility, providing information on changes to regulations, housing controls and so on).

• It has an important advocacy role as a member of the National Growth Areas Alliance,

concerning the costs associated with building socially vibrant, economically viable and environmentally sustainable communities in the outer metropolitan growth areas.

In undertaking these activities, the City of Armadale directly influences the way in which the local and regional economy develops. Consequently, when it comes to economic development, Council recognises that it must play a leadership role and nothing less than best practice in each of its areas of responsibility should be pursued. Council also recognises that a commitment to best practice will be fostered by building a supportive organisational culture. Local Councillors and officers understand that the attitudes they adopt and the decisions that they make resonate in the local business community. This organisational culture is developed by the attitudes of management and by in-house programs and priorities. Just as importantly, the City of Armadale must work within its jurisdiction and resource limitations to support sustainable economic development. Articulating (and budgeting for) the economic development activities and priorities that Council pursues in this regard is a focus of the City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017.

4.2 Guiding Principles for Economic Development Facilitation

The City of Armadale’s economic development vision, and the implementation of strategies to fulfil that vision, is informed by a considered set of economic development planning principles. These principles provide guidance for the implementation of the Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017. In undertaking activities relating to economic development facilitation, the City of Armadale will work to ensure that: • Its economic development strategy and activities are clearly defined and communicated; • Its activities are directed to initiatives that are required and supported by the community; and • Its activities achieve a balance across various economic development strategic action areas. The following guiding principles have been developed for the City of Armadale to articulate the role and scope of Council’s involvement in economic development facilitation, advocacy and support: • The City of Armadale will support innovation, research and development initiatives. • The City of Armadale will focus its resources and energies on activities where there are

measurable outcomes and long term strategic economic benefits. • The City of Armadale will play its role in providing the necessary enablers for economic

development, notably, the provision and maintenance of physical infrastructure under its control, efficient and effective planning and development approvals and the provision of essential community infrastructure, services and facilities.

• The City of Armadale will work to support the development of existing and established

industries as well as fledgling and prospective new industries and employers, to encourage a diversity of economic opportunity and growth in the region.

• The City of Armadale will work together with other regional stakeholders (in government,

institutions and industry) in the pursuit of economic prosperity and the development of local employment opportunities.

• The City of Armadale will consider participation in economic development initiatives that have

defined outcomes; that will benefit the resident and business community of the City; and that have the support and commitment of involvement of the private sector, other governments or agencies, while avoiding a duplication of services and activities.

• The City of Armadale will ensure that its actions in encouraging economic development do not

compromise or place at risk lifestyle attributes and community assets (including but not limited to historic and natural assets) for which it has stewardship.

These key principles have been used to help determine the City of Armadale’s economic development actions as documented in this strategy and they can continue to be used in the future to determine the appropriateness of Council’s involvement in potential projects and initiatives as they arise.

4.3 Outcome Areas

In order for its community to prosper now and in future, the City of Armadale must become a preferred location in which to work, live and invest - its prosperity driven by its diverse and competitive industry base, its appealing lifestyle attributes, its quality infrastructure, the depth and diversity of local skills and the strength of its research and learning institutions. Capitalising on these attributes will require the collaborative and coordinated efforts of the City’s government, non-government and industry leaders to pro-actively support and encourage Armadale’s economic prosperity. With this in mind, a total of 34 recommended actions are presented in this strategy under six strategy outcome areas. The outcome areas are: 1. New Business Investment: a dynamic and diverse local economy. 2. Existing Business Development: strong and profitable local business. 3. Regional Workforce Development: a skilled, mobile and diverse workforce. 4. Marketing the Region: local, national and international recognition. 5. Industry Development: a well-developed relationship with industry, commerce and government. 6. Infrastructure Needs: infrastructure that supports sustainable economic development.

It is intended that collaboration between Council, State and Federal government agencies, businesses, non-government institutions and the community will guide the implementation of the City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy, to achieve ‘whole-of-region’ outcomes now and in the future. Therefore, while the City of Armadale will be solely responsible for the implementation and monitoring of certain economic development facilitation activities, others, identified in this strategy, will be led by other stakeholders with the active or in-principle support of Council.

4.4 Action Plan

The action plan contains initiatives that are designed to stimulate, attract and maintain business activity, investment and employment growth in Armadale, while remaining sensitive to the desire to nurture a City which offers its citizens the best of living and working environments, and is recognised for its community spirit, desirable character, and business success in a safe and sustainable environment. The actions are framed to provide directions for the implementation of projects which will meet key policy objectives and which will have an economic impact. That is, actions have been identified for which relevant partners can play a direct and leading role in their pursuit and implementation. To this end, actions are categorised according to whether they are City-led (what Council can do) and external stakeholder-led (what Council can advocate and support). This economic development action plan provides a broad rationale for each strategy and an accompanying list of key actions or tasks to advance each strategy. The action plan allocates the level of priority assigned to each strategy according to an indicative project prioritisation framework.

