Community workshops hear calls for less council bureaucracy, stronger regional branding and support for growth industries.

Should Ballina become a city?

That was one of the standout ideas to emerge from community consultation sessions shaping Ballina Shire Council’s new Economic Development and Visitor Economy Strategy.

The suggestion featured prominently on a summary slide presented during the second of three business and community workshops, held at Plateau Sports in Alstonville yesterday morning.

The consultation process, which also included sessions in Ballina on Monday and Lennox Head last night, is aimed at helping shape the region’s economic direction over the next decade.

The workshops are being facilitated by consultant Sasha Lennon, who works with councils and regional organisations around Australia on economic development and tourism strategies.

“We want to hear your ideas,” he told participants.

“This is about the vision of the destination over the next 10 years, but in particular, more of an action plan for council over the next five.”

Lennon said the strategy would focus not only on tourism, but broader economic development, investment attraction, workforce planning and supporting local business.

Calls for council to ‘get out of the way’

A recurring theme throughout the Alstonville session was frustration with council bureaucracy and development processes.

Several participants argued council needed to shift from being a regulator to becoming more of a facilitator for business growth.

Retired agriculture industry figure and local chamber exec Andrew Heap said there needed to be a “significant cultural shift from regulation to facilitation”.

“I really believe that there are some very smart people, businessmen in this area who know what they’re doing and just need the help to get what they have in mind across the line in the easiest possible way, rather than in the most time-consuming and difficult way,” he said.

The idea of council “getting out of the way” and speeding up approvals processes was echoed repeatedly during the discussion.

Speaking with Ballina News Daily after the session, Lennon said complaints about red tape and development approvals were common in workshops held around Australia.

“Everywhere I go, there are always issues around things like development approvals, infrastructure shortfalls and bureaucracy,” he told the workshop earlier in the morning.

However, he said Ballina Shire also had significant strengths and opportunities.

Alstonville Wollongbar chamber executive Bill Coulter with Ballina Shire Council Visitor and Economy lead Alanah Ward, consultant Sasha Lennon and council’s Jo Mackellar.

Main image: Mr Lennon with a presentation of key themes from the first Ballina session, with ‘Regional city’ the big bold idea.

Lennon said one of the region’s advantages was the diversity of opportunities spread across the coast, villages and hinterland.

He also stressed the strategy was intended to be “whole-of-shire” rather than Ballina-centric.

“It’s a whole-of-shire economic development and visitor economy strategy,” he said.

Branding, Byron and Ballina’s future

Another major talking point during the workshop was the need for stronger branding and promotion for Ballina Shire and its villages, particularly Alstonville and Wollongbar.

Business owners argued the region was under-promoted compared to neighbouring Byron Bay, despite having major advantages including beaches, waterways, agritourism and sporting facilities.

Several participants said Ballina needed to embrace its connection to Byron rather than compete with it.

The booming horticulture and nursery sector on the Plateau was also identified as a major economic strength with room for further expansion.

Alstonville Plants owner Lynn Sutherland said the region was already one of Australia’s largest “green life” growing areas.

“We employ a lot of people,” she said.

“I want all the green life buyers in Australia to be thinking about how do they buy Northern Rivers.”

Sutherland said the concentration of nurseries across the Plateau was a major advantage, allowing buyers to visit multiple growers within a short distance.

Sports tourism, agritourism, food tourism and improved transport links also featured heavily during the discussions.

Participants pointed to major sporting facilities at Alstonville, growing food businesses and the region’s natural environment as opportunities for future growth.

Have your say

Ballina Shire residents and businesses can still provide feedback as part of the Economic Development and Visitor Economy Strategy consultation process.

Council says community input will help shape priorities for investment, tourism, infrastructure and business support over the next decade.

👉 People can have their say via this link.