Item No.	Item Title	Page No.
1	Destination Development Quarterly Report	6
2	City of Ipswich Business Visit to Japan and Taiwan	10
3	Event Attraction Opportunity - 2022 Queensland Netball State Age Championships	26

Economic Development Committee NO. 11

12 November 2019

AGENDA

1. Destination Development Quarterly Report

This is a report concerning the outputs and outcomes of council’s Destination Development section as part of the Community, Cultural and Economic Development department for the quarter ending September 2019.

Recommendation

That the report concerning the outputs and outcomes of council’s Destination Development section as part of the Community, Cultural and Economic Development department for the quarter ending September 2019 be received and the contents noted.

2. City of Ipswich Business Visit to Japan and Taiwan

This is a report concerning the proposed Ipswich City Council business mission to Japan and Taiwan from 28 November to 6 December (inclusive of travel) as an update to the previously endorsed report of April 2019 concerning the Japan mission.

The delegation members are:

· ICC Chief Executive Officer – David Farmer

· ICC General Manager Community, Cultural and Economic Development – Ben Pole

The proposed Taiwan extension for four days of qualified business and trade related meetings will incur additional costs estimated to be between $6,500 and $7,500 from the originally estimated costs of the Japan mission being approximately $10,000.

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the proposed business mission to Nerima and Tokyo (Japan) and Nantou, Hsinchu and Taipei (Taiwan) as an extension to the previously endorsed Japan mission be endorsed.

3. Event Attraction Opportunity - 2022 Queensland Netball State Age Championships

This is a report concerning an approach made by Netball Queensland to council to financially support the hosting of the Queensland State Age Championships in Ipswich in June 2022.

Council has been requested to provide a hosting fee of $50,000 ex GST.

A return on investment assessment has been undertaken and it is recommended council offer a lower hosting fee of $35,000 ex GST along with in-kind support to offset event delivery costs to be incurred by Netball Queensland.

Should council proceed, in addition to securing the event for Ipswich and the associated economic return, community benefit and media coverage generated, council will be acknowledged as a sponsor of the event and will receive commensurate benefits.

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That Netball Queensland receive the following support in the 2021-2022 financial year:

- $35,000 ex GST hosting fee

- In-kind support through the provision of rubbish bins and waste removal to the local host club, Ipswich Netball – estimated value $6,200 ex GST

** Item includes confidential papers

and any other items as considered necessary.

Economic Development Committee

Meeting Agenda

12 November

2019

Doc ID No: A5839077

ITEM: 1

SUBJECT: Destination Development Quarterly Report

AUTHOR: Destination Development Manager

DATE: 11 October 2019

Executive Summary

Recommendation/s

That the report concerning the outputs and outcomes of council’s Destination Development section as part of the Community, Cultural and Economic Development department for the quarter ending September 2019 be received and the contents noted.

RELATED PARTIES

Ipswich Tourism Operators Network

Advance Ipswich Theme Linkage

Strengthening our local economy and building prosperity

Purpose of Report/Background

To provide council an update on activities to support growing the visitor economy. The Ipswich tourism sector is made up of entertainment, hospitality and accommodation businesses and employs over 15,000 people across the city. The Ipswich Tourism Operators Network (ITON) represents the local tourism sector and now comprises more than 140 local businesses.

The priorities of the Destination Development team are guided by the City of Ipswich Destination Plan 2019-2023 with a focus on coordinating the Ipswich tourism sector in activities to achieve increasing visitor demand, visitation and expenditure to support employment and investment in the region.

Activity includes business engagement and capability development, programs that support domestic group travel, destination publicity and marketing, and visitor servicing with the aim for Ipswich to be recognised as an accessible daytrip and short break destination within the South East Queensland market.

Council will achieve the targeted growth in market share, visitor arrivals and expenditure by continually increasing the destination product offering through supporting business operators focused on growing their share of the visitor pie, destination programs to drive demand, effective marketing and supporting investment in new visitor experiences and infrastructure.

VISITOR ECONOMY SUMMARY

Latest data from Tourism Research Australia indicates total visitor arrivals to Ipswich increased 20.7 percent or 323,765 visitors to a total 1,890,070 visitors in the 12 months ending June 2019.

Using conservative industry valuation, the Ipswich visitor economy reached $283,263,200 as at June 2019, an increase of $30,024,100 on the previous year.

