Growing Precincts Together
Local retail precincts are the heart of our communities. Through the Growing Precincts Together program, Council provides hands-on support to key shopping precincts.
Each financial year, Council works closely with selected featured suburban precincts to support tenants and owners of businesses to promote the precinct as a vibrant and attractive destination. The program develops a partnership between Council and local businesses to achieve the vision for the precinct.
Objectives
Through the Growing Precincts Together Program, Council aims to:
- build a sense of community within the precinct and increase opportunities for local businesses to connect and collaborate
- develop a common language about the precinct (what is on offer and the identity of the precinct)
- increase the number of local stakeholders (business, residents, community groups) involved in local business precinct growth activity
- increase the number of events, activities and promotions delivered within local business precincts
- increase data capture, assessment and analysis for local business precinct performance
- encourage longer visitation, return visitation and new visitation.
Step 1 - Understand
Step 1 - Understand
Council will do preparatory work to understand the unique offering of the precinct and as well as seeking the views of businesses and customers. This includes:
- business audit (vacancy and business mix)
- desktop digital audit of businesses to build an initial email contact list
- identifying business/community groups in the area
- customer and business survey
- prepare inspiration ideas:
- reasons to visit - business directory to call attention to the variety of businesses on offer
- celebrate businesses and the precinct
- collaboration ideas: working with the community (for example community groups)
- collaboration ideas: opportunities for businesses to work with each other.
Step 2 - Engage
Step 2 - Engage
- Precinct information session – a kick-off event to present the precinct analysis (vacancy, business mix), communicate survey findings and present inspiration ideas. This event will also include networking opportunities.
- Precinct connection opportunities – ongoing networking/collaboration opportunity:
- opportunity to network and share ideas for the precincts with other businesses and Council officers
- regularly organised by Council during the first year of working with a precinct
- in precincts with suitable options, can be held in some of the cafes and hospitality venues in the area – each time in a different location. Venues in the precinct interested in hosting a precinct coffee connect meeting can nominate their interest.
Step 3 - Precinct playbook
Step 3 - Precinct playbook
Council will draw on the precinct playbook which offers a framework of opportunities and achievable actions under key headings - promote, support, refresh and activate.
The precinct playbook provides practical advice and information for communities, businesses, local groups, landowners and other organisations on how to make their local centre more active, attractive, and connected. Council will deliver key initiatives from the playbook based on the needs and priorities of each precinct.
Projects
Current projects
Find out about our current Growing Precincts Together projects:
Completed projects
Find out about our completed Growing Precincts Together projects:
Ongoing support
Following the completion of the Growing Precincts Together outcomes in a precinct, Council will continue to:
- provide opportunities for businesses to connect
- update business and vacancy information each year
- email updates to keep the precinct updated about Council's opportunities for businesses
- encourage applications for precinct promotion and activation sponsorship.
More information
For more information about the Growing Precincts Together project, email Council.