Economic Development & Tourism News - August 2023

Stay up to date and connected with Coffs Coast business news. Our August newsletter features business events, local news and opportunities, grant funding and support.

Business events

• Come Together @ Dolphin Marine Conservation Park: Monday 7 August
• Teeing up for a cause charity golf day: Sunday 6 August
• Innovation Hub: social media ads workshop. Thursday 24 August
• Coffs Harbour Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast. Tuesday 22 August
• Cashflow Masterclass with Sarah Eifermann. Tuesday 22 August 
• Official opening of Yarrila Place: Saturday 16 September
• Business Women's Network: The Power of P's. Thursday 21 September

Local news & opportunities

• Destination North Coast: The Value of Tourism & North Coast Tourism Awards
• Coffs Harbour Bypass Update
• Regional Youth Entrepreneurial Activation Program
• Business NSW Conditions Survey

Grant funding & business support

• Coffs Harbour Grant Finder
• Small business skills and training boost: applications ongoing until 30 June 2024
• National Farmers' Federation - AGCAREERSTART Program
• Small Business Energy Incentive: applications opening soon
• NSW EPA - Litter Prevention Grants: EOI close 29 September
• ATO small business tax time toolkit

What's On Coffs Coast and major event calendar

BUSINESS EVENTS

COME TOGETHER @ DOLPHIN MARINE CONSERVATION PARK (DMCP)

Monday 7 August, from 3pm - 5pm at the Park

The Coffs Coast business community is invited to join the passionate wildlife carers at Dolphin Marine Conservation Park for an after-hours tour of the park.

Meet the much-loved animals and their keepers... and hear their conservation, rehabilitation and rescue stories. You will also experience the Dolphin Dreamtime story narrated by a local Gumbaynggirr elder, showcasing the cultural significance of marine mammals in our local environment.

This event is open to all Coffs Coast businesses and is free to attend. Please invite your team along too!

DOLPHIN MARINE CONSERVATION PARK NEEDS OUR SUPPORT

After years of bushfires, floods, a pandemic and an economic crisis, one of the Coffs Coast’s most iconic attractions is in danger of closing. For 52 years, Dolphin Marine Conservation Park has been part of our community – teaching generations of locals and visitors to love, appreciate and fight for marine life. Now it’s time to fight for them.

You can help by getting back to the park, and giving back to the park – make a donation, visit the park, offer sponsorship or simply share their story to raise awareness.

When you support Dolphin Marine Conservation Park, you’re not just saving an iconic local attraction...

• You're saving the 400 marine animals rescued and rehabilitated each year.
• You’re saving national conservation efforts like the world’s most successful breeding program for endangered Australian sea lions.
• You’re saving a permanent home for over 50 marine animals who couldn’t survive in the wild.
• You’re saving NSW’s only rescue and rehabilitation facility that’s qualified and equipped to save both sea lions and dolphins.
• You’re saving unrivalled education opportunities for students from all over Australia – from kindergarten to post-grad.
• You’re saving local jobs and businesses that rely on the park, as well as an estimated $15-20 million towards the region’s economy each year

LOCAL NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES

THE VALUE OF TOURISM

The NEW Value of Tourism to the North Coast report provides visitation, employment and economic impact data from January 2022 - December 2022.

Did you know: 

• Every minute of every day, tourism delivers $10,423 of domestic visitor spend into the North Coast (Hawkes Nest through to the Queensland border). That is $15 million a day.
• Coffs Harbour LGA accounts for more than 1.3 million visitors with an expenditure of $747m in 2022 - that's $2.1 million each day!

Pictured above are participants in the latest Coffs Coast Champions event held at King Tide Brewery. These events bring local visitor economy businesses together to share information and news about each other's businesses, and to collaborate and support each other and the City to create a strong and engaged industry. All businesses are welcome!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!

Congratulations to the Coffs Coast winners and finalists at the Destination North Coast Tourism Awards announced last Thursday. Our region took home 3 Gold and 4 Silver from our 12 finalists... a fantastic achievement for our local industry and the passionate people who work in it.

COFFS HARBOUR BYPASS UPDATE 

Once complete, the Coffs Harbour bypass will save motorists more than 12 minutes in travel time, bypass up to 12 sets of traffic lights and remove about 12,000 vehicles a day from the centre of town, making Coffs Harbour an even better place to live, work, play and visit.

The June project update includes:

• Controlled blasting times
• Vegetation removal, landscape and habitat restoration
• Traffic updates and speed reductions
• Upcoming construction information.

REGIONAL YOUTH ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVATION PROGRAM

Coffs Harbour High School invite you to be a part of an innovative program that will not only shape the future of our region but also inspire and empower the brightest young minds within our community. The Regional Youth Entrepreneurial Activation Program (RYEAP) is presented by The Scale Institute with support from the NSW Government and Invest NSW. RYEAP is an exciting opportunity for local businesses to join hands with our schools in fostering creativity, ingenuity, and problem-solving skills among our talented year 9 and 10 students.

Why Participate?

• Tap into fresh perspectives and enthusiasm that only young minds can offer. Their innovative ideas can tackle the challenges your business or industry faces.
• By nurturing these young minds and encouraging their passion for problem-solving, you actively contribute to creating a more vibrant, sustainable, and thriving community.
• Participating in the program incurs no financial cost to your business. 
• The program has been designed to ensure minimal disruption to your daily operations. Simply submit your problem as an expression of interest, and if selected, the dedicated program facilitators will work with the students to develop creative solutions.
• Whether your business faces challenges in operations, marketing, sustainability, technology, or any other industry-specific area, the students are excited to take on the task!

How Does it Work?

• Submit your business problem or challenge. The RYEAP team of experts will review the submissions and select those that align with the students' skillsets and interests.
• If selected, the students will be introduced to your business challenge and paired with experienced program facilitators. Together, they will brainstorm, innovate, and devise creative solutions tailored to your needs.
• Students will present their ideas and solutions at the program’s showcase in October. Various schools across the region will have different issues to tackle, so you might come away with further ideas to improve your business.

BUSINESS NSW CONDITIONS SURVEY

With businesses struggling due to rapidly increasing costs to do business this year, Business NSW invite you to share your thoughts in this short survey.

Information obtained through the Business Conditions Survey informs how Business NSW represent your interests to the highest levels of government, and there is no more important time to have your say.

It closes 11.59pm (AEDT) on Monday 14th August 2023

Business NSW will continue to advocate strongly on your behalf and strive to unlock whatever assistance can be made available. By taking part, you contribute to strengthening the voice of the NSW business community.

GRANT FUNDING & SUPPORT

COFFS HARBOUR GRANT FINDER

The City of Coffs Harbour provides a free service for locals to find grants and grant writing tips. Register to be notified of specific grants for your business or organisation.

WHAT'S ON @ COFFS COAST