The City of Stirling is committed to building a strong and resilient local economy by supporting businesses, enabling investment, and creating vibrant places for people to live, work and visit.
This page provides an overview of our current strategic focus areas and the initiatives we deliver to support business success across the City.
Strategic review and future planning
The City is currently reviewing its Economic and Tourism Development Strategy 2021–2025. to ensure our future direction reflects current industry conditions, business community aspirations, and emerging opportunities.
The updated strategy will guide how we:
- Identify opportunities for business and industry growth
- Support businesses
- Strengthen commercial centres and key precincts
- Enhance the visitor economy through coordinated destination planning
- Prioritise investment that delivers long term economic and community benefits‑term economic and community benefits
This work will align with the City’s broader Sustainable Stirling vision.
Tourism and destination marketing
The City of Stirling is home to some of Western Australia’s most visited destinations, including Scarborough Beach, Karrinyup Shopping Centre and the Beaufort Street precinct. More than one million visitors come to the City each year, supporting over 3,500 tourism jobs and contributing around $380 million to the local economy.
The Economic Development team leads the City’s destination marketing, partnering with organisations such as Destination Perth and Hello Perth to promote our visitor experiences locally, nationally and internationally.
Our goal is to raise awareness of the City’s attractions and operators, increase visitation from day trippers and overnight visitors, and grow visitor spend to support local businesses and strengthen the regional economy.
Investment Attraction
In March 2026, the City launched its first Investment Prospectus, highlighting key economic insights and showcasing the sectors and precincts shaping Stirling’s future. It gives investors and businesses a clear understanding of the City’s strengths, opportunities and strategic direction.
The Economic Development team is focused on making the City an attractive, business‑friendly place to invest by improving the investor experience, identifying locations for long‑term community benefit, and working with industry, developers and government partners to support job‑creating, place‑enhancing projects.
Our role is to guide investment that strengthens economic resilience, activates key areas and contributes to vibrant, sustainable communities.
Ongoing initiatives
These are practical programs delivered year–round to support local businesses and strengthen economic participation across the City.
Celebrating businesses that demonstrate leadership in accessibility and inclusion. The awards encourage practical improvements that make businesses easier for everyone to access and enjoy.
Supporting vibrant neighbourhoods by enabling street-level activation such as alfresco dining and trading. The team continues to streamline processes to help businesses activate public spaces more easily.
As a recognised Small Business-Friendly Local Government, the City commits to:
Providing clear and timely information
Engaging regularly with local businesses
Reducing red tape where possible
Supporting the needs of more than 26,000 businesses.
How we support local businesses
The Economic Development team provides practical support to help local businesses start, grow and succeed. We offer guidance across permits, approvals and development pathways, making it easier for operators to navigate City processes and access information when they need it.
We keep businesses connected through regular updates on economic trends, industry opportunities, workshops and events. Our grants programs encourage innovation, activation and collaboration, supporting projects that enhance local centres and align with Sustainable Stirling priorities.
Through capability building, networking and ongoing engagement with business owners and industry groups, we work to strengthen the business community and create an environment where enterprises of all sizes can thrive.