City-led actions

External stakeholder-led actions

Outcome Area 1: New Business Investment

(A dynamic and diverse local economy) No. Strategy

Actions Timeframe Primary

Responsibility

Partners 2013/

14 2014/

15 2015/

16 2016/

17

1.1

Market and promote Armadale and its potential to the business and investment communities.

1.1.1 Maintain and disseminate, for the information of prospective investors, key economic performance indicators for the City of Armadale and the wider region.

• City of Armadale

• RDA Perth

1.1.2 Establish and maintain a published register of commercial / industrial land for the information of prospective investors including details of all commercial / industrial land in the City, its location, zoning, dimensions, current status (i.e. use – retail, office, vacant) and relevant qualitative features (e.g. large vacant site strategically located on the South Western and Albany Highways), etc.


• Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA)

• LandCorp

1.1.3 Continue to improve Armadale City’s regulatory environment and make necessary modifications to streamline processes in order to facilitate business attraction, investment and employment growth in the City of Armadale.


• WA Department of Planning

• WAPC

1.1.4 Establish and promote a formal investment attraction strategy and prospectus material for the City of Armadale, anchored by the City’s new positioning statement and image / logo.


• MRA • Shopping Centre

Owners and Managers

1.1.5 Build on capabilities in the Health Care sector / the hospital. Employ strategies to attract more health care professionals to live and work in Armadale.

• WA Department of Health

• City of Armadale • Armadale Health

Service • Armadale-Kelmscott

Memorial Hospital

City-led actions


No. Strategy

Actions Timeframe Primary Responsibility

Partners 2013/

14 2014/

15 2015/

16 2016/

17

1.2 Facilitate targeted economic development opportunity.

1.2.1 Pursue the significant opportunity to progress industrial development in the City of Armadale given the current availability of industrial land, the good location of that land and the supportive planning policies for industrial development in Armadale. This includes establishing a strategy to attract more professional services / office workers to locate in the Armadale city centre. Armadale’s City West area will play an important role in this regard, with potential new commercial activity in professional services helping to diversify the local industry base as well as complementing retail and other activities in the Armadale City Centre including activity centred on the planned Justice Precinct.


• MRA • RDA Perth • Private

Developers

1.2.2 Establish a strategy for attracting light industry; establish a clear vision for light industrial development in Armadale and use this as part of the City’s investment attraction strategy.


• MRA • RDA Perth

1.2.3 South Forrestdale – Rowley Road Precint - Explore the concept of establishing and developing a world-class integrated employment area (IEA) on designated industrial land at South Forrestdale – Rowley Road Precinct. Integrated employment areas are mixed use areas set in a high quality urban environment that provides a level of liveability and lifestyle that investors, managers and workers find attractive. Plan for development of an IEA over the medium-term in line with State planning policies. Promote South Forrestdale – Rowley Road Precint’s proximity to planned urban development at Wungong which will house 40,000 residents over the next 15 to 20 years.


• WAPC

• WAPC

1.2.4 Develop a plan to market and promote the Forrestdale Business Park focus to attract investment; erect entry statements for Forrestdale Business Park.

• MRA • City of Armadale

1.2.5 Forrestdale Business Park (West) - Promote the Forrestdale Business Park (West) area as a high-quality business park; attract a greater diversity of employment-generating industry. Specifically, research the following prospects, to inform the City of Armadale’s investment attraction strategy: • Investigate potential for a freight/logistics cluster of Statewide significance; • Establish a point of difference which will help to attract new industry and

new jobs to Armadale, including: o A greater focus on more knowledge-intensive manufacturing; and o Services to the mining sector.


• WAPC

City-led actions


Outcome Area 2: Existing Business Development

(Strong and profitable local business) No. Strategy


Responsibility

Partners 2013/

14 2014/

15 2015/

16 2016/

17

2.1

Facilitate access to skills enhancement and business development opportunities.

2.1.1 Establish a program for business training, investment support, promotion and development for local small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), micro-businesses and home-based businesses.

• SBDC


• RDA Perth • Business

Armadale 2.1.2 Deliver comprehensive local business information, advisory and

referral services through the establishment and operation of an Armadale Business Links Centre - a one-stop-shop for business information and support services and referrals to other agencies and organisations.

• SBDC



Armadale

2.1.3 Actively support Indigenous enterprise, employment and training opportunities within the City of Armadale (noting that 3% of the City’s population is Indigenous).

