Coffs Harbour Named Most Innovative Regional Council

Coffs Harbour City Council was last night named the winner of the Most Innovative Regional Council at the inaugural WAVE awards in Wagga Wagga.

The awards aim to highlight the best in innovation practice and recognise those ‘making a wave’ of difference in regional Australia.

The awards form part of the Regional Innovation and Small Business Conference which inspires councils, small business, chambers of commerce, startups, universities and co-working spaces in regional areas to gain knowledge about innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities in regional Australia.

“Council has been engaged in various activities over the last five or more years, to grow strategic opportunities in the technology and innovation space,” said Stephen Saunders, Council’s Section Leader Industry Destination Development.

“We were one of the first cities in Australia to develop a Digital Strategy back in 2011 and were named in the Intelligent Community Forum as one of the world’s Smart21 Communities in 2014.  Based on these endeavours, we are excited about the opportunities that continue to unfold for the entrepreneurs of the region.

“Council’s award winning 6 Degrees initiative – which includes multiple co-working spaces,  the Start-Up Coffs Coast competition, the Coffs Coast Digital Enterprise Programme and the upcoming Incubator Programme – continues to develop digital innovation in our region.

“This award acknowledges the work of the past and the plans for the future that continue to foster a thriving digital and innovation ecosystem in our local community and the many successful businesses that have developed as a result.”

Coffs Harbour City Council has also been at the forefront of developing smart city technologies including free public wifi, cloud based services, water management and security. These services are now being delivered to other councils around Australia through Council’s City Smart Solutions business unit.

Pictured is Stephen Saunders receiving the Award.