| Illawarra Connection Forum speakers (from left) Martin Littler, Profe... Illawarra Connection Forum speakers (from left) Martin Littler, Professor Gerard Sutton (moderator), Stuart Howie, Jessica Saad and David Farmer |
UOW cadet impresses business forum guests
5 Jun 2008 | Nick Hartgerink
University of Wollongong management cadet Jessica Saad impressed an audience of 250 of the region’s business leaders with her presentation to an Illawarra Connection forum on the city’s future this week.
UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Gerard Sutton moderated the forum, which explored strategies for the city to overcome the damaging corruption revelations of the recent ICAC inquiry into Wollongong City Council.
Other speakers on the panel were Council’s general manager David Farmer, Illawarra Mercury editor Stuart Howie and senior funds manager (and Wollongong resident) Martin Littler.
The Illawrara Connection is the region’s business networking organisation, and the forum was the focus of its June dinner held at the Novotel Northbeach.
Ms Saad, who is a UOW management cadet and Dean’s Scholar in the Faculty of Commerce, gave the youth perspective.
Ms Saad said she believed the region’s young people were more concerned with what will happen in the future than what has happened in the past.
“Wollongong has some imbedded ideologies that are stunting the growth of the city,” she said. One was a fixation with promoting the city as being “only an hour from Sydney”.
“We need to be telling people about why they should come here, rather than simply giving them directions,” she said.
Ms Saad also implored the business community to provide more opportunities for talented UOW graduates, so they didn’t have to leave the region when they completed their studies.
Mr Farmer, himself a UOW graduate who returned to Wollongong last year after being general manager of Cairns City Council, said he believed Council had let down the community it serves. However, a strategy was being developed to both restore the financial strength of the organisation and its accountability
“We need to create a corruption-resistant and fair organisation,” he said. “It is up to the leadership of Wollongong City Council to re-earn the trust of the community.”
Mr Howie said the ICAC inquiry should “serve as a catalyst to make us think more clearly about ourselves”. The city had not been well-served by being a “one-party” town, and business, the trade unions and politicians needed to work together for the good of the region.
Summing up at the end of the forum, Professor Sutton said it was clear that all the speakers believed that Wollongong was a fine city, with different definitions of it strengths.
“We must not allow recent problems burden us, and stop us lifting our heads with confidence,” Professor Sutton said.
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