• State and Federal Governments


2.2 Advocate private and public capital opportunities (associated with Armadale’s designated role as a Strategic Metropolitan Centre – as per Directions 2031 and Beyond).

2.2.1 Work with the State Government to secure the location or re-location of selected State Government Departments to the Armadale Strategic Metropolitan Centre.


• Western Australia Government

• MRA 2.2.2 Undertake an Armadale City Centre Development Capacity Study

to inform centre planning, attract investment and the purchase and / or utilisation of strategic sites held by Council. This would include an audit of Council-owned land assets. From the sale existing surplus Council-owned land, identify and reinvest in strategic sites to create a strategic land bank.


• MRA • LandCorp

2.2.3 Design and deliver an Armadale City Centre Retail Revitalisation & Attraction Strategy. Employ constructive strategies such as 1. improved parking facilities, 2. more traditional security / surveillance measures, 3. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), to enhance the appeal of the Armadale City Centre as a place to shop, to access services, to enjoy recreation, leisure and entertainment services and facilities and to business.


• MRA • Local

shopping centre owners and managers

City-led actions


No. Strategy

Actions Timeframe Primary Responsibility

Partners 2013/

14 2014/

15 2015/

16 2016/

17

2.2.4 Undertake a comprehensive review and business case assessment of re-vitalisation and re-development options for the Jull Street Mall.


• MRA • Local

shopping centre owners and managers

2.2.5 Explore the feasibility / business case for a Higher Education campus (satellite / branch campus) or University-accredited courses through the existing Polytechnic campus or a possible expanded VET and Higher Education training facility in Armadale. Explore the business case for an integrated learning centre (Secondary-Tertiary) in Armadale.

• Universities • Polytechnic

West

• Department of Education

• Department of Training


2.2.6 Establish the integrated Justice Precinct in the Armadale City Centre. This requires the co-ordinated efforts of Council and the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA). Planning for the development of the Justice Precinct should give consideration to better resourcing the Armadale Police Station. A new Justice Precinct would also provide the opportunity to re-brand this facility to encapsulate its regional function (e.g. South-east Metropolitan Justice Precinct).


• Western Australia Police Department

• Western Australia Department of Justice


• MRA

2.2.7 Explore opportunities for transit-oriented development (TOD) in the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority’s designated ‘City West’ precinct, to complement retail and commercial activity in the city centre.


City-led actions


Outcome Area 3: Regional Workforce Development

(A skilled, mobile and diverse workforce) No. Strategy


Responsibility

Partners 2013/

14 2014/

15 2015/

16 2016/

17

3.1

Facilitate and advocate for the provision of a full range of education and training opportunities.

3.1.1 Explore opportunities and facilitate the attraction of investment for new public and private schools and expansion of existing schools.


• Department of Education

• Private school providers

3.1.2 Establish an Armadale Regional Workforce Development Working Group to critically evaluate local skills training priorities and to establish a co-ordinated strategic response. As a priority, catalyse commitment to a regional strategy by convening an Armadale Skills Training & Employment Forum with representatives of local business, education and training institutions, registered training organisations and key government agencies at the local, State and Federal levels.

• Department. Training and Workforce Development


• Education and training institutions

3.1.3 Facilitate local education and training programs which are responsive to current and emerging industry requirements and opportunities in Armadale and the wider region.

• Department Training and Workforce Development

• SBDC

• Education and training institutions


3.1.4 Identify programs and opportunities to broker partnerships

between government agencies and other economic development stakeholders (including businesses) to address social disadvantage with a view to, among other outcomes, enhancing disadvantaged persons’ prospects for gainful employment.

• Department for Communities


3.2

Facilitate and advocate for an efficient movement network for travel to employment opportunities.

3.2.1 Prepare a transport infrastructure needs assessment and advocate for improvements to Armadale’s critical transport infrastructure gaps and emerging priorities (e.g. the duplication of Armadale Road).


• Department of Transport

• Main Roads WA

City-led actions


Outcome Area 4: Marketing the Region

(Local, national and international recognition) No. Strategy


Responsibility

Partners 2013/14

2014/15

2015/16

2016/17

4.1

Promote and support the Champion Lakes Complex and events.

4.1.1 The Champion Lakes development is a world-class rowing centre. There is opportunity to consolidate Champion Lakes as a nationally-significant water sports complex with further investment in commercial facilities in and around the centre as well as the prospect for a white-water rafting facility.

• MRA • Venues West



4.2

Promote Armadale, nationally and internationally, in partnership with State and Regional tourism initiatives.

4.2.1 Re-visit and re-fresh the City of Armadale’s Tourism Destination Strategy. Specifically, review each of the 12 key actions.


