Our aspirations in Shape 2028

In 2018 our community aspired to create a thriving and vibrant local economy where traditional and new industries are supported and local career, training and education opportunities are expanded - especially for young people. To achieve these outcomes over the next 10 years, our community goals and strategies were identified in the CSP as:

People recognised the strong economy of the Northern Beaches and our well-educated and highly skilled local workforce were experiencing low levels of unemployment. They saw an opportunity to brand our area as a technology savvy and ‘clean and green’ place to do business and that our beach and bush lifestyle was a strong drawcard for retaining commerce.

Our community aspired for businesses to be well-connected and thriving, with our centres attracting a diverse range of businesses that provide opportunities for work, education, leisure and social life. People also wanted the employment opportunities in our local economy to match the skills and needs of the local population.

Locals recognised the complex challenges that could impede these aspirations, including increasing traffic, competing land uses, high-cost housing, changing demographics, lack of key local workers, and lack of education or training opportunities.

People recognised that while many of our concerns were outside the direct control of Council, there was the opportunity for Council to play a key role in advocating for transport, housing and education solutions that would support our economy.

Continuing the conversation

Our community continues to see the need in attracting a diverse range of businesses to the area, particularly as population growth, pressures on infrastructure and competition for land use intensifies. There are different perspectives around land-use integration with some residents seeing an opportunity to incorporate more creative retail and residential options in traditionally industrial areas, while others prioritise industry and jobs.

The impacts of COVID have been felt across the Northern Beaches, particularly among our small businesses. This has been exacerbated by two of our primary industries, namely tourism and hospitality, being two of the industries most affected by State Government lockdowns and the significant reduction in tourists to the area. Council’s business support package helped to provide relief to local businesses where possible through fee waivers and several initiatives to help businesses pivot and adapt to the challenging environment. Council continues to work in partnership with local business chambers and the business community as part of the economic recovery of the area and is seeking ideas from the local community to help businesses recover.

Our community recognises the value of tourism and visitors to the local economy. Our Destination Management Plan, Destination Northern Beaches, was endorsed by Council in September 2021. The five-year strategic plan sets the direction for future growth in our visitor economy, while protecting our environment and our community’s social values.

There is a disconnect between the jobs available in the local area and the highly skilled workforce. There are concerns from the community that the area is losing people to other areas. Feedback from businesses and residents highlight challenges with the offerings at Brookvale TAFE and the perception that courses don’t align with the industries available in the area.

Pay rates on the Northern Beaches are believed to be substantially lower than what is offered in the CBD, forcing residents to commute to the city and further contributing to transport congestion. Some residents have shared that we need to be able to attract big businesses to our local area to help with employment, though this is challenging given the isolated location and transport accessibility to the area.

There are some concerns that most employment activity is concentrated at the southern end of the LGA, rather than being more evenly distributed and closer to areas of residential development. There are also concerns about empty shop fronts and the impact to the local economy and character of an area.

There are a series of key themes when it comes to the local economy:

Local employment

  • There is a strong sense of community and desire to support local businesses with shop local campaigns. This will not only help local business owners in sustaining their livelihoods, but also enhance our local villages with a thriving community
  • Our community remains supportive of Council adopting innovative approaches to working in the area - innovation hubs, start-up businesses, especially in the tech industry
  • COVID has seen a transition to more flexible working arrangements which should continue to be encouraged

Education and skills-based training

  • Many community members would love to see their children be able to access higher education closer to home
  • The idea of a university on the Northern Beaches has been raised and there has been strong support to explore opportunities to align tertiary education opportunities with the new Northern Beaches Hospital precinct
  • The opportunity exists for businesses to work more closely with schools in educating students on available job opportunities and to provide skills-based training

Tourist economy

  • Tourism has the potential to provide significant employment opportunities, although skills shortages has limited the tourism sector’s growth
  • The development of quality experiences that build on recreational assets throughout the region will serve to spread the economic benefits and reduce pressure on key destinations during peak times
  • A focus on attracting and developing events, including business events will help to drive overnight visitation in off peak seasons and mid-week