Outgoing Griffith City Council tourism and economic development boss happy with achievements

Mr Lawrence described his team as “quiet achievers,” and pointed to the development of Widgelli rail hub, helping attract developers like Nordcon, and businesses like ALDI and Quest as achievements. 

“We’ve also attracted eight or nine events here,” citing the Nitro Circus as an example.  

He responded to critics who say he hasn’t been proactive enough. 

“There are some, I think a minority, who think that council should be doing a lot more. I would say to those people they haven’t been engaging with council. If they saw the work we’ve been doing behind the scene, and worked with us, they would understand what we’ve been doing.”

Mr Lawrence also said La Festa’s cancellation “had nothing to do with council… it was a private enterprise", and had harsh words for those critical of him living at Rutherglen in Victoria during his tenure with GCC.

“Get with the real world… where I live is totally immaterial,” he said, saying his outsider perspective and contacts were an advantage for his position.

When asked if he is leaving Griffith in a housing crisis, with rental vacancies below 1 per cent, he said: 

“There is a crisis of sorts, but it’s supply and demand… there is accommodation out there, you’ve just got to go out looking for it. I think there’s enough land being released… there’s about four or five different developments going on at the moment.”

Mr Lawrence said Griffith is underdeveloped with enormous growth potential, and his departing words were the community need “to stop fighting between ourselves and make things happen”.