• Western Australian Tourism Commission

4.2.2 Explore opportunities for short-stay accommodation in Armadale by

investigating the feasibility / business case for quality short-stay / tourist accommodation (an Armadale City Centre hotel) coupled with quality restaurants and cafes.


• MRA

4.3 Market and promote the locality of the City of Armadale to residents, stakeholders and the wider Western Australian community.

4.3.1 Design, formalise and co-ordinate City-region branding, promotional materials and a communications plan. Establish and secure shared commitment to a City positioning statement (e.g. “Armadale – Alive with Arts, Armadale – Alive with Events, Armadale – Alive with Business”) and image / logo as the basis for all City marketing and communications material. Strategic efforts to promote positive perceptions of Armadale will be multi-pronged and include: Branding the city centre to city residents, Branding Armadale to the wider Perth and national markets,

including entry statements at major entry points into the City, Foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction strategies. Internal communication (within Council) of the City’s approach to branding / marketing / investment attraction will be the first step in Council’s branding strategy.


• MRA • LandCorp • RDA Perth • Private

Developers • Shopping

Centre Owners and Managers

• Business Armadale

City-led actions


Outcome Area 5: Industry Development

(A well-developed relationship with industry, commerce and government) No. Strategy


Responsibility

Partners 2013/

14 2014/

15 2015/

16 2016/

17

5.1

Develop and maintain relationships with local industries.

5.1.1 Convene a high-level annual Armadale Regional Business and Economic Development Forum. The forum would highlight pertinent economic and community development challenges and opportunities and showcase achievements throughout Armadale and the region. The forum would involve prominent speakers who would be invited to speak on matters of strategic importance to the City of Armadale and to engage local and regional economic development stakeholders, from industry and government, in productive discussion and debate on matters of importance.


• MRA • RDA Perth • Business

Armadale

5.2

Develop and maintain inter-governmental economic development relationships.

5.2.1 Establish an Armadale Regional Economic Development Advisory Group, to provide a forum for Armadale City Council, State and Federal agencies, the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, business representatives (such as Business Armadale, Forrestdale Business Park, local shopping centre owners and managers, etc.) and institutions (e.g. health and education) to engage in communication and information exchange on the region’s economic development matters and to agree on priorities. The advisory group would work at the coalface of local and regional economic development matters, and would act as an important voice for Armadale and the region, to lobby government on pertinent economic development issues and opportunities for the region in a considered, collaborative and strategic fashion.


• MRA • RDA Perth • Business

Armadale

City-led actions


Outcome Area 6: Infrastructure Needs

(Infrastructure that supports sustainable economic development) No. Strategy


Responsibility

Partners 2013/

14 2014/

15 2015/

16 2016/

17

6.1

Identify future infrastructure needs of industry and business and determine funding and implementation options.

6.1.1 Undertake a City of Armadale Infrastructure Audit and survey the needs of the City’s business and industry. Use this information to help inform Council’s infrastructure planning and delivery programs and to lobby the other spheres of government regarding Armadale’s critical infrastructure needs. The audit will be used to inform funding applications to the State and Federal governments for Armadale’s critical infrastructure requirements. Particular attention will be paid to: • The emerging digital economy, broadband capacity and the

National Broadband network (NBN) (also see Action 6.2.2); • Transport infrastructure, including public transport; • Tourism infrastructure (see also Action 4.2.1); • Community infrastructure (e.g. sporting and recreation

facilities); • Health; and • Education.



Armadale

6.2 Advocate appropriate information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure to support industry and business.

6.2.1 Facilitate rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN).

• NBN Co • City of Armadale

6.2.2 Develop a City of Armadale Digital Strategy. • City of Armadale

• NBN Co • Department

of Commerce • RDA Perth

4.5 Project Prioritisation

The economic development strategies and actions have been determined as a result of the findings from extensive research and data analysis coupled with targeted stakeholder consultation. While they are all considered valid and worthwhile, it is acknowledged that resource constraints will make it impossible to act on all recommended actions immediately. This makes it necessary to prioritise opportunities for short to medium-term implementation. The prioritisation of tasks within each action has been guided by two broad sets of assessment criteria – benefit assessment and capacity to implement as outlined below. Benefit Assessment: What benefits will the action deliver to the Armadale community, its residents and businesses if realised? • Will it bring more investment to Armadale? • Is it the sort of investment the community wants? • Will it help to create more jobs? • What sort of jobs will it bring? • Will it create and grow local wealth? • Will it help to reduce leakages and retain and re-circulate more income in the local economy

(through local multipliers)? • Are there other potential impacts (e.g. social, environmental, and cultural)?