Table 1: Ipswich LGA Visitor Arrivals Year Ending June 2018 and 2019

Type	YE June 2018	YE June 2019	Variance
Domestic Overnight Arrivals	368,000	422,000	+15%
Day Trip Arrivals	1,175,000	1,1435,000	+22%
International Overnight Arrivals	23,305	33,070	+42%
TOTAL	1,566,305	1,890,070	+21%

Source: Tourism Research Australia, National and International Visitor Survey June 2019

Graph 1: Total Visitor Arrivals Growth by SEQ LGA Year Ending June 2018 to 2019

INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT

Over the past quarter, the Destination Development team met with 30 local operators as part of its ongoing business engagement and support work and the following operators became new members of ITON in the past quarter:

· Bakehouse Steakhouse – stakehouse in historic 1800’s brick bakery in Ipswich Central

· Brookwater Barista – modern café able to cater for functions in Augustine Heights

· Embers and Twine – candles and personalised gifts in Old Flour Mill, Ipswich Central

· Memories of India – large restaurant in historic 1800’s Ulster Hotel, Ipswich Central

· Tallavalley Farm B&B – farm cottage with animals on 50 acre property in Tallegalla

· The Soul Cauldron – mystical and metaphysical bookshop in Old Flour Mill, Ipswich Central

· Villa on Ferguson – Mediterranean themed accommodation in Ipswich Central

INDUSTRY EVENTS DELIVERED

1. ITON (Quarterly event) July 2019

2. Groups Attraction Program Briefing Sessions July 2019

3. VIC Quarterly Staff and Volunteers Familiarisation August 2019

4. Groups Attraction Program – Stonestreet Tours August 2019

5. Groups Attraction Program – Cross Country Tours August 2019

6. Great Houses of Ipswich VIP Tour September 2019

DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT KEY INDICATORS

Table 2: Destination Development Team Outputs and Outcomes for the FY19/20 Year to Date

Type	Metric	19/20 Target	Year To Date	%
Sector Development
Operator Meetings	Number of meetings	90	31	34%
ITON Membership	Number of new members	12	8	66%
ITON Engagement	Number of quarterly events	3	1	33%
Group Attraction	Number of group leads	100	60	60%
Publicity, Content and Digital
Website	Unique visitors	900,000	108,471	12%
Leads	Leads to operators	45,000	15,473	34%
Social Engagement	Consumer engagements	645,420	155,354	24%
Media and Social	Equivalent media value	$436,940	$1,250,000	35%
Content	Content pieces produced	84	51	61%
Visitor Servicing
Financial Value	Sales	$351,178	$85,297	24%
Familiarisations	Number of activities	4	1	25%
Enquiries	Visitor, phone or digital	19,302	4,549	24%
Bus Groups	Number of visitors	3,000	900	30%

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial or resource implications associated with this report.

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

There are no risk management implications associated with this report.

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Local Government Regulation 2012

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

The contents of this report did not require any community consultation.

The work of the Destination Development team is done in consultation and collaboration with members of the Ipswich Tourism Operators Network (ITON) and council’s internal teams.

Conclusion

That the report concerning the outputs and outcomes of council’s Destination Development section as part of the Community, Cultural and Economic Development department for the year ending September 2019 be received and its contents noted.

Alistair Tavares

Destination Development Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Ben Pole

General Manager - Community, Cultural and Economic Development

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”

Economic Development Committee

Meeting Agenda

12 November

2019

Doc ID No: A5863678

ITEM: 2

SUBJECT: City of Ipswich Business Visit to Japan and Taiwan

AUTHOR: Senior Project Officer

DATE: 25 October 2019

Executive Summary

The delegation members are:

· ICC Chief Executive Officer – David Farmer

· ICC General Manager Community, Cultural and Economic Development – Ben Pole

Recommendation/s

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the proposed business mission to Nerima and Tokyo (Japan) and Nantou, Hsinchu and Taipei (Taiwan) as an extension to the previously endorsed Japan mission be endorsed.

RELATED PARTIES

· Nerima City, Japan

· Nantou County, Taiwan

· Hsinchu County, Taiwan

· Trade and Investment Queensland Offices in Japan and Taiwan

· Australian Trade Commission

· Ipswich Region Education Consortium

· Taipei Economic and Cultural Office - Brisbane

Advance Ipswich Theme

Strengthening our local economy and building prosperity

Purpose of Report/Background

At the April 2019 Council Meeting the report concerning an invitation by Nerima City to the City of Ipswich to attend the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Sister City relations was endorsed.

Following this report, the Office of Economic Development provided the Interim Administrator and CEO with an option to extend the Japan mission with an additional Taiwanese sister city business mission whilst in the region.

The close proximity of Nantou, Hsinchu and Taipei (Taiwan) to Nerima (Japan) and the interest shown by Taiwanese government and industry made the option of an extended business mission a more effective and efficient use of council resources than a single-city civic program alone.

