Committee for Melbourne Chairman George Pappas with CEO Sally Capp
A conglomerate of concerned and proactive Melbournites promoting social, cultural and economic change took out the major prize at the inaugural Fast Thinking Innovation Awards in 2008.
When Australia’s most respected journal dedicated to Australian and international innovative activity initiated its annual award program in 2008, it was clear that the ensuing winners would need to be more than just ‘innovative’: they must be exemplars of innovative processes on a global scale. After evaluating in excess of 200 entries over nine months, the Fast Th inking award panel arrived at a final selection for its major award that was as surprising as it was fitting. Not a scientist nor a technologist in sight – congratulations were due to the Committee for Melbourne.
The Committee is a conglomeration of concerned representatives from 170 of Melbourne’s major private sector companies, government departments, not-for-profit organisations, universities and cultural institutions, and has variously been referred to as an ‘ideas venture capitalist’, an ‘apolitical amalgam for change’ and the ‘glue of the Melbourne community’ – some impressive accolades for an organisation many Melbournites, let alone Australians, have never even heard of.
Accepting the buck
With the common interest of keeping Melbourne at the forefront of the world’s cities, the Committee works to enhance the city’s liveability, economic prosperity and investment in cultural capital. It’s an ambitious mission statement, particularly as its members’ participation stems from genuine concern for the city’s capacity for innovation rather than any financial incentive. In a society where buck-passing is the favoured method of dealing with responsibility, this kind of initiative is refreshing to see.
According to the Committee’s Chairman, George Pappas, its approach is multifold. “We’ll come up with an idea, assess whether it can make a difference to Melbourne, see whether it’s important enough for us to put resources into it, and get people who are interested and can make a contribution together to assist,” he explains. From there, the next step is to “research issues, come up with ideas and action plans, and fi nd a home for them”.
Ventures in revitalisation
A good example of how the process works is the BioMelbourne Network. When, in 2001, an assessment of the Victorian biotechnology industry concluded that the emerging sector lacked an interactive platform for its participants, the Committee spawned an industry association to fill the gap. With the assistance of some seed funding from the State Government, the BioMelbourne Network is now an independent organisation in its own right and represents half the capital of all the biotechnology companies in Australia.
The Committee has also had a hand in the redevelopment and cultural rejuvenation of the city’s Docklands area, and is responsible for the dramatic increase in direct international flights to Melbourne’s airports – something that was previously identified as being crucial to external investment in the city’s economy. It was also one of the first bodies to identify the threat of climate change.
Education on the agenda
As Melbourne changes, the Committee must also shift its focus to address emerging issues. Higher education is currently high on the agenda. “It’s a major industry for Melbourne, and as the basis for training and equipping the workforce of the future it’s crucial in maintaining our prosperity,” says Pappas. “It’s also a huge export earner, and a very significant job creator, not only in Melbourne but throughout the whole metropolitan area.”
The Committee’s response to this has been the implementation of a taskforce dedicated to increasing the awareness of the importance of tertiary education to the city, and emphasising the need for increasing investment in the sector. At the grassroots level, a committee-led group of future leaders has been responsible for setting up a ‘Welcome Stand’ for international students at Melbourne Airport, with a view towards enriching the experiences of the international student population and securing Melbourne’s recognition as a university city of global standing.
It’s projects like these that illustrate what innovation really means to the Committee of Melbourne, and to the city of Melbourne as a whole. When asked why we should be so concerned about how innovative a city is at the beginning of the 21st century, Pappas is straight to the point. “The world today is all about innovation – if you’re not innovative, then you stagnate. You can’t just sit still and think that what you did 100 years ago is going to work for you today.”
Sustaining liveability
It seems certain that stagnation will not be a reality for Melbourne any time in the foreseeable future. The legacies of its past achievements remain literally visible in the city’s infrastructure and culture, and fortunately its future achievements are guaranteed by the young leaders hatched through the Future Focus Group program.
However, on the road to innovation, the only certainty is uncertainty. At present, the Committee is attempting to equip the city for a surge in population that some sources predict will make Melbourne Australia’s most densely populated city by 2040. “It’s a challenge: how do you sustain your liveability with a population of five or six million people?” muses Pappas.
That’s not to say there aren’t already a host of innovative ideas on the table. “Instead of just increasing the geographic boundaries of the city, we’ve got to have more sensible, high-density usage of our existing space,” Pappas explains. “We’ve got to make our inner-city areas more interesting, we’ve got to make sure that the public transport works there, and that these areas are liveable and have a lifestyle. That’s a big challenge.”
Considering that it seems to pack a punch greater than the administrations of some small countries, the Committee is a deserving overall winner of the inaugural Innovation Award. After flying under the radar of public recognition for most of its 23-year history, it’s the Committee for Melbourne’s time to shine.
Article by Eve Jackson
Website: www.melbourne.org.au
Republished from Australian Innovation 2009 – the print publication
