The City of Joondalup is transitioning from an economy focused on population growth to one that is focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, business and investment.
The cafe is doing a roaring trade with kids playing underfoot as grandparents watch on.
The roads are busy with tradies, buses, people on their way to work, mums and dads doing the school run then grabbing a quick bite at a local eatery.
Joondalup Train Station is alive with students making their way to Edith Cowan University and nurses and staff heading to work or coming off shift at Joondalup Health Campus, while Lakeside Joondalup Shopping City opens its doors for brisk trade.
From the lake shores of Neil Hawkins Park to the coastline at Hillarys Boat Harbour, the City of Joondalup is waking up as a great place to live, a great place to work, and a great place to play.
Making innovation the economic driver
Just four decades ago, the land where this daily action takes place was all bush.
As the years passed, Joondalup rose to become a thriving community along the northern coast.
The original ambition for the local economy was to establish shops and services for the community, and fast transport links so people could commute to jobs outside Joondalup.
For many years this worked well. But Joondalup is changing.
With well-established suburbs, services and business centres, the City is focusing on creating local employment through encouraging innovation and investment, relying less on population growth to fuel the economy and more on entrepreneurship powered by innovation and public and private sector investment.
Because while it’s a great place to live and play, Joondalup is also a great place to start a business, invest in new technologies and establish international links that drive economic growth.
More than 30 per cent of locals now base their business or career locally, and that number is always increasing, especially now Joondalup is becoming its own centre, creating the new economic paradigm one innovation at a time.
More opportunities to work locally
In recent years, the City of Joondalup has attracted significant infrastructure investment, transforming the City Centre’s skyline while adding new business capabilities.
A multi-million dollar cyber and digital technology centre has been established at Edith Cowan University’s Joondalup campus, providing training and support for the City’s already thriving start up and cyber security sector.
This came about after the state government selected Joondalup as WA’s first innovation hub, empowered to drive advancements across dynamic industries like technology and health.
Digital innovation is being fostered at the WA AustCyber Node at the Joondalup Innovation Hub, and a world class health precinct is being created through the Joondalup Health Campus - the largest health care facility in the northern suburbs.
Another way Joondalup is growing is through investment in new buildings, such as the high rise Arthouse apartments in the City Centre, and the new Quest Hotel. Other advancements under consideration include digital infrastructure to future proof Joondalup and its community.
On the coast, the breakwaters at Ocean Reef Marina are starting to reach into the sea, clearing the way for the development of a world-class leisure and residential precinct right on the Indian Ocean that will become a major tourist attraction. Not to be outdone, Hillarys Boat Harbour, the City’s global hotspot for tourism, is re-invigorating its vision.
Meanwhile, the City is working with local businesses on being a smart place to do business, to not only grow local businesses but also attract more businesses to Joondalup, attracting investment that will create more local jobs in a diverse range of industries.
Whilst these new developments and initiatives are fostering a brighter present for Joondalup, there are many projects underway that will secure the City’s future for the next generation.
Building Joondalup’s innovative future
The impact of COVID-19 was felt across the City as businesses and homes went into lockdown.
But the City swiftly adapted to this “new normal,” using its experience as a centre for innovation to find ways to continue to operate and even thrive in the challenging circumstances.
Amidst the disruption of COVID-19, Joondalup’s leaders launched the inaugural Business Ready program, connecting industry experts with local businesses to help them develop skills in destination marketing, digital transformation and global market access.
The program was a great success and stood out as an example of the “can do” attitude that has made Joondalup a city on the rise.
After all, the City of Joondalup was the place where the multi-billion dollar online design and publishing start-up Canva[HS1] has its roots, and the Business Ready Program is primed to help find the next big success.
The program is instilling resilience and adaptability within the next generation of business owners and big thinkers, and the City’s young people.
Joondalup is an education hub with a myriad of quality primary and secondary schools, as well as the Joondalup Learning Precinct containing ECU’s internationally recognised Joondalup Campus, North Metropolitan TAFE[CN2] and WA Police Academy.
To equip young people with the skills they’ll need to compete in the modern workplace, the City launched the Joondalup Innovation Challenge.
This initiative draws students from across Perth, splits them into teams and challenges them to come up with solutions to real-world problems faced by Joondalup businesses [HS3] such as tourism bottlenecks, cyber security and COVID-19 adaptation.
The ideas they’ve generated have been quickly developed in a simulated startup environment, with help and leadership from a wide spectrum of experts.
Programs like these show Joondalup is a place where the future is always being shaped positively, with an emphasis on innovation and community to create the conditions for success.
Joondalup’s bright future
Nestled between the idyllic Indian Ocean, bush and iconic wetlands, the City has always been a great place to live and play.
But with a focus on innovation and investment, Joondalup is emerging as a great place to establish a business, encouraging more people to live and work locally.
The City is creating its own future with initiatives like the Business Ready Program that amplify a culture of innovation and community support.
Because that’s what makes a City successful - its people. And in Joondalup, every day, people go about their business knowing they live in a City on the rise. Now is the time, connect with your future.
For further information on investment and business in Joondalup visit the City’s Business Concierge webpage.
