Mandurah’s entrepreneurial flair recognised at national awards

A West
Australian council that unleased its community’s entrepreneurial spirit to
tackle unemployment has won Australia’s top award for local government.

The City of Mandurah initiated a series
of programs for
budding entrepreneurs about six years ago to help create jobs and build local
skills in a region marked by rising unemployment.

These
programs – beginning with Mumpreneur 101 for mothers wanting to operate a
home-based business – have led to more than 80 full-time local jobs being
created in the Peel Region and the addition of $6.51 million to gross regional
product (GRP).

For its
success in growing small business, stimulating local job creation, and
contributing to regional growth, the City was awarded the overall 2020
National Award for Local Government at ALGA’s National Local Roads and
Transport Congress in Wagga this week.

Federal Local Government Minister Mark Coulton, who announced the award, congratulated the City of Mandurah and the other category winners for their hard work in delivering targeted, quality services to communities across the nation.

“As a
former mayor, I know how hard our local governments work to build stronger and
more sustainable communities to meet the growing needs of their residents – especially
this year having experienced drought, bushfires, floods and now a pandemic.

“These
long-running awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of local government
in providing Australian communities with services that foster inclusiveness,
diversity, vibrancy and cohesiveness,” he said.

City of
Mandurah Mayor Rhys Williams said the national recognition was a credit to the
local people that have participated in the city’s popular programs.

“These
programs have allowed people to find and develop their passions, hone their
business skills and become really successful at what they do,” he said.

“These are
people who have a great business idea, or want to start their own small
business, but need practical advice on how to go about it – and that’s where these
programs, and the commitment and drive of the participants, have helped
immensely.”

Another WA
council, the Shire of Manjimup, received the Minister Coulton Award for
Progressive Community Leadership for overcoming serious economic challenges
caused by population decline and an over-dependence on the timber industry,
particularly in the town of Manjimup.

As a
result of the shire’s Manjimup Transformed strategy, population decline has been
arrested, school student numbers are up, businesses start-ups are increasing, and
agriculture and tourism now define the area’s future.

The City
of Busselton, in WA, and the City of Greater Dandenong in Victoria were highly
commended for their efforts at boosting productivity through infrastructure and
for addressing violence against women and their children, respectively.

Click here for more information on this year’s NALG winners.