Event Public Policy Development in the Northern Sub-Regional Organisation of Councils, Queensland Australia

ABSTRACT

Over the last two decades, Australia has witnessed the emergence of a socially and economically significant event industry with an increasingly professional profile. Many governments, as stakeholders in the development of events, have produced policies designed to facilitate the growth and potential of events as a platform for industry and economic development (Burgan and Mules, 2000). Thus, events are increasingly becoming an integral and essential component of regional development. The purpose of this qualitative study was to analyse and evaluate public policies pertaining to events produced from 1980 to 2002 by the Northern Sub-Regional Organisation of Councils (NORSROC) located in South East Queensland's Sunshine Coast, Australia.

The seven NORSROC local governments are situated in and around the tourist region of the Sunshine Coast of Queensland. The results of analysis revealed NORSROC members, over a twenty-two year period, produced a scant number of non-specific event policies that were developed in what appeared to be a small and potentially insular event policy community. Furthermore, NORSROC public policies appeared to give little recognition to events as a vehicle to facilitate entrepreneurial enterprises and/or regional development. Arguably, the sustainability of events in the region will be severely curtailed if NORSROC members do not adopt a more whole of government, proactive entrepreneurial approach to the development of event public policy so they can ensure in future years, they have “something to offer everyone” (Touring the Sunshine Coast, 2003, p. 1).

Key Words:

• Australian local government
• public policy
• events
• content analysis
• policy community