Capacity to Implement: • What is the City’s capacity to implement the project or activity?

o Does Council have the organisational capacity? o Does Council have the financial resources? o Does Council have the human resources?

o Does Council have the political and community will (i.e. will the community accept and support the activity)?

• Is it consistent with Council’s Community Plan? • Is it consistent with Council’s economic development objective? • Implementation - who is best placed to drive the opportunity? Based on the above criteria, it can be determined to what extent the action concerned is a high, medium or low priority. It is acknowledged that other criteria can also be applied with the use of local knowledge and consideration of other related objectives.

4.6 Eight Priority Actions

Eight actions identified in Section 4.4 - Action Plan have been identified for further evaluation, to be pursued by the City of Armadale over the course of the next 12 to 24 months. These eight priority actions are: Action No. 1.1.4 - Prepare an Investment Attraction Strategy and Prospectus Action No. 1.2.1 - Attract More Professional Services Workers to Locate in the Armadale City Centre Action No. 2.2.1 - Attract State Government Departments to Locate in the Armadale City Centre Action No. 2.2.2 - Undertake an Armadale City Centre Development Capacity Study Action No. 2.2.6 - Establish the Integrated Justice Precinct in the Armadale City Centre Action No. 3.2.1 - Undertake a Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment Action No. 4.2.2 - Explore Opportunities for Short-Stay Accommodation in Armadale Action No. 6.1.1 - Undertake a City of Armadale Infrastructure Audit These priority tasks for implementation have been identified based on the application of the broad set of assessment criteria detailed in Section 4.5 – Project Prioritisation. The application of the assessment criteria is informed by the research, data analysis and consultation findings documented in this strategy and its supporting background documents. They reflect priorities to advance as short and medium-term priorities. The key tasks for implementation of these eight priority actions are documented overleaf.

4.7 Priority Action Implementation

Action No. 1.1.4 - Prepare an Investment Attraction Strategy and Prospectus

Action:

Establish and promote a formal investment attraction strategy and prospectus material for the City of Armadale, anchored by the City’s new positioning statement and image / logo.

Key Tasks:

1. Prepare a City of Armadale investment prospectus scoping document to confirm the preferred approach and focus of investment attraction. Confirm key industry sectors and local attributes that would form the basis of an investment prospectus document, using the City’s unique selling point (USP) and the vision for the City of Armadale’s economic development.

2. As part of the investment attraction strategy development process, establish and secure a shared commitment to a City positioning statement (e.g. “Armadale – Alive with Arts, Armadale – Alive with Events, Armadale – Alive with Business Opportunities”) and image / logo as the basis for all City marketing and communications material.

3. As part of the investment attraction strategy, establish a strategy for attracting light industry. Specifically, establish a clear vision for light industrial development in Armadale and use this as a key component of the City’s investment attraction strategy.

4. Formalise Council’s investment attraction policy position in relevant Council documentation.

5. Confirm the City of Armadale’s investment opportunities including opportunities to attract inward investment, to attract new residents and to facilitate new business investment from within the City.

6. Design the City of Armadale investment prospectus content.

7. Prepare marketing material and a strategy to deliver the information to the market.

8. Launch the prospectus.

9. Monitor the City’s progress in attracting new investment using the output measures / KPIs presented in this Economic Development Strategy.

Timeframe:

• Commence 2013/14 • Monitor and Review Annually

Primary Responsibility:


Partners:

• Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority • Major Retailers and Stakeholders

Action No. 1.2.1 - Attract More Professional Services Workers to Locate in the Armadale City Centre

Action:

Pursue the significant opportunity to progress industrial development in the City of Armadale given the current availability of industrial land, the good location of that land and the supportive planning policies for industrial development in Armadale. This includes establishing a strategy to attract more professional services / office workers to locate in the Armadale city centre. Armadale’s City West and Wungong areas could play an important role in this regard, with potential new commercial activity in professional services helping to diversify the local industry base as well as complementing retail and other activities in the Armadale City Centre including activity centred on the planned Justice Precinct.

Key Tasks:

1. Prepare an audit of local professional services industries currently operating in the City of Armadale.

2. Identify local gaps and those sectors that could be targeted for establishment or relocation to the Armadale city centre. These include, for example, higher order (advanced) business services (like financial brokerage services, specialist legal advisors, business analysts, specialist engineering services, management consultants, IT specialists, etc.), education and health specialists and higher order personal service providers in the recreation, leisure and entertainment industries.

3. Prepare tailored investment attraction material (as part of the investment prospectus referred to above) to target selected professional services / knowledge-based industries to locate in Armadale.

