Business Newsletter - Issue 2, 2013 - City of Monash

Mayor’s Column
Welcome to the winter
edition of our newsletter for
local businesses. I hope your
business is riding the ups
and downs of the economy
well and that as you look
around, there is plenty for
you to be optimistic about.
For those of you who own
property in Monash, you
will have recently received
your rates notice in the
mail. Council continues to
make a big effort to keep
Monash’s rates as low as
possible. The result of this
is that Monash continues to
have the lowest average rates
of all Melbourne Councils
(as demonstrated in a recent
Municipal Association of
Victoria survey). We hope
this contributes towards you
thinking that Monash is a
great place to do business.
In keeping with the good
news theme, we were
delighted in June when the
Australian Government
announced they will grant
Council $4.75 million to
create the new Eastern
Innovation Business Centre
in Mulgrave. As you will see
elsewhere in this newsletter,
the centre will provide
vital support to start-up
businesses. It is expected to
create 100 additional jobs in
its first 16 months. We are
also grateful for the ideas
and assistance we received
from the local business
community in developing
a new Economic
Development Strategy for
Monash. The strategy
was adopted in May and
you should start noticing
some new initiatives rolling
out from it shortly.
Unfortunately, we have
also had some very
sad news since our last
newsletter, with longstanding
Councillor Tom
Morrissey passing away in
May. Many of you will have
known Tom personally as he
was a champion for small
business throughout his two
decades on Council. We are
really sorry to have lost Cr
Morrissey, as his dedication
to community service (and
his sense of humour) was
second to none. At the same
time, we warmly welcome
Cr Rebecca Paterson who
has been elected to Council
to fill the vacancy created
by Cr Morrissey’s passing.
Rebecca is looking forward
to getting to know local
community members and
their interests and issues
so I am sure many of you
will have the pleasure of
meeting her soon.
As always, if you would
like to discuss a local issue,
please ring me on 9518
3509, email me at Micaela.
Drieberg@monash.vic.
gov.au or tweet me at
@micaeladrieberg
Micaela Drieberg
Mayor
$4.75 million
grant awarded for
Business Centre
(from P1)
Building on the successes
of the Monash Enterprise
Centre, it will be
constructed on Councilowned
land next to the
centre in Hartnett Close
and is expected to be up
and running by mid-2015.
Council’s application
for the funding – which
was granted under the
Regional Development
Australia Fund – was
supported by Councils
and other groups across
the East and South East of
Melbourne.
“The Eastern Innovation
Business Centre will be a
great asset for the entire
East and South East
region of Melbourne,
as it will contribute new
jobs and wealth across
many municipalities,” Cr
Drieberg said.
For more info about
the Eastern Innovation
Business Centre, contact
Jeffrey McAlpine, Manager
Economic Development
on 9518 3454 or email
ecodev@monash.vic.gov.au