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IBC Welcomes Council's Support for 'Advantage Wollongong'
The region’s peak business organisation, the Illawarra Business Chamber has welcomed this week’s decision by Wollongong City Council to establish a new peak economic body to be known as “Advantage Wollongong”.
IBC CEO Mark Grimson said the decision by Councillors at Monday night’s meeting had the potential to be a significant step in the future economic development of the region.
The new organisation will play an important co-ordination role in bringing together to various organisations, both from private sector and various government agencies, he said.
Most importantly this organisation will help ensure that we as a region “Speak with One Voice” when going to Government on major issues of importance to the future development of the region, such as the provision of key infrastructure projects.
The demonstrated benefits of having a peak economic coordination body such as Advantage Wollongong was evident from the trip to Queensland last year of which IBC participated.
The Advantage Wollongong model is similar to that of those developed in regional centres as Cairns and Townsville which have benefited greatly from a more collaborative and focused approach to economic development of their respective regions.
Advantage Wollongong clearly has a key role to advocate and co-ordinate the issues that are key to the future economic development of our city and the region, including issues such as investment attraction and the wider infrastructure needs that are pivotal to our future employment growth.
IBC commends Council on having the vision to support such an initiative and stands ready to play its role in contributing to the success of the organisation.
