Business Leaders take up change to kick start Economy

The Illawarra Business Chamber's President and CEO are on a mission to learn more about kick-starting regional economies.

Following on from the successful Tale of Two Cities Property Council Forum in September, Les Dion and Greg Fisher will travel to Geelong to meet with the two key speakers to learn more about how Geelong and the Hunter have turned their economies around.

"Our unemployment rate is consistently above the national average" said Les Dion, President of the Illawarra Business Chamber.

"A key part of turning this around is local leadership on economic development and job creation. This trip is about learning from other regions, what their experiences have been and how we can apply this to Wollongong."

There are currently several Federal and State government agencies involved in business attraction in the Illawarra. The IBC as the region's leading business organisation is hoping to increase its contribution to the work of these groups.

"This trip is the first step in understanding how other regions work closely with their business organisations, in ensuring the region reaches its potential." said Greg Fisher, Illawarra Business Chamber CEO.

"These cities have developed successful models that get all of the regions stakeholders working collaboratively which results in business attraction and job creation".

As well as travelling to Geelong, Greg Fisher will also make the trip north to the Hunter. Like Geelong, this region has been able to improve its employment results in recent years, driven by an innovative economic development model.

"There is no one-size-fits-all model for economic development. By visiting other regions we can learn what worked well & use elements of their approaches to suit the Illawarra", said Mr Fisher.