14/04/2000

1. Jobs and Dollars
Employment and Investment: What is the relationship?

This theme questions what industry sectors or activities do we want in the west, where and when. What needs to be done to ensure that local people are employed locally? Is local employment important?

2. Dollars and Sense
Economic Development: Who or what is it for?

This theme looks at who benefits from economic development activity and policy and questions how we can best approach the implementation of policy to achieve measurable outcomes.

3. Sense and Success
Core regional competencies: What makes a successful region? Where is Melbourne’s West in relation to these competencies?

This theme examines where Melbourne’s West is placed now in a global and national context: what we do well and where we need to improve. It questions how we can re-position the west to best take advantage of the growing knowledge economy and improve our growth prospects.

4. Success and Challenge
Tradition vs Innovation: What are the best economic development policies for Melbourne’s West? Can we replace the vicious circle with a virtuous one?

This theme challenges the way we ‘do’ economic development and looks at possible ways of increasing innovation both in terms of business development, employment generation, education and governance. It looks at ways of creating sustainable economic growth beyond government infrastructure investment. How can we promote and encourage the development of an enterprising region?