In the Australian context policies impacting on economic development have traditionally been the preserve of Commonwealth and state governments. Economic restructuring, particularly since the early 1980’s, has seen the rise of local government as a more active participant in promoting economic development at the local level. What emerged was a highly competitive environment where local governments established their own policies to attract and promote private sector investment and employment growth. Policy makers were faced with the difficult task of identifying the most appropriate policy levers and frameworks that covered a diverse and often competitive range of issues. Australian local governments that established economic development policies were placing themselves in a scenario that was outside the statutory parameters of their legislative frameworks and often well beyond their resource capacity. A prerequisite for effectiveness in this complex area of public policy would be a clear understanding of economic development and the ability of councils to participate in the process. The aim of this research is to establish a model which can explain the role that local government can play in achieving local economic development. By examining the international and Australian literature a broad-based multi-disciplinary model is developed to facilitate interpretation of the concept of economic development in a manner suitable for policy makers in the local government context. This model is tested against in depth case studies of three Australian local governments which have embarked on strong economic development policies. The conclusions focus on the relevance of the model through determining its ‘fit’ with the established policies, and its potential contribution to concept and practice.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/252399 |
| Creators | Jones, Stephen M. |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Detected Language | English |
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