Business follows people

As well as the massive population expansion the Shire of Busselton has experienced over the past two decades, the economic demographic of the region has also undergone significant growth.

Traditional industries for the region, such as tourism, viticulture, construction and agriculture, have experienced growth, but their dominance has led to vulnerability in Busselton’s economic sustainability.

A rise in professional services has occurred as qualified people choose the sea change lifestyle, however, there are many more opportunities for this area to contribute to the local economy.

Likewise, as the region continues to grow, more multi nationals are moving into town, creating inevitable competition for local smaller retailers.

Inevitably, any industries that establish themselves in the region need to be cohesive with the natural environment, which means that heavy manufacturing or industry is unlikely to be welcome.

South West Development Commission CEO Don Punch said there was a lot of potential to grow job opportunities and income streams in the region and that the challenge was in attracting skilled professionals, and retaining young people.

“We need to provide training opportunities which lead to employment opportunities,” Mr Punch said.

“We have to work to strengthen the tourism and food industries but this needs to be predicated by excellence in those industries.”

Like many others, Mr Punch suggested that hi-tech communications infrastructure could prompt a new kind of business community in the region.

“Communications infrastructure is critical for the region and all sorts of things could operate if those good quality communications links were there.

“The communications revolution has given people an independence they have never had before where they can work from home, and don’t have to be in a central CBD office every day.”

Shire president Troy Buswell said that it was important that the local economy be encouraged to develop depth and complexity beyond the core economic drivers.

“We need to attract core economic drivers that are reflective of the environment, and there are great opportunities for areas like Vasse to develop as technological and educational hubs”"

“The State Government has to be lobbied to use planning policy and a regulatory framework to attract new industry.”

Mr Buswell said that with the addition of a lot of national companies, such as the recently opened Bunnings, the potential was there to make life difficult for local small businesses.

“There will be a transition over the next few years while businesses adapt to the different environment,” he said.

“A lot of national companies come to town but other than employment, they aren’t concerned about contributing to the community, which a lot of the smaller local businesses do.”

Vasse MLA Bernie Masters said that “telecommuting” had major potential for the region.

“Most of the world’s service industries can be carried out by computer and although difficult to establish, the potential of IT to allow for employment from home is the way of the future,” Mr Masters said.

President of the local Chamber of Commerce, Sue Wagner, said that the shire had recently undertaken an economic impact study, which found that strong industry sectors in the area were the construction industry, retail and wholesale industries, property and business services and agricultural industries.

Surprisingly, the study found that the importance of tourism to the region was generally overestimated and that the industry remained highly seasonal.

The study noted that the challenge faced by many coastal locations was the need to broaden the range of activities and that the notion of regional business clusters could be expanded on.

This concept has been successful in places like southern Victoria, with a surfwear cluster, food processing in Shepparton, and biotechnology in Melbourne and Adelaide.

Ms Wagner said with the rapidly growing population, employment and affordable housing would be the two biggest challenges for the region.

Telstra Australian Business Woman of the year finalist and WA Business News 40under40 winner Nikki Griffiths is involved with four small businesses in the region and says she is surprised that more professionals haven’t come to the region.

“There are so many niche markets here and there is so much potential. There is room for so many more businesses,” Ms Griffiths said.

“The customer service industry needs some business development but the chamber of commerce is getting very proactive.

“They want to start service education in schools – we don’t want to lose our young people any more,” Ms Griffiths said.