THE Melville Cockburn Chamber of Commerce’s new leadership team has launched an ambitious program to match what it describes as a southern suburbs growth “hotspot” over the next 50 years — but admits it first needs to rebuild trust.
New president Charlene Clarke and interim chief executive Chontelle Stone say the organisation is undergoing a reset, with a new committee from a diverse set of skills and industries, a focus on advocacy and a plan to reconnect with businesses.
“We’ve got 18,000 businesses,” Ms Clarke said of the region, noting that included major mining, oil and gas and defence players as well as 13 ASX-listed companies.
She said the chamber had suffered high attrition because “we haven’t been adding value,” and was now focused on listening to businesses and rebuilding confidence.
“It would be foolish of us to sit here and say that we’re amazing and that things have been done so well, because then we’re not being reflective and self aware,” she said.
“So the next two years, we have to go out and restore and rebuild.”
The reset comes as the chamber positions itself for what it sees as major growth across the southern corridor, with defence, infrastructure and construction projects set to reshape the region.
“North of the river between Perth and Mandurah, that’s your hotspot for the next 50 years,” Ms Clarke said.
“We’ve got Westport, we’ve got everything that’s going to happen with the Tonkin Highway Alliance and the extension of the freeway and how that pulls everything into the southern corridor.”
Cr Stone adds the Defence precinct and Jandakot Airport into the mix.
Ms Clarke said the chamber wanted to connect major companies, contractors and smaller firms into a single local ecosystem.
“What we need is a whole ecosystem connecting together,” she said.
Advocacy
A key part of that would be restoring the chamber’s advocacy role.
“This is absolutely something that’s been lacking at the chamber,” Ms Clarke said.
“Why would they join a chamber if there’s no advocacy and there’s no voice on behalf of them, so we’re bringing that back.”
She said issues such as regulatory burden, infrastructure planning and major precinct developments would be key advocacy areas.
“The regulatory burden that’s being placed on businesses of all sizes, but specifically small and medium, it’s crippling them,” she said.
“The amount of administration required and the costs associated with that is increasing the cost of just doing business.”
The chamber also wanted to give businesses a voice on major projects across the region.
“I think it’s those sorts of things that we can help put voice behind, and we can help put those submissions in so the businesses get a say in what’s going on in the area,” Ms Clarke said.
Ms Stone said the chamber would also play a role in making sure businesses knew about consultation opportunities.
“The businesses don’t have time to go searching for these things,” she said. “One of our roles is to make sure that they’re informed.”
The pair also want to establish procurement panels with an eye on working with local councils to identify tender offers that come up and putting local businesses at the front of the queue.
The chamber has set a target of 500 members within two years, with a stretch goal of 1000, while rebuilding its reputation as an advocate for business.
Ms Stone, who has stepped into the interim CEO role while the chamber recruits a permanent chief executive, said the organisation was preparing a busy calendar of events and information sessions for members.
“We have a very ambitious program that we’ve put together,” she said.
“The board are very clear. They want to hold a bunch of different engagement events.”
Coming up on March 8 at 10am they have an All Abilities Expo being held at Murdoch University’s new learning and teaching building Boola Katitjin.
Ms Stone says it will bring together 37 NDIS organisations, along with food trucks and events, to give people with disabilities and their families a chance to explore what’s available to them under their funding package.
by STEVE GRANT