Walking the talk
Boss Lady from The National Grid (TNG), Lara Allport – and what it means to be on the front line of placemaking
"I recently had the privilege of taking part in Investment NSW’s Uptown accelerator program – Uptown is a program designed to fast-track the formation of local business communities and facilitate their growth into vibrant 24-hour economy districts.
The National Grid's HQ is neatly nestled in the very heart of Brookvale Arts District (BAD) – we have been tenants here for over 18 years. As a business owner, a custodian of this community – and someone who is very passionate about placemaking – it was fantastic to be able to leverage TNGs expertise, to contribute to BAD's involvement in this program.
INSW facilitated a suite of workshops and educational sessions which enabled BAD to align its vision for our district, refine our unique brand and build a pitch to attract investment, secure partners and sponsors – which I invite you to watch here. Clearly channeling my inner Nigella Lawson with this presentation! ; )
Myself, John Meredith and Miguel Gonzales, have worked consistently over the last two years to onboard our stakeholders and grow our following, with a view to be active contributors to positive change, here in Brookvale... timely, as the Brookvale Structure Plan 2022 has recently been released for comment – and comment we will!
We are currently embedding our plans to ensure that Brookvale becomes the best version of itself moving forward, working with amazing contributors from Nettleton Tribe, Willow Tree Planning, Lateral studio, Reactivate and Meck (to name a few!) – to deliver a response to council that will endeavour to inspire, protect our sense of belonging and conviviality, highlight the potential and multiple opportunities, and promote the ecological health and biophilia of this incredible precinct.
Nick McDonald from Bucketty's – one of our many innovative and award winning breweries here in Brookvale – recently asked me why I was involved with BAD and so passionate about Brookvale and its future. Put simply – The National Grid has been involved in many excellent placemaking projects over the years. Being involved with BAD enables me to utilise our experience and capabilities – right in the helm of a precinct we have a strong relationship with. Contributing to positive change is what we are deeply passionate about – and having an input in our own backyard – is a tremendous opportunity that I am extremely grateful for.
Watch this space, huge plans and announcements will be made early 2023 and we can't wait to actualise our already well established plans and share the experience with you."
Read the TimeOut Article on pitch night here.