"Like most regions in Australia, our real challenge is to attract new industry to the area," said Jeff Wright, General Manager of Coffs Harbour City Council. "We have the lifestyle and climate advantages, but lack the incentives and inducements of other areas, such as Council owned land for industrial development."
Faced with this scenario, Council turned to its greatest attribute for the answer - the local community, with its broad range of skills, aspirations and total commitment to the area. This led to the establishment of Coffs Harbour Future Development Corporation, a public company with limited guarantee, that became fully operational late in 1995.
With a Board of Directors, comprising seven business people, one from the education sector and the Mayor and General Manager from Council, Coffs Harbour Future employs its own staff and is managed by General Manager, Paul Sullivan.
Council's budget for tourism promotion and economic development, around $500,000 in 1997/98, is managed by this Company. As Coffs Harbour Future continues to develop a capacity to raise its own funds, Council's contribution will drop back.
The objective of the Company is to promote industry, commerce, recreation and tourism within and outside the City of Coffs Harbour. Its strategic vision for economic development is to increase the wealth and per capita income of the Coffs Harbour community through identifying areas of economic potential, marketing, media and community relations.
A major achievement to date has been bringing together tourist operators into a single cohesive body. Providing a regional focus as the 'Holiday Coast', including Bellingen and Nambucca Shires, has been a winner. The result is a highly focused and professional strategy for marketing the many first class tourism products the area has to offer.
The recent opening of an Office in the Sydney CBD, aims to focus on the convention market, both nationally and internationally. Staffed full time, this strategically located Office is marketing directly to the key players in Sydney.
A further major initiative was the publication of a 16 page full colour supplement in The Advocate. Describing Coffs Harbour as, 'a community moving ahead and establishing long term business opportunities for the future', this supplement was sponsored by local companies. This birdseye view of the area and its plans for the future was reproduced in full in the Financial Review on 1 August this year.
For further information on Coffs Harbour Future contact Paul Sullivan, telephone (02) 6652 8824.
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