4. Continue to pro-actively support and promote current and planned efforts to establish the Armadale City Centre as a Strategic Metropolitan Centre as designated in the State Government’s “Directions 2031 and Beyond” spatial framework and strategic plan for the metropolitan Perth and Peel region. This includes progressing catalyst opportunities including the attraction of State Government Departments and the establishment of the Integrated Justice Precinct (refer to subsequent priority actions below).

Timeframe:

• Commence 2013/14 • Complete 2014/15



Partners:

• Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority • RDA Perth • Private Developers

Action No. 2.2.1 - Attract State and Federal Government Offices to Locate in the Armadale City Centre

Action:

Work with the State and Federal Government to secure the location or re-location of selected State and Federal Government Offices to the Armadale Strategic Metropolitan Centre.

Key Tasks:

1. Undertake a study of the benefits of and a business case for the location / re-location of State and Federal Government Offices to Armadale. The study would: • Identify the potential departments and agencies that may be suitable

to locate in Armadale consistent with Government policy to consolidate Armadale as a Strategic metropolitan Centre.

• Undertake a literature review of the benefits of public sector employment in supporting Armadale’s economic development.

• Assess the current public sector workforce (including local, state and federal workforces, departments and agencies) in and in close proximity to Armadale.

• Undertake a locational assessment of potential sites (including constraints, clustering opportunities, etc.) in the Armadale city centre, which could potentially house State or Federal Government Departments.

• Undertake a cost benefit and risk assessment of attracting Government departments and/or agencies and/or workforce. Including risks associated with limited or weak public sector (local, state and federal) employment in the City of Armadale.

• Articulate a business case for the location / re-location of State and Federal Government Departments to Armadale.

2. Using the findings of the study, and as part of the City of Armadale’s investment attraction strategy, design and implement strategies to attract State and Federal Government Departments to locate in Armadale. Deliver appropriate planning, infrastructure support and promotional tools to help establish a ‘cluster’ of State Government Departments in Armadale.

3. Pro-actively liaise with the Western Australian Government in the identification of strategic sites that potentially offer suitable locations for secure buildings which fit Government requirements.

4. In line with other elements of this Economic Development Strategy, investigate and address transport and other infrastructure requirements to support State Government-employed residents in Armadale.

Timeframe:

• Commence 2013/14 • Complete 2015/16 • Monitor and Review Annually



Partners:

• Western Australian Government • Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority

Action No. 2.2.2 - Undertake an Armadale City Centre Development Capacity Study

Action:

Undertake an Armadale City Centre Development Capacity Study to inform centre planning, attract investment and the purchase and / or utilisation of strategic sites held by Council. This would include an audit of Council-owned land assets. From the sale of existing surplus Council-owned land, identify and reinvest in strategic sites to create a strategic land bank.

Key Tasks:

1. In order to ensure that sufficient retail and commercial floorspace is provided in the City of Armadale Strategic Metropolitan Centre at an appropriate scale and form, undertake a study to quantify potential retail and commercial development capacity in Armadale’s retail / commercial precincts over the next 25 years.

2. Using information on forecast population growth, determine, for selected alternative development scenarios (development densities, heights, plot ratios, etc.), the Armadale city centre’s capacity to accommodate retail, commercial (and residential) development over the next 25 years. The development capacity study would demonstrate through 3D computer block models illustrating each scenario, the implications for the Armadale city centre’s future urban form according to each selected alternative development scenario.

3. Study the needs to support the current and future capacity of Kelmscott. 4. In the context of the findings of the development capacity study and the

stated objectives of Council to continue to develop Armadale as a Strategic Metropolitan Centres, audit Council-owned land and identify how it could be strategically released / developed.

5. In line with this objective, identify land that is currently surplus to Council’s use / needs with a view to selling that surplus land, to facilitate strategic reinvestment into a City land bank.

6. Identify and invest in / purchase strategic sites (land bank), from the sale of existing land owned by Council with a view to influencing the development of Armadale as a Strategic Metropolitan Centre with a diverse mix of retail, office, community, entertainment, residential and employment activities, serviced by high-frequency public transport.

Timeframe:




Partners:

• Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority • LandCorp

Action No. 2.2.6 - Establish the Integrated Justice Precinct in the Armadale City Centre

Action:

Establish the Integrated Justice Precinct in the Armadale City Centre.

Key Tasks:

1. Establish a memorandum of understanding to co-ordinate the efforts of Council and the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA) in planning for the development of the Justice Precinct in the Armadale city centre.

2. Develop a memorandum of understanding or deed of agreement between the Department of Justice and WA Police Department for the development of an Integrated Justice Precinct.

