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Coffs Coast Business News - May 2024
Each month, the City of Coffs Harbour's Economic Development & Tourism Team collates information for all businesses, large and small, across the Coffs Coast - helping you stay informed, keep connected, and feel supported.
We hope you find the newsletter valuable - please feel free to forward it to colleagues and your team. They can also subscribe to receive their copy directly.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Business events and training
- Business NSW Workplace Updates - Wednesday 8 May
- Finance Essentials Business Workshop - Thursday 9 May
- WNBCC Business Networking & Nibbles - Thursday 16 May
- BWN Business Lunch - Thursday 16 May
- Coffs Coast Career Connections - Thursday 16 May
Local news and opportunities
- Coffs Coast Marketing
- Have your say - City of Coffs Harbour CBD Parking Strategy and Draft Delivery Program & Operational Plan
- Request for Expressions of Interest: Sub-Licence for Low Impact Commercial Activities on Council managed Crown Land
- North Coast Tourism Awards
- Global Sustainable Tourism Summit
- Jump on a free bus!
Grant funding and business support
- Coffs Harbour Grant Finder
Australian Government Resources for Workforce Challenges
NSW Liquor and Gaming Hospitality Concierge
Creating Agri-tourism Experiences
Farm Business Resilience Program
- National Sustainability Framework and Toolkit for the Visitor Economy
What's On Coffs Coast and major event calendar
BUSINESS EVENTS & TRAINING
Business NSW Workplace Updates
Join Business NSW and Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors in this compliance 'health check' for 2024. Topics include:
- New 'Right to Disconnect'
- New definitions - types of employment
- Wage compliance
- Delegates and Union power
- New protections for 'employee like' workers
- Bargaining changes
Wednesday 8 May, 9.00am - 10.30am
Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club
Finance Essentials Business Workshop
Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Join us for an exclusive FREE business workshop, presented by award-winning finance broker & business strategist Sarah Eifermann, where you'll gain invaluable insights into optimizing your business operations and maximizing profits.
Nibbles included and spots are limited!
Thursday 9 May, 5.00pm - 7.00pm
Coffs Central - Food Court Level 1
WNBCC Business Networking & Nibbles - Breakfast Edition
The Woolgoolga & Northern Beaches Chamber of Commerce invites you to nibbles to connect with like-minded Northern Beach business leaders. Hosted by chamber member, Ground Earth. Your ticket includes bacon, eggs and a coffee.
Thursday 16 May, 7.00am - 8.30am
Ground Earth, 18 Market Street Woolgoolga
BWN Business Lunch
The Coffs Coast Business Women’s Network is proud to present a lunch event focused on Business structure, development and finances with the fantastic Sarah Eifermann.
Thursday 16 May, 12.00pm - 2.00pm
Stef's Beachstone, 2 Beach Way Sapphire Beach
Coffs Coast Career Connections
The annual careers event for the Coffs-Clarence region is being organised by Mid Coast Connect, with the support of event partners Southern Cross University, ETC, BCU, and The City of Coffs Harbour.
This initiative raises the awareness and aspirations of young people about careers. Some 1200 senior students from twenty high schools in the region (Macksville to Dorrigo to Grafton) will attend.
A strong local economy is underpinned by an appropriately qualified, and motivated, workforce. This workforce development initiative contributes to encouraging young people to build a career in the region by informing them about vocational opportunities and the pathways to employment.
Thursday 16 May, 9am - 1pm, Coffs Harbour Racing Club, 62 Howard Sreet
LOCAL NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES
DESTINATION COFFS COAST MARKETING
In this section, we'll provide a monthly snapshot of Destination Coffs Coast's current and upcoming marketing activities, campaigns, and news stories. These are created and managed by our team, in collaboration with local businesses and other partners. Check out what's making impressions:
- Sydney Weekender: Filming across our destination this week for a 4-week series of stories about things to do and see on the Coffs Coast. Make sure you catch one of the segments airing from 19 May!
- Australian Traveller magazine article: Showcasing villages of the Coffs Coast - 8,000 reads in the first 3 days!
- WSFM Radio: Take off to Coffs radio campaign running over 4 weeks with Jonesy and Amanda. 5 lucky winners will collect a prize with flights (Webjet), accommodation (The Observatory Apartments), and experience (The Big Banana).
- Visit NSW: The top 20 'Big Things' in NSW
- News just in: Coffs Harbour ranked Australia's best mid-sized city
ALL COFFS COAST BUSINESSES are invited to share these campaigns in your business marketing. This is a great way to bring people from out of area to your business - and the content is already created for you!
HAVE YOUR SAY - HELP SHAPE THE CITY OF COFFS HARBOUR'S FUTURE
CBD Parking Strategy: Tell us how, why and where you park and your thoughts on current parking issues. The purpose of developing a Parking Plan for the City Centre is to work out future parking supply and management to support the needs of businesses, customers, shoppers, workers and visitors.
Consultation closes Tuesday 14 May.
Draft Delivery Program and Operational Plan: The draft Operational Plan for 2024/25 outlines the City's proposed budget and activities for the year ahead. It also shows a full list of proposed capital work as well as proposed fees and charges.
Submissions close Wednesday 22 May.
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST: SUB-LICENCE FOR LOW IMPACT COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES ON COUNCIL MANAGED CROWN LAND
The City of Coffs Harbour is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from suitably qualified and experienced parties to sub-licence part(s) of various Crown Reserves for low impact commercial activities.
