Hawkesbury City Council's long-term vision for the local economy has one major weakness, it cannot be measured a new report by Bob Gribbin, the Gazette Business and Economics commentator has found.
That is the conclusion of a new comparative analysis examining the Community Strategic Plans of Hawkesbury, Penrith and The Hills Shire, which argues Hawkesbury is the only one of the three neighbouring councils that has not committed itself to measurable economic targets.
The report, Economic Development Across Three Councils, compares the highest-level strategic plans adopted by each council and asks a simple question: how will residents know whether their council has succeeded?
Its conclusion is stark.
"Hawkesbury is the only one of the three whose economic ambition cannot be measured, and therefore the only one residents cannot hold to account on the numbers."
Three Councils, Three Different Visions
Although Hawkesbury, Penrith and The Hills share Sydney's north-west, each has adopted a very different economic vision.
The report says Hawkesbury's strategy is built around tourism, agriculture, heritage, the creative economy and protecting the area's unique environmental character.
Penrith, by contrast, is pursuing a growth strategy centred on Western Sydney International Airport, the Aerotropolis and the Metro network.
The Hills has positioned itself as a knowledge economy, targeting growth in health, education, advanced manufacturing and professional services.
The report argues none of those approaches is inherently better than another.
Instead, the biggest difference is whether councils have attached measurable targets to their ambitions.
Hawkesbury Has Indicators But No Targets
The analysis notes that Hawkesbury's Our Hawkesbury 2045 Community Strategic Plan includes 13 economic indicators, including:
- Gross Regional Product
- local employment
- business activity
- visitor numbers.
However, it says the plan provides no baseline figures or target outcomes for any of them.
Likewise, it says there are:
- no jobs growth target;
- no Gross Regional Product target;
- no jobs-to-worker ratio target; and
- no explanation of which economic outcomes Council intends to deliver directly and which it intends only to advocate for with other levels of government.
The report concludes that while the plan presents a clear vision, residents have no objective way of determining whether that vision has been achieved.
Neighbours Set the Bar
The comparison highlights the very different approach taken by neighbouring councils.
Penrith has committed to increasing its Gross Regional Product from $12.19 billion to $30 billion by 2041, increasing local employment from 84,000 to 144,500 jobs, lifting its jobs-to-worker ratio from 0.80 to parity, and growing annual visitation from 1.64 million to 2.74 million people.
The Hills Shire has adopted a companion Economic Growth Plan that aims to create 56,000 new jobs by 2041, grow the economy to around $24 billion, and strengthen employment in health, education, manufacturing and professional services.
The report acknowledges both councils face challenges in achieving those goals, with many major transport and infrastructure projects remaining dependent on State and Federal Government investment.
Honest but Difficult to Judge
The report is not entirely critical of Hawkesbury's strategy.
It praises the Council for recognising the realities of the local economy and its environmental constraints.
Rather than chasing rapid urban expansion, the report says Hawkesbury focuses on sectors where it already enjoys natural advantages, including eco-tourism, agribusiness, heritage and the creative industries. It also notes the Council's approach reflects the significant planning limitations imposed by flood and bushfire risk.
However, it argues those strengths do not remove the need for measurable objectives.
"Hawkesbury is the outlier," the report concludes.
"Its Thriving Economy direction lists thirteen indicators but sets no targets for any of them... The result is a plan that reads well but cannot be tested, because nothing in it is pegged to a figure a reader could check in 2045."
Accountability Matters
The report suggests measurable targets are not simply about statistics, they are about public accountability.
Without benchmarks, it argues, residents cannot objectively assess whether Council has succeeded in strengthening the local economy or creating employment opportunities over the next two decades.
As Hawkesbury continues to balance population growth, environmental protection, flood risk and economic development, the report raises an important question for councillors and the community alike:
Should the next review of the Community Strategic Plan include clear economic targets that allow residents to measure success?
Download the report here and let us know what you think?