3. Secure land reserved for the Justice Precinct in current proposed location. 4. Current Courthouse site to be transferred to Civic Precinct. 5. Agreement on best future use of current Police Station site land. 6. As part of the Justice Precinct planning and development process, investigate

the need for better resourcing the Armadale Police Station. 7. Explore opportunities to re-brand the new integrated facility to encapsulate

its regional function (e.g. South-East Metropolitan Justice Precinct).

Timeframe:



• Western Australian Government • Western Australia Police Department • Western Australia Department of Justice

Partners:

• City of Armadale • Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority

Action No. 3.2.1 - Undertake a Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment

Action:

Prepare a transport infrastructure needs assessment and advocate for improvements to Armadale’s critical transport infrastructure gaps and emerging priorities (e.g. the duplication of Armadale Road and grade separation of railway crossings).

Key Tasks:

1. Prepare an audit of key transport infrastructure for which Council has stewardship.

2. Working with other selected State and Federal Government Departments, establish an audit of strategic transport infrastructure that sits outside Council’s direct control.

3. Map the distribution and routing of existing roads and public transport services in the City of Armadale, and links to key locations and nodes (e.g. Perth Airport, Fremantle Port, etc.).

4. Develop preliminary proposals for local transport improvements which can provide efficient links between activity centres, employment precincts and community facilities in the City of Armadale and to other key nodes and centres outside the City of Armadale.

5. Pro-actively liaise with the State Government regarding how local transport priorities relate to the State Government’s metropolitan transport strategy.

6. Document and present to relevant government agencies as part of infrastructure funding applications, an evidence-based transport infrastructure needs assessment and advocate for improvements to Armadale’s critical transport infrastructure gaps and emerging priorities. Prepare a submission to the Department of Transport advocating for key transport infrastructure improvements which will support economic development in the City of Armadale.

Timeframe:

• 2013/14



Partners:

• Department of Transport • Main Roads WA

Action No. 4.2.2 - Explore Opportunities for Short-Stay Accommodation in Armadale

Action:

Explore opportunities for short-stay accommodation in Armadale by investigating the feasibility / business case for quality short-stay / tourist accommodation (an Armadale City Centre hotel) coupled with quality restaurants and cafes.

Key Tasks:

1. Audit existing tourist and other short-stay accommodation facilities in the City of Armadale and the immediately surrounding areas.

2. Undertake an assessment of the market for short-stay accommodation in the Armadale region.

3. Use the findings of the audit and market assessment to inform the need for short-stay accommodation facilities in Armadale.

4. Prepare a business case for short-stay accommodation facilities in Armadale. Use this information to attract investment in short-stay accommodation facilities in the City of Armadale.

5. Review local planning provisions with a view to facilitating tourism accommodation in selected precincts / sites.

6. Identify Council-owned strategic sites which might be suitable for short-stay accommodation facilities in Armadale (as part of the city centre development capacity study referred to above).

7. Incorporate this information in the City’s investment prospectus material. 8. Engage with the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority to facilitate and

promote the opportunity for developing short-stay accommodation facilities in Armadale.

Timeframe:

• 2014/15



Partners:

• Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority

Action No. 6.1.1 - Undertake a City of Armadale Infrastructure Audit

Action:

Undertake a City of Armadale Infrastructure Audit and survey the needs of the City’s business and industry. Use this information to help inform Council’s infrastructure planning and delivery programs and to lobby the other spheres of government regarding Armadale’s critical infrastructure needs. The audit will be used to inform funding applications to the State and Federal governments for Armadale’s critical infrastructure requirements.

Key Tasks:

1. Working across relevant departments within Council, prepare an audit of key infrastructure for which Council has stewardship. The audit should pay particular attention to: • Broadband capacity and the National Broadband network (NBN); • Transport infrastructure, including public transport; • Tourism infrastructure; • Community infrastructure (e.g. sporting and recreation facilities); • Health; and • Education.

2. Working with other selected State and Federal Government Departments, establish an audit of strategic infrastructure that sits outside Council’s direct control.

3. As input to the audit, survey the needs of Armadale’s businesses with a view to informing key infrastructure gaps. Use the findings of the survey to prioritise essential infrastructure to support the economic development of the City of Armadale.

4. Maintain the audit with a view to using the information to strategically inform Council’s dealings with business and industry, its capital works program and its communication with and lobbying of other spheres of government / agencies responsible for key infrastructure.

