4 Page Business Activation Plan summary

BUSINESS ACTIVATION PLAN SNAPSHOT 2021-2023

Lismore City Council recognises important opportunities to renew Lismore and Nimbin as dynamic and flourishing business centres, celebrating our local community and enticing people to our region, the heart of the Northern Rivers.

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Introduction This new Business Activation Plan provides a simple framework with goals and objectives for effective and meaningful action, summarised in this snapshot.

With this Plan we aim to enhance the vibrancy and experience of shared spaces in our town centres, and boost promotion and support opportunities that benefit local business, events and community members.

The Plan guides how Special Business Rate Variation Levy (SBRVL) funds are spent in the Lismore town centre, and helps identify grant opportunities to support Nimbin and larger-scale initiatives.

It will also link with teams and developing initiatives across Council, including the new Tourism Destination Officer in Nimbin.

Running from July 2021 until end June 2023, the Business Activation Plan addresses targeted actions, evaluation and reporting, and will inform planning processes for next steps.

This activation approach is adaptive and COVID-conscious, responsive to new opportunities along with changing impacts on our work, travel, business, social and natural environment.

PLACE GOALS

OBJECTIVES

BUSINESS & EVENTS

VIBRANCY People are excited about being in Lismore and Nimbin business centres. Spaces and activities engage people to try out new things, reflecting our creative and resilient community

EXPERIENCE Streets and spaces are attractive and easy to get around. People feel safe and a sense of connection.

PROMOTION Local centres, events and business community are showcased. Signature events are well loved and attended, and businesses leverage these event opportunities

SUPPORT

V1. Build on Lismore Laneways pilot to creatively and strategically enable activities and connect sites across the city

E1. Enhance wayfinding to meaningfully connect business centre precincts and attractions

P1. Deliver new Business Activation marketing and communications strategy, amplifying promotions, stories and engagement for growth

S1. Offer local businesses access to learning and training programs, which benefit growth, resilience and innovation

V2. Leverage key events across Lismore and Nimbin, to boost visitor numbers, attendees’ experience, and local business patronage

E2. Mobilise parklets to create appealing and versatile spaces for people to enjoy taking time in business centres

P2. Highlight upcoming events to benefit local business, community members and visitor engagement

S2. Pilot microgrant program, supporting new and innovative activation ideas to be realised in town business spaces

V3. Celebrate our community, including First Nations and local people’s diverse heritage, stories and vision for the future

E3. Increase urban greening across business centres for shade, street appeal, and wellbeing benefits

S3. Support local businesses to access sustainable innovation opportunities, leverage online technologies and encourage startup community development

V4. Bring spaces to life and engage visitors with cultural placemaking

E4. Contribute to improved streetscapes, benefiting business centre ambience, perceived safety, and boosting day and nighttime economy

S4. Communicate helpful information that supports business stakeholders to achieve shared goals for Lismore and Nimbin

LISMORE CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS ACTIVATION PLAN – SNAPSHOT 2021-2023

Programs, opportunities and information resources are offered to help existing and new businesses to flourish in Nimbin and Lismore

How to get involved For local businesses and organisations • Seek Lismore Event Activation Sponsorship of up to $5,000 - to help you present and promote events with capacity to attract people to the city to shop, do business, visit and play. See guidelines here www.lismore.nsw.gov.au/businessactivation-plan • Connect with the CBD Activation Officer to develop ways to make the most of local events, which might include promotional offers from your business, complementary activities, and marketing opportunities that align with the event and target audiences.

Contact kathryn.gray@lismore.nsw.gov. au to discuss ideas, queries and Business Activation Plan updates. A handy resource kit and case studies is currently being developed to support local businesses leverage event opportunities.

• Express your interest to get involved in urban greening and other improvement campaigns across business centres. Piloting with greening Lismore Laneways in August 2021, where we are offering elegant and hardy greenery for local businesses to care for. We will announce further opportunities across the CBD soon.

• Stay tuned to engage with new promotional campaigns - to help showcase our growing business community and

investment opportunities; attract visitors to our amazing local spaces and events; tie into new tourism strategies for Lismore and Nimbin; and to celebrate our place and our people.

• Access learning and training programs, which we will partner to deliver to benefit local business growth, resilience and innovation.