These activities include mobile food and beverage vendors, fitness classes, learn to surf schools, regular markets and other tourism-based activities (e.g. recreational equipment hire, camel rides, trail rides).
Expressions of interest close at 10am on Wednesday 15 May.
2024 NORTH COAST TOURISM AWARDS - CLOSING SOON!
Last year, Coffs Coast businesses brought home 3 Gold and 4 Silver from 12 finalists - more than any other North Coast region! And we're encouraging all local tourism and visitor economy businesses to nominate for the 2024 awards.
This is an opportunity to have your individual and business achievements recognised, celebrate all your successes and business developments, and showcase the talent and passion of the Coffs Coast tourism industry.
- The North Coast Tourism Awards are designed to honour growth, innovation, and excellence within the tourism sector across the whole of the North Coast.
- Entries are currently open across 17 categories
- Applications close Friday 3 May
- Finalists will be announced Thursday 6 June
- Entry fee is $55.00 (inc GST), per nomination
- Read the Entrant Information Guide
- Watch the Entrant Support Session video with great tips to support your award submission
GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE TOURISM SUMMIT OFFER
Ecotourism Australia’s Global Sustainable Tourism Summit will bring together industry leaders and sustainability experts in Meeanjin/Brisbane, on 4-6 June 2024 to discuss the current opportunities and challenges for the sustainable tourism industry. The program involves best practise examples from across the globe and Australia.
Speakers include Chief Frank, a leading Indigenous Tourism operator from Canada, and representatives from Intrepid, Flight Centre, WWF-Australia, Accor Pacific, Deloitte Access Economics plus a plethora of ECO and Sustainable Tourism Certified operator examples across the theme of People, Planet, Place and Purpose. Read the full program here: www.ecotourism.org.au/conference
Special offer for all Coffs Coast Visitor Economy businesses! As a Certified ECO Destination, businesses from the Coffs Harbour LGA receive a 10% discount on registrations.
JUMP ON A FREE BUS!
Be part of an initiative that’s helping our community be connected, sustainable and thriving. Jump on a bus! Plan your Friday, Saturday and Sunday free route trips ahead of time by visiting the Transport for NSW Trip Planner and finding a bus stop and service near you.
GRANT FUNDING & BUSINESS 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.
The Australian Government offers a range of resources to assist visitor economy businesses looking for staff.
The Hospitality Concierge is a new ‘one stop shop’ for hospitality businesses to find out more about the new liquor licence reforms and to help your business benefit from new initiatives that reduce red tape and support the 24-hour economy. The concierge provides personalised guidance on a range of government support including outdoor dining, approvals, initiatives, incentives, and more.
As one of the fastest-growing segments of the NSW visitor economy, agritourism is expected to contribute a substantial $18.6 billion annually to the national visitor economy by 2030.
Destination NSW's agritourism resources are designed to help primary producers develop practical and bookable experiences that meet and exceed the expectations of visitors by connecting them to authentic farming practices in a unique and memorable way.
The program is developed specifically for farm businesses and their employees, rather than as a general business skills program. The program supports farm businesses learning and development in four key areas including:
- Strategic business management and planning skills
- Risk management and informed decision making
- Natural resource management
- Personal and social resilience
NATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK AND TOOLKIT FOR VISITOR ECONOMY BUSINESSES
Last month we learned that taking environmental and climate action may lead to cost savings, regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and increased reputation and customer loyalty. This month we focus on the third pillar: Respecting culture.
WHY INCLUDE CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY IN YOUR
BUSINESS?
Sustainability involves respectfully acknowledging and including the different cultures found across the Coffs Coast. Benefits of embracing cultural sustainability may also include:
- Reaching new markets and expanding your customer base by catering to unique preferences and values.
- Fostering creativity and innovation.
- Strengthening regional identity and creating unique and authentic experiences.
WHAT'S THIS MEAN?
The goal for visitor economy businesses is to protect and share Australia's unique cultural heritage, traditions and sites through respectful partnerships with First Nations people, and by celebrating the diversity of our multicultural communities.
HOW IS THIS ACHIEVED?
Below are five priorities to help businesses achieve the goals outlined above. See pages 34 - 41 in the toolkit for further details.
- Protecting and preserving cultural assets.
- Engaging respectfully with and learning from First Nations people.
- Respecting First Nations’ people enduring traditional knowledge.
- Embedding sustainable building design practices.
- Celebrating Australia’s diversity and multicultural communities.
To complement the priorities in the Toolkit, the Respect culture in tourism webpage has additional information that can be used by all Coffs Coast businesses.
IN SUMMARY
Incorporating and demonstrating your values of diversity, inclusion, well-being, and recognition and respect for people of all backgrounds is an important part of your social licence to operate (how supportive your community is of your business), and therefore to the long-term success of your business.
WHAT'S ON @ COFFS COAST
Sea Monsters
23 February - 26 May
Banff Mountain Film Festival - Coffs Harbour
4 May
Resilient Habitat Gardens Workshop
11 May
All One Under the Sun Festival
26 May
Please reach out to our team at City of Coffs Harbour if you have any questions.
Check out our 6 degrees business support website for business events and resources.
For tourism industry and visitor economy business support and information, go to our Coffs Coast tourism industry hub.
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