By Jeremy Sollars
BUSINESS and how to attract it to our small towns will be the topic of a two-day conference at Killarney in early November.
Killarney Area Promotions Association (KAPA) will host the event, funded by a $4000 from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal program and the Silvia and Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation.
KAPA president Paul Stumkat said the event was the brainchild of vice-president Judy Abernethy and was part of KAPA’s program of making Killarney “one of the best places to live and work on the Southern Downs”.
Ms Abernethy said the conference title was ‘Inspiration for Small Towns – Economic Development’ and will feature keynote speakers from other Australian regions giving presentations on their own economic development journeys and “the good, the bad and the ugly”.
“The conference is designed to inspire Southern Downs local communities on how to bring more business to our communities,” she said.
“It will be held in Killarney where we already have significant current tourist visitation and very little infrastructure to continue to develop the tourism visits and associated business.
“Business people, tourist operators, individuals interested in economic futures and representatives of community groups throughout the Southern Downs Shire will be encouraged to attend.
“Each individual and each little community which engages with this ‘ideas fest’ for regional economic development will have their own creative responses to the stories and experiences that will be shared during the two days.
“The conference is an opportunity for all those interested in economic development futures on the Southern Downs to be on the same page at the same time with regard to what is possible and ideally, will help us all to prioritise development initiatives for the future.”
Speakers will include Veronica Davidson, elder of Maleny and economic development specialist, Jane Laverty, economic development officer with Byron Bay Shire Council, John Bylicki, president of Stanthorpe Chamber of Commerce, Associate Professor Jon Willis of the University of Queensland and Cr Rick Stanfield of the Scenic Rim Council.
The conference will be held on Saturday 5 November and Sunday 6 November at the Killarney Senior Citizens’ Centre.
Visiting speakers are being accommodated in Killarney by KAPA and all interested guests are invited to join them for dinner at Spring Creek Mountain Cafe on the Saturday evening.
The school bus and local Dave Vardy have been engaged to pick up guests at the Senior Citizens Club in Killarney at 6.30 and drive them back to town after the dinner.
For details on speakers, sessions and how to register, visit Killarney.org.au or call Judy Abernethy on 0417 017 812.
Wickham Farms and the Killarney Co-op are key sponsors of the event.
KAPA is also finalising plans to install a ‘Welcome to Killarney’ entrance statement symbolic of the area on the road into town on the rise known locally as ‘Killarney Hill’. The group is currently awaiting approval from Transport and Main Roads. Updates to follow in the Free Times.
More Killarney news today on pages 14 and 15…
