ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY
pleasing wrap, highlighting the historical
significance of the project. Contractors have been
designated a carpark and have been asked to
avoid using the car parks in the French Quarter.
Contractor incentives have been introduced to
encourage a timely finish.
THE FRAMEWORK
LESSONS LEARNED The study has resulted in a framework being
developed, aimed at directly supporting small
businesses in the lead up to construction,
Supporting Small Businesses Through Disruption
of Major Project – A framework to support business
continuity. The framework highlights cases in both
the Sunshine Coast and New Orleans, where
evidence shows the benefits to small business
when business advisors and economic development
officers take a proactive lead on this topic. It
includes steps and actions to take to prepare
business owners, to provide them with the best
chance of survival.
Following the lessons learned, a new approach
has been applied for stage two of the project which
began in Sept 2018, some of these include; More
efficient work planning, improved fencing with
the Arts Council designing a more aesthetically It is in my opinion, when a proactive approach is
taken, business owners are much more prepared,
more informed and more responsible to act to
mitigate the impact, reducing the negative media
attention.
In all the projects I’ve researched and examined
over the past three years, this project would have
to be one of the most complex and challenging
projects I’ve ever come across. It came with an
aggressive timeline, ageing infrastructure and large
visitor numbers.
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