Consultation regarding interest and the potential benefits of a short business visit to Nantou County, Hsinchu County and Taipei City was positively received by Trade and Investment Queensland and the Australian Trade Commission.

With this interest confirmed, the Interim Administrator and CEO approved further development by the Office of Economic Development of a focused Japan and Taiwan business mission.

Work has been undertaken by staff to engage with in-market specialists and government officials to plan an itinerary focused on strategic trade, investment and cultural linkages to promote priority Ipswich industries including manufacturing, education, tourism and smart city solutions.

The Trade and Investment Queensland Commissioner to Taiwan recommended leveraging on the relationships with both Hsinchu County and Nantou County to develop opportunities for Ipswich in these key industries as Taiwan is currently Queensland’s fifth largest export market.

Trade and Investment Queensland and the Australian Trade Commission have also both confirmed genuine interest by government and industry in Taipei City relating to the education sector and smart city opportunities.

The City of Ipswich has had a formal sister city relationship with Nantou County since 2016 and a region-to-region agreement with Hsinchu County since 1994.

As the first international business mission of its kind under the new Ipswich City Council, this mission will be assessed and accountable for generating measurable and reportable trade, investment and cultural outcomes.

The Interim Administrator has adopted a policy position not to pursue any new sister city relationships and likewise not to obstruct or cause any damage to any of the current sister city relationships.

Both Nerima (Japan) and Nantou (Taiwan) have requested to receive a visit by Ipswich City Council through the Interim Administrator. Nerima’s invitation was a formal written request addressed to the Interim Administrator. Nantou’s invitation was a personal one from the Nantou Mayor to the Interim Administrator during the recent Nantou visit to Ipswich.

The proposed Japan and Taiwan business mission is an opportunity to maintain these established international relations and is therefore considered to be consistent with the Interim Administrator’s policy position.

The minutes of the 16 April 2019 council meeting cite:

Item 4 – Nerima 25th Anniversary Invitation to City of Ipswich, the Interim Administrator commented that he didn’t feel it was his position as Interim Administrator to make any comment in relation to the appropriateness or the value of the Sister City Relationship as he thought this was a matter for councillors to review.

He also advised that it was not his position to refuse an invitation to attend the event after 25 years of Sister City Relationships and that it was very appropriate that Ipswich honours its relationship with Nerima and continues to do so.

COSTS

Below are the combined costs for the total nine day (including travel) business visit for ICC CEO David Farmer and ICC GM CCED Ben Pole. The final travel costs will also be provided in council’s 2019/2020 Annual Report.

Item	Confirmed	To Be Confirmed	Sub Total
Flights	$11,340		$11,340
Accommodation	$1,260		$1,260
Transfers	$1,100		$1,100
Incidentals		$1,300	$1,300
Gifts	$750	$400	$1,150
Translation Services	$650		$650
Other		$400	$400
TOTAL			$17,200

Offers to cover some accommodation, transfers, meals and translation fees have been received by host cities, but these will not be factored into the mission budget until they are formally confirmed.

Incidental costs have been estimated in accordance with Procedure 43/81 Officer Daily Travel Allowance – Australia and Overseas.

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Local Government Act 2009

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

International travel by council officials carries the inherent risk of negative public perception. This is particularly relevant to Ipswich City Council following the Crime and Corruption Commission’s Operation Windage report identified a wide spectrum of serious governance and integrity failures including corruption, improper use of power and influence for personal benefit and a lack of accountability for public resources. Additionally there have been media reports questioning the transparency and actions of Ipswich City Council during international trips.

This risk may result in negative mainstream media, social media and community commentary for council. Concerns relating to council’s previous conduct and ability to achieve a valid return on investment from such international delegations will possibly be raised and there will be members of the community who have strong views on the appropriateness of international business missions by council.

A significant impact of this risk will be to undermine the positive progress council has made in transforming the organisation’s perception with the community through its many transformational projects and an active commitment to engagement, transparency and good governance. Failure to properly manage and report on the business mission as well as failure to demonstrate a return on the investment for the city is likely to have a negative impact on council’s work to improve its perception and relationship with the community.

This reputational risk includes the Interim Administrator and the Interim Management Committee through the receipt of this report and their decision to endorse or decline its recommendations. Any failure by council officers to fulfil their responsibilities in the successful implementation of the business mission may reflect on the Interim Administrator and the Interim Management Committee.

Council CEO David Farmer and GM CCED Ben Pole also assume the potential for reputational risk as delegates of the business mission. Participation in a business mission associates the delegates with any established negative perceptions linked with international business missions by council.

