On Thursday Mayor Geoff Kettle and general manager Warwick Bennett called together some 30 business people, political representatives and council staff to thrash out a growth strategy to 2025.

The economic development forum at the Grace Millsom Centre was the first of two.

It came despite completion of a 2020 strategy eight years ago, setting out economic, social and planning goals for Goulburn Mulwaree.

But Mr Bennett defended the forums, saying it was not about Council.

“It’s about what we’ll look like in 2025 and what we want to achieve,” he said.

“That means the whole community and although we’re presenting our budget highlights (for the next four years), it’s not about what Council’s doing...That’s only a small part of it.”

He said Council was a facilitator and much had changed since the 2020 Strategy was completed. The Highland Source project was the biggest “game changer” and Council had not sat down with business since its completion. In addition, the quarry industry had taken off, a new hospital was in the wind and the NBN would arrive by August.

“We need to look afresh,” Mr Bennett said.

Asked whether the forum should have been held before the budget and its $130 million capital expenditure over four years was announced, Mr Bennett said there was never a right time.

“We’ve taken the stance that we need to have a good discussion with business leaders on where we’re going,” he said.

The invitation only event included quarry operators, financial planners, Marian College developer Nicholas Daoud, manufacturers, Peter Mullins from Goulburn Regional Enterprise, the Goulburn and District Chamber of Commerce, real estate agents, police, Corrective Services, councillors and more.

In welcoming participants, Cr Kettle said there had been conjecture about the invitation list.

“But I didn’t want a room full of the usual suspects,” he said.

Earlier, the mayor said he just wanted people who “quietly went about their business.”

No one from The Goulburn Group (TGG) was invited.

President Urs Walterlin said he was disappointed.

Mr Bennett too defended the omission, saying Council regularly met with TGG and knew its expectations.

THE GM outlined what he described as a “bold and visionary” budget with proposed major capital works including a sports stadium, performing arts centre, Wollondilly walking trail and river improvements, CBD renewal, a large injection of road and bridge funding and a new $30m wastewater treatment plant.

He told the crowd that Council had been difficult to do business with in the past but this would change.

Participants then got down to business. They were asked to envision what Goulburn Mulwaree should look like in 2025, how to get there and what role should council and the community play.

Many said the focus had to be on jobs, growing the population, developing to rival Tamworth, Orange and similar regional centres, keeping young people here, beautifying the CBD, improving transport and health services and harnessing renewable energy opportunities.

Speaking on behalf of his group, Cr Andrew Banfield said there was no reason the community couldn’t buy into a solar or wind farm and become fully self sustainable.

“If we’re sustainable, that’s enough for people to say ‘happy days, let’s go and live there,’” he said.

Cr Banfield and others also called for a trades school in an effort to keep more young people here and boost skills.

Others urged closer focus on customer service while many pressed the need to better sell ourselves through branding. “We need to get real. We can’t pass the buck all the time,” Mr Mullins said.

“We need to get professional and get results.”

NSW Farmers Goulburn branch president Margaret Cameron said there was a huge tourism market with passing recreational vehicles but there were not enough parking spots. The Council is rectifying this at the rear of the Visitors Centre.

Real estate agent Barry McEntee injected a slice of reality.

He said local growth groups were fragmented and Council had to be the driver of economic development. Fantastic things had been achieved but in the big picture, they were “lightweight.”

“You have the skills and expertise and a budget behind you,” he said.

“The first thing I’ll think about when I walk out of here is my business and how I keep 15 people employed. We don’t have the time to think about economic development.”

All ideas will be formulated into a draft document, which participants will be asked to discuss in about four months. The council is also organising a second forum on planning and zoning.