• Gain helpful information resources that we are developing with colleagues, to help you access grant opportunities and to work with Council in areas like development, procurement, events, film, and starting or moving your business here.

For local community groups And creative catalysers • Seek Lismore Activation Microgrant of $1,000 to $5,000 - to help you realise new and innovative activation ideas in Lismore business centre spaces. You will need to engage with relevant business and community stakeholders with your planning, so that your application shows capacity to create vibrancy, connection and local visitation. See guidelines here www. lismore.nsw.gov.au/business-activationplan • Connect with the CBD Activation Officer to discuss your ideas and queries, as there will be emerging opportunities for activation.

Contact kathryn.gray@lismore.nsw.gov.au to find out updates on a range of programs, handy resources to help people work with Lismore City Council, and Plan outcomes in development.

Reporting & reflecting • Quarterly updates about outcomes, learnings, opportunities, in alignment with

Lismore City Council’s Economic Development Team will • Seek and promote funding programs – including opportunities for activation initiatives in Nimbin and for projects beyond the scale of SBRVL funding.

LCC implementation and reporting cycle. Updates to be shared with Activation Working Group, along with news, stories and opportunities through Business e-newsletter • Action evaluation against

• Establish an Activation Working Group and engage regularly with stakeholders, to inform planning and delivery, and share outcomes and impact.

• Work collaboratively across Council to add value for business activation in line with bigger projects – for instance across lighting and greening upgrades, roads and footpaths, and other infrastructure, planning, development, innovation, cultural and tourism initiatives.

• Let you know about Business Activation Plan details, outcomes and emerging opportunities. We want to engage your involvement for meaningful progress and benefits, and to be transparent along the

performance measures, addressing feedback, quantitative and qualitative data analysis • Feedback loops include surveys and updates via Your Say Lismore, and six-monthly snapshots shared with business and community stakeholders • Whole-of-Council approach to business activation and related opportunities, working in collaboration with other Lismore City Council teams and with external partners.

way. You can sign up for updates at.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATSKY

Business Activation Plan Principles Connected

Supports or develops connections across and between town centres

Inclusive

Focuses on person-centred activities that are accessible to all

Collaborative & in Partnership Presents opportunities to partner with other organisations, agencies, or peak bodies

Strategic Leverages work underway, and aligns with priorities identified in Council, State and Federal government plans and strategies

Experimental Tries and tests new ideas that support business activation

Background The Economic Development Team has developed this Plan with business stakeholders and colleagues, including representatives of the Lismore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nimbin Chamber of Commerce, Lismore Square, Regional Development Australia – Northern Rivers, Lismore City Council and staff.

Thanks to everyone involved, we reviewed previous reports, plans and efforts; held community workshops and online engagement; and looked at ongoing impacts of COVID-19, flood and bushfires, along with considerable social and economic changes that now drive growth and pressures across the region.

The Business Activation Plan aims to leverage SBRVL expenditure in Lismore - approximately $300,000 base funds in 2021-22 and $346,000 carried forward (plus salary, coordination and contingency costs) with recurring base funds subject to indexation and rate-paying base changes.

Beyond the scope of this Plan for SBRVL funds are the City Safe Program in Lismore (which receives funding through a separate levy of approximately $204,000 in 2021/22) and the Nimbin SBRVL (approximately $16,000 in 2021/22).

Connecting and collaborating is key to effectively delivering value with this Plan, to complement largerscale projects across Council, and to contribute to economic development and other strategic goals for Lismore, Nimbin and the LGA.

Lismore City Council acknowledge the Widjabul Wia-bal people of Bundjalung nation, Traditional Owners of the land on which we work.

We honour their continuing connection to the land, water and community. We pay our respects to them and their culture, their Elders and community leaders past, present and emerging.

We will work closely with the new Tourism Destination Officer in Nimbin, along with other events and tourism, development and planning, and assets and services staff.

The Business Activation Plan is intended to help us develop and communicate opportunities, outcomes and benefits to businesses and broader stakeholders.

Business Activation Plan details at lismore.nsw.gov.au/businessactivation-plan

Kathryn Gray, CBD Activation Officer 02 6625 0500

kathryn.gray@lismore.nsw.gov.au