Council
19 July, 2024
No Chamber of Commerce for city
ATTEMPTS by the Warrnambool City Council to establish a Chamber of Commerce for local businesses have failed to form a group.
While there was earlier interest, only two people nominated to join the group when submissions were invited in May.
“At the end of the day, for a Chamber of Commerce to be successful, it needs to be driven by local businesses,” director city growth Luke Coughlan said.
“Unfortunately, at this point in time, there hasn’t been the level of commitment needed to establish a business representative group.”
Mr Coughlan said council staff visited over 500 businesses to discuss the prospect of a business representative group.
Council also hosted two business events about the topic and it was also featured on council’s website, social media channels, coverage in local media and emails were sent to council’s business database.
“A survey conducted last year indicated that 75 per cent of respondents were in favour of a business representative group, with six per cent against and 19 per cent unsure,” Mr Coughlan said.
“Subsequently, 48 businesses expressed interest in being involved and 24 individuals indicated interest in an advisory or committee role.
“So it appears that there is a collective belief that a Chamber of Commerce would be beneficial, and we had a good level of expressions of interest in some earlier stages, but unfortunately there hasn’t been enough people put their hands up to help lead the group at this stage.”
Mr Coughlan said while it’s disappointing, council would continue with its diverse business support programs and initiatives delivered by its economic development team.
“The 2024 Warrnambool Business Survey is now open, and I’d encourage all businesses to take the survey as it really helps us to tailor our programs to have the best possible impact.”
The survey can be completed at www.yoursaywarrnambool.com.au.