Timeframe:

• 2014/15



Partners:

• RDA Perth • Business Armadale

STRATEGY RESOURCING, MONITORING AND REVIEW

5 STRATEGY RESOURCING, MONITORING AND REVIEW 5.1 Resourcing the City of Armadale’s Economic Development Activities

The facilitation and coordination of the City of Armadale’s economic development activities will require the dedication of sufficient human and financial resources. To this end, Council will ensure that its internal and external planning frameworks are resourced adequately, and are efficient. Council also recognises that it needs to harness the expertise, good will and effort of other stakeholders in the wider Armadale community, working to achieve positive economic and employment outcomes. Council advocates a ‘partnership approach’ to economic development to ensure that the potential for complementary opportunities and activities are developed to the benefit of all stakeholders. Co-ordination of economic development objectives, roles and activities is also necessary to ensure that a duplication of activities (and waste of scarce resources) is avoided. To this end, the City of Armadale is committed to promoting a co-ordinated approach to economic development at the local and regional levels. Council recognises the imperative to work to ensure that investment attraction and the development of local businesses is supported by the coordinated activities of other economic development stakeholders. The City of Armadale will pro-actively promote close working relationships amongst the area’s stakeholders and continue to work with the relevant State and Federal Government agencies so that the City of Armadale is at the forefront of State and Commonwealth government policy considerations. Council will also work with other organisations actively involved in promoting the economic development of the Armadale region and with local businesses and members of the community who are directly engaged in and affected by economic development activities and issues on a daily basis.

5.2 Strategy Monitoring and Review

It is intended that the City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy action plan will be continually reviewed and updated during the life of this strategy, led by Council’s Economic Development Manager. Considered collectively, the actions represent a comprehensive strategic implementation agenda for Council (and its partners) to progressively advance over the next five years. Following annual reviews, the strategy and action plan will be updated after five years.

5.3 Key Performance Indicators

In order to monitor progress towards the City of Armadale’s economic development goals, a set of broad and overarching key performance indicators (KPIs) have been developed. The KPIs are quantitative or qualitative measures that provide a simple and reliable means to evaluate the effectiveness of the actions embedded in this strategy. The KPIs are divided into two broad categories – ‘Outcome’ KPIs and ‘Output’ KPIs.

5.3.1 Outcome KPIs

Outcome KPIs measure broad development outcomes at the local government area or regional level and include, for example, economic growth (growth in gross regional product), net business establishments / growth, industry diversification, labour productivity and employment growth. Examination of these KPIs on their own will not be enough to determine the effectiveness of the City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017. But over time, the direction or pace of change in the Outcome KPIs will assist the City of Armadale’s economic development stakeholders in determining whether the strategies and actions are headed in the right direction. Truly competitive regional economies will be characterised by a combination of rising productivity, strong export-oriented activity, full employment and rising income. The Outcome KPIs for the Armadale region have been developed to reflect this. They include: • Higher than previous and / or above-average investment and business growth in Armadale; • Employment growth in a greater diversity of wealth-generating industries in Armadale

compared to the current profile; • A consistent fall in unemployment levels amongst Armadale’s resident labour force; and • Higher levels of employment self-sufficiency in Armadale than is the current situation.

5.3.2 Output KPIs

A more direct assessment of the success or otherwise of the City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy will be undertaken with the use of the ‘Output’ KPIs. They include assessment of strategy actions and milestones (as articulated herein) and the findings of community / stakeholder satisfaction surveys of Council’s residents and businesses, both existing and prospective. The Output KPIs on which the City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017 will be assessed are shown overleaf. These measures demonstrate a more direct nexus between the actions presented in this Economic Development Strategy and changes in the local community and economy over the life of the strategy. To this end, specific KPIs relating to each of the actions contained in this strategy are being built into Council’s organisational KPIs.

TABLE 3. ECONOMIC DEVE LOPME NT STRATEGY ‘OUTPUT ’ KE Y PE RFORMANCE INDICATORS

Output Measure / KPI Description

1. Investment facilitation The assessed number of projects and the value of investment

facilitated through or guided by the strategies and actions contained in the City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017.

2. Strategic Metropolitan Centre status

Attainment of the full suite of attributes that are characteristic of a Strategic Metropolitan Centre including a mix of retail, office, community, entertainment, residential and employment activities, serviced by high frequency public transport.

3. Stakeholder / community satisfaction

The satisfaction of identified Armadale City stakeholders as recorded in Council-commissioned satisfaction surveys.

4. Stakeholder contacts The number of contacts with business including attendance at Council-organised economic development / business and industry development events, business investment enquiries, referrals made, meetings held, website hits, etc.

5. Income generation The value of ‘economic development’ grants attracted to the City of Armadale as a direct result of the actions contained in the Economic Development Strategy.

6. Strategy milestone / achievement

The achievement of key milestones in significant economic development project initiatives, which are generally key components of the City of Armadale Economic Development Strategy 2013-2017.

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