YORK   
A RISKY BUSINESS

Should the Shire of York employ an Economic Development Officer in the near future, here is what this person may have to contend with, besides being massively underpaid and heavily over-worked.

There is the Ten Commandments for commercial viability and sustainable growth for rural communities, particularly in close proximity to a large population. York does not adhere to any one of them because it has:-

1. A moribund, compliance deficient, directionless Shire of York Administration currently devoid of any forward planning ideas and proposals to assist in developing new commercially viable manufacturing, retail and tourism businesses. (Supposedly, in all fairness, the Alluwana Farm, waste disposal project could be called an incredibly myopic attempt at a horrible, low-rent business development, but that is as good as it gets.)

2. A Shire of York Administration currently without a Senior Management structure to assist in such development. There is still no permanent Chief-Executive-Officer, no Manager of Planning Services, Health and Building Services, Building Inspectors or Works Manager to undertake any form of positive forward planning, advice and any direct or indirect assistance in new business facilitation.

3. Given the past performance of the Shire of York Administration with its attendant, continuous adverse publicity it is highly unlikely to have the ability to attract suitably credentialed and experienced applicants for these positions. (The most feasible scenario is for any required expertise  to be outsourced from other Councils or provided by other contractors. This may allow the Shire to get the fundamental compliance structures for socio-economic development in place prior to investing heavily in employee resources.)

4. A moribund, dysfunctional and factionalized Shire of York Council which, according to the Minister for Local Government, Tony Simpson, has no current ability to govern properly and which has lost the support of much of the York community and its ratepayers. (The Council, based on past performance, will not be able to avoid suspension)

5. Given this-the Shire of York Council with its attendant, continuous adverse publicity is highly unlikely to attract a sufficient number of appropriately qualified candidates, to stand for council at the next election- and provide good governance for the future.

6.  York’s aging population; currently the second-highest, per-capita, in Western Australia does not provide the appropriate future growth dynamics for new investment based on local community customer support only. Any new supplier of goods and services would require an additional external customer/client base. York has a low, per capita, average annual income of $37,000 which is half that of Australia’s average annual, pre-tax income and close to the basic wage. The local housing market is static at best. Therefore there are no positive economic indicators suggesting easily achievable, rapid economic growth.

7. Unlike Northam and Toodyay, York does not have any form of relatively inexpensive public transport system to create a peri-urban community with a commuter based population, either supplying a significant workforce to the metropolitan area or vice-versa. Its main access road, the Great Southern Highway is a ‘highway’ in name only.

8. York does not have the ‘Headworks’ required to provide additional, inexpensive, power and water supply services to attract small to medium manufacturing industry, in what is a highly competitive market- in a current slow growth sector. Nor does it have the skilled workforce to complement this form of new investment, or a supportive Council commercial rating regime to attract these investors.

9. York does not have any co-ordinated economic support group such as a Chamber of Commerce, Local Businessman’s Association or York-based tourism committee to assist in advising and attracting new manufacturing, retail and tourism business to the town.

10. The Shire of York’s, (both Council and Administration), over investment in a multi-million dollar, mainly public funded, community facility, The York Recreation and Convention Centre, has the ability to create serious fund deficiencies in  the Shire of York Annual budget for the foreseeable future. This could see funding that should be allocated to assist in areas such as promotion, marketing and facilitation to attract new business diverted into keeping the doors of the YRCC open.
It has already taken too long for the Guy Lehmann Report to be released to provide a remedial business plan. This delay suggests the YRCC has serious problems in meeting the basic budgetry requirements to remain solvent.

Statistics, which are adverse in York’s case, do not lie, but they can be improved. Unfortunately current statistics show an alarming rise in unemployment in Rural and Remote WA brought about by the downturn in the resources sector. Another factor is the failure of Royalties for Regions funding to be used for improvement in basic infrastructure such as rural roads, rail, and additional utility services.

It is nice to have a drink, in a nice bar, in a nice community owned tavern- when it’s actually open. But that is only when you can both afford a drink- and afford the Tavern. That is the York conundrum.