Bega: BVS Business Forum

The Forum's AGN was held 4/3/09 and elected positions ;-
Chair - Robert Hayson - Bega
Vice Chair - Helen Stafford - Cobargo
Treasurer - John Dedman - SEACC
Secretary - Janette Neilson - Bermagui
Committee - Tony Brown - Tathra
- Barry Harrison - Merimbula
- Gordon Barclay - Eden

BEGA VALLEY SHIRE BUSINESS FORUM
CHAIRMANS REPORT
2009.

The 2008/9 year has been many positives for the business community within the Bega Valley. Many of the successes have come about with the assistance of the Forum and I am very pleased to acknowledge the ongoing positive interaction between the Local Council, State and Federal Government members and our Forum. Future achievements rely on continuing this positive co-operation between business and our various tiers of government.

The new regional hospital could not have been achieved without strong interaction between everyone pulling in the same direction. The ongoing interest by ANU in setting up training facilities and many other positive employment opportunities will flow from this building program.

One of our very long standing projects the Bega by pass is now a reality with the new plans drawn by the RTA and the funding promised from Federal and State Governments. Next to the Pambula Bridge this is one of our oldest projects and significant work was undertaken by the Forum to see this happen.

The Small Business Workshops held towards the end of 2008 were well attended and hopefully aided new employers.

On the social front the formal dinner held for Dr. Marie Bashere, governor of NSW was a very successful venture by the Forum and certainly lifted the bar to a new level.

One of the most difficult tasks undertaken by the Forum at the request of the Bega Valley Shire Council has been the setting up of the new Tourism organization for the Shire. This was a huge job and the work by Lyn Mott, Barry Harrison and Geoff Morrisey was efficiently and professionally undertaken. Lyn led the team and the number of hours she gave to this task must be gratefully acknowledged as the tourism industry now has an opportunity to build on the framework put in place. Thank you once again Lyn and your team Barry and Geoff for the hundreds of hours you have committed to this task.

With the global economy in downturn and much of the world in recession the Bega Valley is in a fairly unique position at present. We can look forward to a new Woolworths complex in Bega, a new Regional Hospital in the Shire, significant plans for development at Eden, Merimbula and works taking place in Bermgui. All significant employment prospects for the region.

The Seafood Cluster Project has been reignited with funding from the Council to hold workshops and we look forward to this being one of our major 2009/2010 achievements. Our thanks to Gordon Barclay for the work he has undertaken on this.

In closing I wish to thank the executive team Lyn Mott Helen Stafford and Janette Neilson for their assistance during the year and also would like to acknowledge with appreciation S.E.R.T.E.C. allowing us to use their conference room on so many occasions during the year.

R. Hayson, G Wykes, B. Harrison, J Dedman, T. Brown, G Barclay,
G, Morrissey, G. Brooks.
L. Mott, H. Stafford, J. Neilson, K. McKee, M, Evans.

The Bega Valley Shire Business Forum recently held their AGM, with Robert Hayson being elected president.

The Forum continues to be a central think tank for the Chambers of Commerce in the Shire, ( Bermagui, Cobargo, Bega, Tathra, Merimbula & Eden), Seacc, Sertec & BVSC are also represented and as such business organisations throughout this Shire are provide information on Economic Development.

Over the past year the Forum has run Sapphire Coast Tourism (SCT) and Booking Service under the guidance of the Bega Valley Shire Council. They have also been responsible for running the Merimbula Visitor Centre since last September with the help of paid staff and volunteers. This situation is only an interim measure and the Forum is looking forward to handing over to an independent body on the 1^st July.

During this period the Forum was given the tasks by BVSC to increase membership to SCT, improve the booking service and produce a tourism brochure. They were also to provide a view to the way forward for Tourism in the Shire. This was achieved by the establishment of the Tourism Steering Committee, which provided a Tourism White Paper.

The Forum has established their own web site as well as working on web technology for SCT & the Booking Service. Margaret O’Dwyer from Tourism NSW will soon be officiating at the launch of the SCT web site and Tourism Brochure.

all providing information relevant for the economic development of our Shire. The BVSBF has all these project on their agenda for the forthcoming year.

SCT Board's first meeting - Merimbula News Weekly report

The management of tourism marketing and promotions in the Bega Valley Shire is now under the control of an independent management company called Sapphire Coast Tourism Limited.

The company's nine-member board was officially appointed on Friday.

The members are Bruce Leaver (chair), Geoffrey Morrissey (deputy chair), Gordon Beattie, Barry Harrison, Lyn Mott, Adrian Sandrey, Tim Shepherd, Grant Webster and council representative, Cr Tony Allen.

In recent years Bega Valley Shire Council has implemented a restructuring of tourism marketing and promotion based on the premise that the tourism industry is best placed to manage its affairs.

A number of arrangements were put in place with industry bodies to manage aspects of council's former Sapphire Coast Tourism operation.

These arrangements were funded by council and included the operation of Visitor Information Centres in Merimbula, Eden, Bermagui and Bega, Sapphire Coast Tourism promotions and marketing, Cruise Eden and the SCT Booking Service.

Committed work by a number of groups such as the Eden Chamber of Commerce, Bermagui Chamber of Commerce, Bega Cheese and the Bega Valley Shire Business Forum has enabled operations to continue to develop during this period," said a council spokesperson.

The establishment of the independent body was a recommendation from an industry forum held in April, 2007, and agreed and managed by council and the business forum over the intervening period.

The Mayor, Cr Tony Allen, who is the council representative on the company's Board of Directors, said he was delighted with the first meeting of the new company.

"Council has placed the industry in a strong position to move forward positively, building on the past work of Sapphire Coast Tourism staff and, in the last year, the enormous efforts of the Bega Valley Shire Business Forum.

"We are very fortunate to have so many highly credentialed people prepared to give their time to fostering the tourism industry in the shire," he said.

"Each member of the Board brings his or her own unique and relevant skills into play and the result was evident at the first meeting.

"There is already action on creating a new website, producing an attractions publication, management decisions about the Visitor Information Centres across the shire as well as marketing and promotion opportunities."

The Board was keen to embrace the opportunities provided by the recently announced Wilderness Coast inclusion in the National Landscapes initiative.

Cr Allen said the new company's articles of association included clear corporate governance guidelines as to how the body should relate to the various elements of the community.

Council will provide $150,000 in the coming budget for the operations of the new body and will hold a further $50,000 in reserve for use by the body if required.

Welcome

2009 AGM

BVSBF AGM Update

Sapphire Coast Tourism's new Board