2020 has been a good year for your chamber with a fantastic and enthusiastic executive who are all committed to keeping Bega a great place to live and work and keen to pursue careful economic development in the area. We have grown our membership significantly over the past few months and are increasingly getting the attention of all levels of Government.
We are being contacted regularly for our views and opinions from a range of organisations who recognise the important role the Chamber plays in the Bega community. On behalf of all the executive, I would like to wish you all the very best for Christmas and the new year and trust you get to relax a little and enjoy time with those closest to you at this time – John Watkin President
BEGA COME IN TO WIN CHRISTMAS PROMOTION
Thursday the 10th saw the conclusion to our Christmas promotion “Bega, Come In To Win”
This followed a three-week campaign to encourage customers to shop in Bega this Christmas, with the chance to win great prizes. Over 30 of our retail businesses participated and it was promoted heavily on radio thanks to sponsorship from East Coast Radio which was greatly appreciated.
We had a fantastic evening with entertainment from the Bega District Brass Band, Matt Preo, Dave Crowden and his Guitarama, Felicity Dowd along with Candy McVeity and students from Bega Valley Public School. Of course, we also had a visit from Santa who arrived on the back of a very loud VRA truck.
Congratulations to our winners Nicola Higgins, Vickie Goldsmith and Kristy Lennan.
CHAMBER CHRISTMAS PARTY
We held our Christmas party on Friday the 4th of December at the Grand Hotel. We had a great evening together and enjoyed the fantastic beer garden. A huge thank you to Peter Turner who provided the meat trays for us to raffle and raise extra funds for the Chamber.
SUCCESSFUL GRANT
The Chamber has been successful in receiving a small grant to assist in building resilience in the community on the back of the bushfires. We are planning on running some small events around the district throughout January to assist in bringing our community back together. Look out for further details in the next two weeks.
FUEL PRICES
The Chamber is concerned that Bega’s fuel prices appear to be consistently higher than other towns in the area. It was agreed at our December executive meeting to actively monitor and record fuel price data over the next few months before taking the issue up with fuel stations and suppliers.
QANTAS FLIGHTS
It is well publicised that Qantas are commencing flights into Merimbula from today. Qantas have met with the Chamber over the last few months to gauge the level of interest and demand that might exist for their services. It is worth noting that this is a trial for Qantas and at this stage and the service will only continue if the demand exists.