Council must consider these real risks of negative public perception and reputational risk before endorsing this report and its recommendations.

The likelihood of the risks stated above are somewhat understood by considering the previous resolution of council to proceed with the Japan mission. That report stated clearly the intent of council to send two delegates including the CEO to Nerima (Japan) for a civic visit at an estimated cost of $10,000. This decision did not generate negative mainstream media and there wasn’t any obvious negative social media or community commentary. The proposed extended mission now takes in five key cities and four days of qualified business and trade related meetings, creating substantially more value and potential return for an additional $7,500 investment.

Achieving and communicating the beneficial outcomes for the city from the business mission will generally address the perception and reputation threats however many outcomes may take months to be realised and therefore the immediate risks remain.

To mitigate this risk of negative public perception council has provided all available detail on the business mission schedule and costs as part of its publicly accessible Council Reports. A post-mission activity and outcomes report will also be presented to a future Council Meeting which will be accessible by the public. The council delegates are required to keep a comprehensive travel diary of activities and a record of any gifts, accommodation or hospitality provided by sister city governments or third parties in accordance with Ipswich City Council policy.

Another mitigating action has been to demonstrate the value of the business mission by developing a high quality and maximised itinerary of government and industry engagements. The itinerary components have been thoroughly negotiated with Trade and Investment Queensland, the Australian Trade Commission and relevant local governments. Each of these agencies have, and will continue to contribute their own resources in the delivery of a successful business mission. This ensures multiple levels of transparency and validity of the program as each of those agencies have their own accountabilities and reporting responsibilities.

The proposed itinerary has been developed with active alignment to established and endorsed council priorities. It delivers on key objectives and deliverables as outlined in both council’s adopted Economic and Workforce Development Plan and the Arts and Cultural Strategy. It also complies with council’s recently updated and endorsed International Relations Policy.

If the Interim Administrator decides not to endorse the Taiwan extension there are medium level reputation implications for council with those cities and trade stakeholders. The process of developing a qualified potential itinerary has established expectations from those being engaged and consulted. This risk can be mitigated through the professional relationship which has been established with the stakeholders and the appropriate handling of the decision not to continue with the visit.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

The combined costs for the total nine day (including travel) business visit for ICC CEO David Farmer and ICC GM CCED Ben Pole is approximately $17,500.

Having the CEO and a General Manager traveling for nine days is a significant resource investment by council. However, consultation with Trade and Investment Queensland and the Australian Trade Commission reinforced that a senior delegation would be required to confirm high level meetings and achieve more substantial outcomes for the mission.

The organisation of the business mission has required and will continue to require administrative support from council staff.

Trade and Investment Queensland is providing in-country support at no charge to council.

Nerima City and Nantou County have offered some complementary services including internal transfers, meals, interpreter fees and accommodation. These will not be factored into the mission budget until they are more formally confirmed.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

The Office of Economic Development undertook consultation with the following stakeholders.

· Austrade Japan

· Trade and Investment Commissioners (Taiwan and Japan)

· Ipswich State High School

· Ipswich City Council, Office of the Interim Administrator

· Nerima City Government (International and Domestic City Exchange)

· Nantou County Council

· Hsinchu County Council (in progress)

· Taipei Economic and Cultural Office – Brisbane

The business program reflected the advice received by relevant agencies. Following on from the Nerima Board of Education visit to Ipswich in July this year, Ipswich State High School expressed interest to participate, as a delegate to attend the Nerima Sister City Anniversary program, given the schools active 26 year history with Nerima Board of Education.

Conclusion

This report recommends Council endorse the Ipswich City Council business mission to Japan and Taiwan as an extension of the previously endorsed Japan mission.

It leverages the close proximity of Nantou, Hsinchu and Taipei (Taiwan) to Nerima (Japan) and the interest shown by Taiwanese government and industry to make the option of an extended business mission a more effective and efficient use of council resources than a single-city civic program.

The proposed business mission program and budget has been developed to maximise the benefits for Ipswich on strategic trade, investment and cultural linkages and to promote priority Ipswich industries including manufacturing, education, tourism and smart city solutions.

The report recognises that international travel by council officials carries the inherent risk of negative public perception and this is particularly relevant to Ipswich City Council. But it demonstrates that this business mission has been developed for maximum value and will be conducted with full transparency.

