I still believe in my last year’s wish list as strong now as I did when I first wrote it:
Working together, changes start with us, and becoming the Best Regional City in Australia.
Working together:
We have:
- Worked with airport management to secure an airline service between Coffs Harbour and Brisbane and supported it to increase the numbers of flights between Coffs and Melbourne.
- It is very pleasing that we now have six return flights to Brisbane and five return flights to Melbourne weekly.
- We represented Dolphin Marine Magic in both the billboards and the skinning of four Busways buses, with the detrimental advertising by “Australia For Dolphins”.
- Tackled the very poor decision of some councillors in April to vote against approving the WRC sponsorship for 2016 and 2017.
- We represented members at the upgrade of the North Wall meetings and the Port of Coffs Harbour Steering Group.
Changes start with us:
We strongly believe to future-proof SCU Coffs Campus, we must support and ensure they are successful in their endeavours to secure funding from the Federal Government to construct the Allied Health Building.
We have clearly demonstrated we are a recognised voice, but we need to continue to represent and support the business community at all levels of government.
The Best Regional City in Australia:
We were one of the first regional cities to have the NBN. We have direct flights to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne and we should not stop there – Adelaide? We have the best Regional Airport and now we have extra funds from the State Government for further improvements to the terminal.
Stage 1 of the Jetty Foreshores is completed and with the Federal Government Grant of $5 Million together with the Council’s $5 Million we look forward to Stages 2,3 and 4 to be started soon and completed by not later than 2018.
The feasibility study on a small working Port by RDA has been concluded and a discussion paper has been presented to our Local Member Mr Fraser.
It is with great pleasure I recognise other great achievements in the last 12 months, particularly:
- Our new web site.
- The well supported lunches with the Blues and John McGrath.
- The support we provided to CEX Coffs Harbour at the 2015 Sleep-out.
- The Sunnys Business Awards in 2015 had the largest number of entries.
- Winning, for the first time, the “Best Regional Chamber of Commerce” in the Mid-North Coast NSW Business Chamber Awards.
I deeply thank our executive and committee members and representatives who supported us in the last 12 months.
Your dedication and efforts for a better Chamber of Commerce is greatly appreciated by all of us.
On behalf of all of us at the Chamber we thank our sponsors (we cannot do it without your financial commitment), and our members for your continued support and patronage to our events.
I welcome the new team for the next 12 months:
Michael Adendorff, Michael Lockman, Dene Zahner, Richard Hennessy, Anthony Jephcott , Leonie Kennedy, Ken Phillips, Gerard Klinkers, Martin Wells, Barry Francis, David Box, Sarah Pryor and as always Garth our Executive Officer please accept our gratitude.
Let’s work together to be the best regional city in Australia.