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You are hereby notified that the 2022 Annual General Meeting of the Southport Chamber of Commerce Inc will be held on Tuesday 22nd November 2020 at 5:00pm.

Don't miss out: CCIQ's September quarter Pulse Survey closes soon

Southport Chamber of Commerce Members Special Offer

For current members of the Southport Chamber of Commerce, we have the following Special Offer - Book any meeting room and receive a complimentary café style coffee for each attendee.

For more details and to book, see our easy to use online booking system

Valid to 30 November 2022

Despite widely varying opinions about the status of SARS-Cov-2 and the reticence around public health care, Australian businesses (and the economy) continue to be battered by Covid-induced absenteeism and disruption. Sick leave from fever and coughs is already five times last year’s levels, with the latest Flu Tracking data showing 2.25 per cent of people off work from sickness, compared with the five-year average of 1.5 per cent.

It is no secret that I have had concerns with the effectiveness of the Southport PDA (Priority Development Area) planning scheme. Its intent is to generate growth in the CBD by removing development barriers and increasing investment opportunities. It is debatable whether it is has delivered on this over the past decade. That is why I have requested a review of the scheme to see how we can make it fit for service for the future of our CBD.

Changes are on the horizon for Single Touch Payroll (STP) Phase 2, the next stage of the STP journey.

About Sonic HealthPlus

Feddersen Consulting Group (FCG) is a family-owned business, led by Andrew Feddersen, Murray Feddersen and Linda Stanton, providing a range of compliance support services to clients seeking to achieve and/or maintain certification to applicable management system standards.

With four decades of experience delivering commercial and industrial projects across a range of sectors, our organisation employs over 300 skilled individuals working on building sites or in our offices on the Gold Coast, in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS

Throughout the CBD, many infrastructure and street works are being planned and undertaken. These works will play an important part in elevating our areas, building a sense of community through communal spaces we can all be proud of.

While the Gold Coast’s education sector is recovering faster than anticipated the number of international students hasn’t yet reached pre-COVID levels. We know that the Gold Coast is still a very popular global study destination, possibly even more so than it was prior to the pandemic given the relatively low rate of infection here coupled with a highly resourced and well-regarded health system.

Business performance improves in June quarter but Queensland and national economy outlook deteriorates

It has been a huge month for Southport with a number of events and activities taking place across the business community.

The Gold Coast Business Hub’s latest addition is GCBizHub Surfers Paradise, located just a block away from the beach at Elkhorn Centre West. There are 8 serviced offices available suitable for from 1 to 4 people per office.

Iconic Gold Coast shopping precinct, Australia Fair, has received development approval for an exciting revamp that will see the centre’s northern end redevelopment commence today, 27th July.

As local businesses will no doubt confirm, homelessness and housing stress are on the rise on the Gold Coast, as it is in many parts of Queensland.

As people are aware, the power to address homelessness as well as anti-social behaviour on our streets is with the State Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy, and the Police. Council has established its own homelessness action plan and public space liaison officer program to engage and connect to resources but that only works if those State government resources are forthcoming. The issue is the Gold Coast is not getting its fair share of emergency accommodation.

I begin this month’s Presidents Update with a big welcome to our new Gold Members, Small Business Expo, Rob Molhoek Member for Southport and Feddersen Consulting Group. I’m delighted that we have now exceeded the opportunity for Gold Membership, with all 12 spaces now occupied by local businesses.

Since elected I have been championing for a significant event to be held in our CBD to showcase its potential. That is why I am so delighted to partner with Placemakers* Gold Coast in bringing the inaugural event, BIG CITY LIGHTS* festival to our patch.

Southport Chamber of Commerce is proud to support Vinnies CEO Sleepout and Vice President - Membership Lorraine Lovatt who will be sleeping out at her 7th Sleepout this year. There is only just over 2 weeks to go until this year’s CEO Sleepout on Thursday 23 June when Lorraine will again be sleeping on the concrete on a piece of cardboard at CBUS Super Stadium as part of the Vinnies CEO Sleepout® 2022.

Latest results indicated that the Gold Coast businesses are confident that the future of the state and national economies will remarkedly improve. However, it is important to note that the turnaround is off a low base and actual business performance is reported to remain low.

As a member of the Southport Chamber of Commerce you have the opportunity to donate a raffle prize for the event, we are currently putting together our list of Prizes and donors and ask for kind donation.

A new arts festival is coming to Southport CBD in July!

BIG CITY LIGHTS* is an ambitious new arts festival that celebrates light, design, installation and live performance.

We are seeking your feedback, on proposed construction of a rail trail following the Southport Branch of the old South Coast Rail corridor. The rail corridor extends between Parkwood and Southport and includes the heritage listed Ernest Junction tunnel.

We welcome and thank Small Business Expos our newest Southport Chamber of Commerce GOLD Member.

Small Business Expos hosts 5 small business expo events across South East Queensland this year and 8 in 2019. Since 2014 we have successfully rolled out 6 small business expos. Each expo focusing on 8 key goals ; collaboration, generate, skills transfer, charity, promotion, inform, celebration, platform.

Mayor Tom Tate will lead a business trade mission to the United Kingdom – with a focus around the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Business and Tourism Program (BATP

The delegation will comprise up to 40 businesses/stakeholders, and will run over two weeks from 26 July – 8 August 2022.

I’m pleased to start this month’s President update with the news that the Southport Chamber of Commerce now has over 300 members – a fantastic milestone that shows the strength of business within the Gold Coast CBD.

Last week, the Queensland Parliament passed the Small Business Commissioner Bill 2021, which permanently establishes a Queensland Small Business Commissioner and a supporting office for the Commissioner. The permanent Commissioner will provide tailored support and advice to Queensland small businesses and provide timely and affordable access to justice through the permanent commissioner’s dispute resolution function, which relates to retail tenancy disputes and enable mediation for commercial le

In line with the Council endorsed Music Action Plan, the introduction of a Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP) in Southport will protect and encourage opportunities for Southport to be a hub for live music. A vibrant destination where locals can see world class artists.