Attachments and Confidential Background Papers

1.	ICC Visit Program to Japan and Taiwan 2019 ⇩

Ben Hayward

Senior Project Officer

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Paul Massingham

Economic Development Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Ben Pole

General Manager - Community, Cultural and Economic Development

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”

Economic Development Committee

Meeting Agenda

12 November

2019

Doc ID No: A5869161

ITEM: 3

SUBJECT: Event Attraction Opportunity - 2022 Queensland Netball State Age Championships

AUTHOR: City Events Manager

DATE: 29 October 2019

Executive Summary

This is a report concerning an approach made by Netball Queensland to council to financially support the hosting of the Queensland State Age Championships in Ipswich in June 2022.

Council has been requested to provide a hosting fee of $50,000 ex GST.

Recommendation/s

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That Netball Queensland receive the following support in the 2021-2022 financial year:

- $35,000 ex GST hosting fee

- In-kind support through the provision of rubbish bins and waste removal to the local host club, Ipswich Netball – estimated value $6,200 ex GST

RELATED PARTIES

Sport and Recreation Team – Ipswich City Council.

Netball Queensland – represented by Justin White.

Ipswich Netball – represented by Gail Lyne.

There are no known conflicts of interest.

Advance Ipswich Theme

Strengthening our local economy and building prosperity

Purpose of Report/Background

Council has been approached by Netball Queensland to support the hosting of the Queensland State Age Championships in Ipswich in June 2022. Council last hosted the QLD State Age Championships in 2018.

Council has been requested to provide a hosting fee of $50,000 ex GST.

The City Events Team have completed an assessment on the event to determine economic return and community benefit to the City of Ipswich.

The assessment is based on the following data supplied by Netball Queensland:

· Four day – three night event

· 3,150 total attendees including 2,500 players, 200 Umpires and 450 Team officials

· Attending partner ration of 1:0.67

· 3% calculated as local attendees

· 52% calculated as intrastate day trip visitors

· 45% calculated as intrastate overnight visitors

· Per head spend is calculated utilising Tourism and Events Queensland visitor data

· Outcomes measured from the 2018 Queensland State Age Championships

The City Events Team recommend council offer a lower hosting fee of $35,000 ex GST along with in-kind support to offset event delivery costs to be incurred by Netball Queensland. This in-kind support (through the provision of bins and waste removal to the local club, Ipswich Netball) has a projected value of $6,200 ex GST.

Council’s return on investment (ROI) is therefore calculated at 1:44, on the projected economic impact of $1,826,380.

In addition, and based on outcomes from the 2018 Queensland State Age event, it is projected that Netball Queensland will generate positive media coverage for the City of Ipswich through their associated activations and strategic marketing and media campaign.

Local club, Ipswich Netball, have been consulted and have agreed to provide the significant volunteer workforce for the event and will receive fundraising opportunities through the event. These are negotiated directly between Netball Queensland and Ipswich Netball.

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Local Government Act 2009 and Local Government Regulation 2012

Section 109 of the Local Government Act 2009 provides local governments with the ability to use discretionary funds in accordance with the requirements prescribed under the Local Government Regulation 2012.

Section 202 of the Local Government Regulation 2012 prescribes a number of requirements for a local government making discretionary funds available.

Council’s Event Sponsorship Policy provides the framework for the management of Ipswich City Council’s Event Sponsorship Program to attract, establish or sustain events which enhance the city’s economic and/or cultural outcomes.

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

The event relies on the Ipswich Netball Club to provide a significant volunteer work force to deliver the event. The Ipswich Netball Club has confirmed their commitment to providing volunteer services for the successful delivery of the event. The Ipswich Netball Club understands the requirements as they provided the same volunteer services for the Queensland State Age Championships in 2018.

There is a risk that council’s offer of a lower hosting fee of $35,000 plus in-kind support will not be accepted by Netball Queensland and the event will go to another region. The City Events Team has assessed the event’s economic return, community benefit and comparative event investments and believes the offer is appropriate.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

The outlined financial support will be covered by dedicated event attraction funding allocated within the 2021-2022 City Events budget. The outlined in-kind support to be provided will be facilitated through Council’s In-kind Assistance Program.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

Meetings have been held with representatives from both Netball Queensland and Ipswich Netball. Ipswich Netball is supportive of council’s bid to host the event.

Conclusion

It is recommended that council offer a hosting fee of $35,000 ex GST along with the outlined in-kind support to secure the 2022 Queensland Netball State Championships for Ipswich.

If this hosting fee is accepted, it is requested that the General Manager, Community, Cultural and Economic Development be given delegation to finalise and execute the contract with Netball Queensland.

Joanna Jordan

City Events Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Carly Gregory

Marketing and Promotion Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Ben Pole

General Manager - Community, Cultural and Economic Development

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”