Bega Chamber Of Commerce and Industry Inc.

PRESIDENT REPORT – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 25 JULY 2005

Another successful 12 months has passed for the Bega Chamber of Commerce and Industry and once again we are asking for your participation and support for the next financial year.

Some of the highlights of the past year include:

• Being awarded the Best Chamber in NSW for best Innovation, festivals, events and promotions.

-        This is the third year running that we have won a “Best Chamber in NSW” award from the NSW State Chamber of Commerce.

 

• Hosting the fourth Annual Bega Outstanding Business Awards in 2004. These awards continue to be very popular with the community and the “clocks” are treasured by the winners.  Our thanks to M and F agencies for their sponsorship of the awards for the past four years, in particular I would like Kelly Cummons

• Representing the business community’s concerns in meetings with commercial developers, submitting development proposals to the Bega Valley Shire Council, and facilitated briefings for Chamber members.

• Organising public meetings on proposed industrial rezoning in the Bega area – Ms Margaret Taylor will speak more about this aspect of the Chamber’s activities in her Business Council Report.

• Ms Taylor will also speak about the Chamber’s involvement in the push for a new hospital for the Bega Valley Shire.

• We have continued to lobby for the Bega Bypass and are planning a bridge walk later this year to mark the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Bega bridge (29th September 1975)

• Supported and promoted Chanel Cole in the Australian Idol series with posters around town,  Chanel parties in the RSL Club during the Sunday night performance all proved  very popular

• We later coordinated a special fundraising concert by Chanel and friends, including fellow idol Daniel Belle, that raised $9,000 for the Bega District Hospital Auxiliary, the money will be used to purchase medical equipment.

• Our ‘Magical Christmas’ end of year promotion drew the biggest crowd ever for the final draw in Littleton Gardens and, once again, Chanel was there.

• Sponsorship of a Business Scholarship through the Bega Education Access Centre and an indigenous art prize in the Bega Valley Shire Art Awards.

• We supported a visit to the Bega Valley by a group of ANU medical students and will do so again later this year.

• We sponsored the Bega Community Citizen of the Year Award and Junior Citizen of the Year Award congratulations Mrs Chris Murphy and Adrian Beht.

• We lobbied Bega Valley Shire Council on a range of issues concerning our members, including slippery footpaths in Carp Street, the unfair business rate proposal and community consultation.

• We co-sponsored with the State Chamber of Commerce “a special business education” seminar featuring speakers from the ATO, WorkCover and the Office of Industrial Relations.

• The Bega Tourist Information Centre provides information and directions to visitors and I would like extend the Chamber’s and the community’s gratitude to the dedicated volunteers who do such a good job, without these wonderful people the Centre would not operate.

• We have coordinated community announcements via the ‘Welcome to Bega’ signs at the northern and southern entrances to Bega and I especially want to thank Malcolm Venables for his efforts.

• And of course, we continued to have fun with the “Bega goes dotty” mini-promotion in April that proved to be another success.

I was re-elected Chair of the Bega Valley Shire Combined Chambers Forum and our Chamber is also represented on the Bega Valley Shire Economic Development Committee.

In closing I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the Executive Committee, Vice President Anna Glover, Margaret Taylor, Beth Hart, Jenny Spinks, Maree Hergenhan, Doug Brown, Geoff Morrisey, I would also like to thank Chris Murphy for her support and assistance, Janelle Sturt, who has volunteered many hours of her time since leaving the information centre assisting the new secretary Janet Brandon, my staff at Fletchers, the media, many individual business people, Bega Valley Shire Councillors and staff, everyone who has worked so hard over the past 12 months and in many different ways that has made another successful year for the Chamber.

Robert Hayson

President, Bega Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.

25 July 2005