Mainstreet Australia is the national voice for main streets, high streets, and town centres across Australia. We exist to support the people, organisations, and communities working to make these vital precincts thrive – connecting main street managers, business associations, councils, and economic development professionals with the knowledge, networks, and advocacy they need to succeed.
For nearly three decades, we’ve championed the value of traditional main streets as the heart of Australian communities – places where local businesses flourish, people gather, and the unique character of our towns and suburbs comes to life.
Mainstreet Australia began as Community Business Centres Victoria (CBCV), a not-for-profit membership association established in Melbourne in 1996 by a group of Victorian practitioners following the first National Mainstreet Conference in Maryborough, Queensland.
The organisation was founded with a clear mission: to create a forum for information exchange, networking, and professional development for those working in traditional high streets, strip shopping precincts, and town centres. -collectively known as main streets.
In its early years, CBCV focused on raising awareness about the critical role of main streets and the professionals managing, marketing, and developing them. The organisation ran conferences, professional development sessions, networking events, and study tours while promoting best practices from Australia and around the world.
A significant milestone came in 1999 when CBCV partnered with the Victorian Government to establish and expand the StreetLife Program, introducing 50 coordinated centre management and marketing programs funded by special levies – one of Australia’s first large-scale implementations of coordinated main street management.
Throughout this period, CBCV also partnered with interstate organisations to deliver biannual Australian Mainstreet Conferences, building a national community of practice and bringing international expertise to Australian shores.
In 2007, CBCV rebranded to Mainstreet Australia, reflecting its evolution into a truly national organisation. The shift acknowledged the growing network of practitioners across the country and formalised partnerships with state-based affiliations like Mainstreet SA.
Mainstreet Australia continued to strengthen connections across borders, hosting National Conferences in partnership with other states and inviting international practitioners to share insights and conduct workshops, enriching Australian practice with global perspectives.
From the beginning, Mainstreet Australia has been a powerful advocate for main streets, lobbying local, state, and federal governments for increased support and funding for coordinated main street management and marketing programs. The organisation has been particularly influential in advocating for levy-based models inspired by Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) operating successfully around the world.
This advocacy has always been grounded in evidence. Mainstreet Australia has commissioned independent research to demonstrate the economic and social value of main streets, including landmark reports on the Economic Value of Main Streets in Victoria (2011 and 2020), providing policymakers with compelling data to inform investment decisions.
Since 1996, Mainstreet Australia has continued to evolve and expand its support for main streets through a comprehensive range of initiatives:
Research & Advocacy: Commissioning independent research and actively lobbying governments for greater support and sustainable funding models for main street programs.
Networking & Professional Development: Hosting opportunities for connection and growth through Night Shift Sessions, workshops, and networking events tailored for main street managers, marketers, and economic development professionals.
Conferences & Resources: Facilitating National Conferences and Centre Manager Summits, while providing a robust library of resources to assist practitioners with planning, management, and activation strategies.
Recognition: Celebrating excellence through the Meet the Main Street Manager case study series and the Mainstreet Australia Awards, which have recognised over 35 outstanding achievements in main street revitalisation since 2009.
Governance & Support: Offering guidance on organisational governance, advocacy, and operational effectiveness to ensure main street organisations can navigate challenges and seize opportunities.
Main streets are more than shopping destinations – they’re the social and economic heart of Australian communities. They’re where small businesses create jobs, where neighbours connect, where local character thrives, and where the vibrancy of our towns and suburbs is most visible.
At Mainstreet Australia, we believe these places deserve dedicated support, strategic investment, and a strong collective voice. That’s why we continue to connect practitioners, advocate for policy change, share knowledge, and champion the people doing the vital work of keeping our main streets vibrant and resilient.
As we look to the future, our commitment remains unchanged: to ensure that main streets across Australia continue to adapt, evolve, and remain central to the economic and social fabric of our communities for generations to come.
