By Christine de Kock
EASTERN Suburbs residents will soon be walking past images of the West displayed in bus shelters located in areas such as St Kilda Rd.
Janice Simpson, executive officer of the Greater Western Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GWCCI), said the project would be designed to change how the West is perceived.
She said a photographic competition will be held this year to select 20 entries that show the West at its best. They will then be displayed locally and in the eastern suburbs.
Photographers will be asked to take pictures of the environment, animals, sport and recreation, food, wine, art in public places and other sites as part of the competition.
Ms Simpson said the project resulted from an email survey that was undertaken by GWCCI in November last year.
The survey was sent to 850 addresses and 212 responses were received.
The survey asked how the West was portrayed to the world via the media, whether the image of the West limited business growth, whether there would be greater growth in the West if the image was altered, and sought the respondent’s opinion of the West.
The survey found that 70 per cent of respondents believed business growth would take place if the image of the West was improved or altered, while 40 per cent thought that its present reputation limited growth and development.
A GWCCI assessment of the survey said: “Few respondents believe the West is portrayed as safe, clean, trendy and a good place to live, work and do business. Instead it is portrayed as working class and industrial (71 per cent), an area of high crime and drug use (50 per cent).
Ms Simpson said respondents “were definitely positive of their experience of living in the West but there’s almost a direct inverse correlation as to how they think the West is perceived”.
She said GWCCI would invest about $300,000 over three years in promoting the West through the annual photographic competition.
“Business growth occurs when people believe that the region has got a lot to offer,” she said. For details regarding the project, contact Ms Simpson on 0425 784 232.
