Shut up and listen, says expert

Professor Ken Stott from USQ, Rae Gate from Gympie Regional Council, Bridgett Edwards from DEEDI, Dr Ernesto Sirolli and Julie Arthur from FCRC.

Contributed

"SHUT up and listen."

This was one of the key messages that a world-renowned economic development expert wanted Fraser Coast decision-makers to heed yesterday.

Dr Ernesto Sirolli, author of the book, Ripples from the Zambezi: Passion, Entrepreneurship, and the Rebirth of Local Economies, spoke to an audience of business owners, university students, Chamber of Commerce and Urban Development Institute of Australia representatives, as well as councillors from the Fraser Coast, Gympie and North Burnett in a seminar in Hervey Bay yesterday.

In his book, Dr Sirolli writes: "the future of every community lies in capturing the energy, imagination, intelligence, and passion of its people."

The key to this was listening to those people and finding ways to facilitate their own entrepreneurship by working in partnerships to create local businesses, Dr Sirolli said yesterday.

"Find the people who are self-motivated, find out what they are good at and then put them in contact with people who have the expertise they need."

This would create bottom-up, person-centred, responsive economic development, he said.

Fraser Coast Regional Councillor and member of the UDIA Gerard O'Connell said Dr Sirolli's message was an important one for the region.

"It's about empowerment of people with good ideas and finding partnerships at all levels" said Cr O'Connell, who said the Community Chat noticeboard on the council's website offered residents a chance to have their ideas heard.

Cr O'Connell also pointed to the co-operation between council and the UDIA and Chamber of Commerce as an example of how the Fraser Coast was already working in partnerships.

Local business owner Leif Storoy was also enthusiastic about Dr Sirolli's message of empowering local entrepreneurs, while Cr Julie Arthur called the seminar "engrossing".