Knox gets active in business boost

KNOX City Council is set to play a more active role in economic policy development and major projects in a bid to bring better business opportunities to the municipality.
The council has reviewed and rewritten the terms of reference of its Economic Development Committee (EDC) as it seeks to develop opportunities for modern, sustainable industries to come into Knox.
Knox city development director Steve Dunn said the new terms of reference encouraged the committee, which comprises three councillors and three officers, to work more directly and actively on policy development and major projects and to engage more directly with the business community.
“Rather than being a passive organisation that just accepts any development opportunity that comes along, the EDC is determined to encourage and actively seek out development opportunities that will add value to our local economy in the short and longer term,” he said.
Mr Dunn said important factors included the size and skills profile of the emerging workforce and opportunities for local residents, as well as the likelihood of new investment attracting positive support for existing businesses.
Mr Dunn said the council was determined to ensure that future economic development had a modern focus.
For a municipality in which manufacturing, a sector in which employment has been in decline for many years, represented a significant proportion of business, this would mean encouraging new technology industries and recognising that Knox businesses needed to maintain their competitive edge through innovation and the adoption of best practice.
According to EDC chairperson and Taylor Ward councillor Tony Kamitsis, there is plenty of current evidence to show that businesses regard Knox as a great place from which to operate.
Examples include Swinburne University’s announcement of a $10 million centre of sustainability in Wantirna, Aldi supermarket’s investment in Bayswater, the redevelopment of Bayswater Plaza and the announcement of a new science technology cluster in Scoresby planned by nanotechnology company Minifab. “These organisations are providing jobs in Knox and hold promise for longer-term employment opportunities in Knox,” he said.
“A drive down Stud Road through the Rowville Scoresby Employment Precinct demonstrates the great things already achieved through Council, the State Government and industry working together, but I suggest that the best is yet to come,” Cr Kamitsis said.