Kempsey Shire Council has confirmed new committee, including six community representatives, to help drive economic development and tourism in the Macleay Valley.
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This month’s October council meeting saw the membership of the economic development and tourism committee confirmed, appointing the six community representatives as full voting members. The community representatives are Tony Mayne, Maura Luxford, Paul Harwood, Daniel Abela, Gary Scott and Sally Ayre-Smith.
Council received 16 nominations for the committee and an evaluation process was then undertaken to assess experience, the scope of the work to be carried out and relevant industry representation.
The members elected to the committee represent a range of industries including tourism and accommodation, the education sector, hospitality, manufacturing, export, small business, finance and agriculture.
The committee is also made up of councillor Leo Hauville and mayor Liz Campbell as well as three senior staff, the general manager, director corporate and commercial and the manager commercial business. In addition council resolved to appoint three ex-officio members to the committee who don’t have voting rights but bring a broad regional industry knowledge and strong relationships with relevant government agencies. Those members are Jillian Fryer, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet; Kellon Beard, NSW Business Chamber and Alexandra Wyatt, National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The committee will assist council in creation of a new economic development and tourism strategy and provide an opportunity to more directly engage with industry leaders to drive economic growth and tourism in the region. Council was successful in obtaining a $60,000 grant through the Building Better Regions Fund with a further $60,000 to be contributed by Council, the Macleay Valley Business Chamber and the Macleay Valley Business Women’s Network for the development of the new strategy.
The first meeting of the new Economic Development and Tourism Committee will be scheduled in late November with the draft Strategy to be reviewed and publicly exhibited during 2019.
