The Western Australian Government has invested $2 Billion in its capital city's northern suburbs (Perth's North West Corridor) during the past decade and is now seriously committed to attracting employment creation opportunities and formulating regional planning policies aimed at encouraging employment oriented development in the area.
The Minister for Planning and Tokyu Corporation, the largest landholder in the North West Corridor, are cooperating in the formulation of a strategy which will lead to the north west corridor becoming an Australian centre of excellence in knowledge based, innovative technologies and service oriented industries. It is intended that the economic network of the corridor have strong linkages into Asia, Europe and North America.

Types of new industries envisaged include:

• Telecommunications and Information Technology
• Science and Technology
• Environment and Natural Resources
• Tourism
• Health and Human Services

The Minister of Planning and Tokyu have explored areas of cooperation on the matter of employment creation in the corridor.

Discussions recognise the need for a strategic model for government and private sector cooperation which identifies a suitable framework for employment growth in the Corridor. Such a strategy will identify administrative and regulatory resources required to facilitate and complement specific industry led employment initiatives ultimately leading to the generation of 50,000 jobs within Tokyu's holdings in the North West Corridor over the next 30 years.

This strategy is called the 'IDEA Project'. Its purpose is to formulate a socially responsible, economic development strategy which can be practically implemented, and which leverages the natural competitive advantages of Perth, Western Australia in a regional and global context.

IDEA is an acronym for:

• Innovation
• Development
• Employment
• Applications