RDACC Newsletter September 2011
News, September 29, 2011
Minister Crean visits the Central Coast
Earlier this month, Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean visited the Central Coast to host a carbon pricing forum at Kariong’s Mt Penang Parklands. The aim of the Minister’s visit was to inform local residents of the Federal Government’s proposed carbon tax and provide an overview of how the Central Coast can benefit from employing clean energy solutions.
Minister Crean told Central Coast residents, business owners and local government members, of the Federal Government’s plan to create 1.6 million jobs across Australia as a result of the carbon tax.
Chair of Regional Development Australia - Central Coast (RDACC), John Dawson said that the Minister’s visit was highly successful, as it highlighted the opportunities available for the Central Coast to grow as a result of the carbon tax.
“RDACC hopes to support local business and industry in making the changes that are necessary to cope with the carbon tax. The challenge for the Central Coast is to ensure that the region can hold on to the job opportunities that are expected to emerge,” said John.
“This forum helped attendees to understand the reasons behind the carbon tax and how the Central Coast community can positively adapt to the new reforms,” he added.
After the forum, Minister Crean took the opportunity to visit the Australian Springtime Flora Festival and NAISDA Dance College, which are both located within the Mt Penang Parklands precinct.
August 9, 2011: Simon Crean checking out the Spring time flora Festival before hosting a carbon tax forum at Mr Penang (L-R) Nola Parry , Debra O'Neil , Simon Crean and Chris King.
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Focus on the Coast forum a huge success
The September Focus on the Coast forum was held on Thursday September 15, with a large crowd of more than 80 people turning out to learn about this month’s topic - Small Business on the Central Coast.
Celebrating Small Business September, the forum was used as a platform to inform attendees of the new Central Coast Business Online Expo, an interactive website that showcases businesses from around the Central Coast region across a variety of industries.
“The Focus on the Coast forum provided the perfect vehicle to inform small business owners about this new and innovative website. Central Coast Business Online Expo is a great tool for promoting small business in the region as it allows them to tap into a pre-existing network technology,” said Anthony Dow, Executive Officer of RDACC.
The forum also provided an opportunity for the Central Coast Business Enterprise Centre to release findings from its recent Small Business Survey. This research was undertaken to profile micro and small businesses on the Central Coast and revealed that 63 percent of local small businesses have grown in the past year.
The survey also highlighted that 36 percent were trading at about the same level, while only 1 percent showed a negative result.
“This research was well received by attendees, who were happy to hear that small business on the Central Coast is showing significant signs of growth,” said Anthony.
“We are glad to see that our Focus on the Coast forums are becoming increasingly popular and hope that the Central Coast community will continue to benefit from these informative sessions,” he added.
The Central Coast Business Online Expo can be viewed at http://www.thebusinessexpo.net/9-the-central-coast-business-expo.
Next Focus on the Coast forums
The next Focus On The Coast forums will be held across October and November:
Thursday 20 October 2011
Central Coast Regional Plan 2011-2015
An opportunity to review the vision, goals and actions, as captured in the RDA Central Coast plan for the region.
Thursday 17 November 2011
Very Fast Train
An opportunity to understand the potential for a Very Fast Train from Melbourne to Brisbane via the Central Coast.
All interested parties, residents and community members are welcome to attend our monthly Focus on the Coast forums, which are held:
5.30pm to 7.30pm
RDACC Boardroom
Business Incubator Building
University of Newcastle, Ourimbah
Please RSVP attendance to Leanna King at leanna.king@rdacc.org.au
Coast Shelter successful in Round One Funding from Regional Development Australia
The Round One Funding for Regional Development Australia has now been released, with the Federal Government granting $150 million toward 35 regional projects.
The Central Coast was one of only 26 regions to receive funding, with $890,000 granted to RDACC to go toward the refurbishment of Gosford’s Coast Shelter Community Centre.
“The funding for this project will go toward the restoration of the existing facility to provide access to a larger number of individuals. It will directly assist socially and financially disadvantaged members of the community by providing free meals and support services,” explained Laurie Maher, Chief Executive Officer of Coast Shelter.
“I am thrilled with the funding that Coast Shelter has received from The Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF). With this support, we will be able to continue to meet the needs of the disadvantaged within the community,” he added.
The RDAF program supports the infrastructure needs and economic growth of Australia’s regions and Regional Development Australia Central Coast is pleased local charity, Coast Shelter were one of the few organisations in Australia who were granted funding in this round.
“RDACC assists local organisations like Coast Shelter to identify projects that may be eligible for funding under the RDAF,” said John Dawson, Chair of RDACC.
“Round Two funding applications for the RDAF program open in November and we look forward to assisting applicants to strengthen their applications for this round of funding,” he added.
For more information on the RDAF program, please visit the website at www.regional.gov.au
