Shaping the Heart of Growth for Highfields

Project Overview

Project Leader: Highfields & District Business Connections (HDBC)

HDBC is a not-for-profit group of business owners living and working the Highfields area. Our primary purpose is helping local business grow and achieve success in their business through stronger relationships, education and advocacy on their behalf. We were formed 10 years ago and our membership includes more than 40 businesses as well as local schools, police and other government agencies.

Project Scope: Safety | Wellbeing | Connectivity

In 2016, we identified a number of serious community issues emerging in Highfields that will threaten our social and economic future. Through the HDBC, we engaged a specialist advisor to guide us through community, public and private stakeholder consultations and help us find locally lead solutions that would strengthen our community’s safety, wellbeing and connectivity.

Over the last 6 months, we have facilitated meetings and discussions with local leaders, government agencies and relevant institutions to secure support for our vision to attract funding for new catalyst infrastructure in the heart of Highfields. A vision that seeks to encourage growth that delivers local employment, skills, training and lifestyle. We have called this bold initiative:

Highfields Community Heart: Project 2020.

2020 is the year after graduation of the first year 12 level from Highfields State Secondary College. The year Highfields will for the first time have over four hundred 16 -18 year olds in the centre of town after 3pm. Currently our community is not prepared. We do not want to wait and be reactive. We want to use this opportunity to strengthen our local lifestyle and economy as a sustainable community rather than a dormitory suburb. 2020 is a deadline for our community to have a solution in place.

HCHeart: Project 2020’s first priority is to develop an investible business case for a catalyst infrastructure project that addresses youth, education and training but also provides innovative and collaborative business opportunities for the 21st Century.

The HDBC understands that for this vision to succeed, the business case will need to demonstrate strong local growth outcomes and broad regional benefits.

To download the full Presentation, please click on the supporting document.

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