We all celebrated coming out of lockdown recently. Getting out and about there was certainly a spring in everyone’s step with the sense of freedom to get back to some sort of normality. This was also seen in our hospitality venues with all reporting big numbers of patrons and record sales. Our business community has been forced to adapt with many closed and many others operating under restricted access, but it has been great to see them open back up. As always, we would encourage everyone to shop local wherever possible. If our businesses survive and indeed thrive then the whole community does as well.
John Watkin – Bega Chamber of Commerce President
Customer Service Awards
As mentioned last month, we have been forced to postpone our customer service awards to a later date. Given the uncertainty of venue capacity, we have decided to move the event to February 26th, 2022.
Also, our entertainment for the night has had limited practice time due to the lockdown which will be a fantastic Andrew’s Sisters show being prepared by the Bega District Band. On the upside, the delay has allowed us to keep nominations open so you can express your support by nominating your favourite business/individual for an award.
Simply jump onto begachamber.com.au/csba/ and nominate now, or you can also fill out a nomination form at Mal’s Pizza Bite, Horizon Bank, 2EC/Power FM or the Commonwealth Bank. The finalists in each category will be announced in November.
Affordable Housing Strategy
Bega Valley Shire Council are preparing a Housing Affordability Strategy and the Chamber was invited to provide information and feedback as part of the community consultation. The documents will go on public display soon and we would encourage you to read through them and provide further feedback. It is well documented that we have a severe housing shortage in the Bega Valley, and it is especially true for lower cost housing. There will be a range of suggestions in this report to address the problem however public feedback will be very important.
L’ Tape Australia
Adrian Day from School of Strength has commenced a campaign to attract L’Etape to the Bega Valley. This event attracts 4000-5000 riders, as well as support crews, and brings 3.5-4.5 million dollars into the community. The race is conducted in a similar format to the Tour De France using local roads and includes many hill climbs.
We believe this would be a fantastic event to stage in the Bega Valley and would bring international attention to the region and provide a boost to the economy especially our accommodation and hospitality providers. We will keep you posted as discussions continue with the event organisers.
Agribusiness Regional Development Association (ARDA)
ARDA is a not-for-profit organisation helping small to medium sized producers access new markets. They have been awarded funding by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to assist NSW producers with market diversification. Digital innovation and changing economic conditions have presented Australian food and beverage producers with opportunities the didn’t exist before.
