2008 Economic Gardening Gathering in Steamboat: John Grace And Jane Robinson

1. ECONOMIC GARDENING An example of one style of Economic Gardening from ‘Down Under’ Illawarra R D A

2. Where do we come from? The Illawarra region: 50 miles South of Sydney Beautiful coastal region – but with heavy industrial and coal mining heritage 3 main population centres: Wollongong City - 195,000 people Shellharbour City - 62,000 people Kiama Municipality - 20,000 people

3. Where is Shellharbour?

4. Steel and Coal

5. Wollongong Boat Harbour Gerringong Beach and township - Kiama

6. Shellharbour – old village and Boatharbour Shellharbour Village

7. The SEA CLIFF Bridge

17. EG Shellharbour (continued) 2. The BOOT CAMP - an intensive, full-day business workshop. Activities are closely observed to help the team identify business operators who will benefit from the program.

18. EG Shellharbour (continued) 3. Business HEALTH CHECK offered to identified businesses. Advice provided by the financial consultant to the EG team from about the financial strength of businesses.

22. The Team Jane & John – Project management and design Bob Ashford – Coordinating consultant Juliet Scrine - Marketing Dick Bradley – Business planning, benchmarking and finance Andrew Thornberry – e - business and IT

24. Diverse group of Participating Businesses Some examples: Capital Aircraft Services Avionics and gas turbine specialists

25. Healthy Earth Fertilisers Fertiliser manufacturers for sustainable agriculture and horticulture

26. Cooks C onfectionery Confectionery manufacturers and wholesalers

27. COSMO LIGHTING Lighting engineers, manufacturers and retailers

28. Landscape and Commercial Photographer www.deekramer.com

29. Corporate promotional management - Cash-back programs - Sweepstakes and competition administration

30. Boat manufacturers and rental franchisors www.boabboathire.com.au

31. Specialists in converting coaches into motor homes (RVs)

32. Specialist retailers of car audio, video, security, navigation and home theatre – retail outlet and e business

33. A to Z Embroidery Commercial embroidery – corporate logos

34. Aircraft Maintenance Centre Commercial Light Aircraft Maintenance

36. Creating a virtual entrepreneur community

38. Thank you We are grateful to many people for persevering with us as we tried to implement a strategy that was very different to traditional economic development practices in Australia. (In particular Shellharbour City Council who dared to go where other Councils couldn’t be bothered to tread) Our special thanks to Chris Gibbons who inspired us to try Economic Gardening in ‘our patch’! Illawarra R D A