News

Did you know the Whitsundays biggest employer is small business?! The Whitsunday Coast Chamber were proud to host Ry Collins & Damian Beasley last week.  Ry Collins from the Whitsunday Coast Regional Council presented an Economic Update for the region and Damian Beasley presented on the Funnel Bay Eco Tourism project proposal. WHITSUNDAY REGIONAL  COUNCIL Th...

Chamber has received a great response from local businesses and some members want to pay and contribute to their membership.   We have been humbled by the offer from these businesses and we would like to extend the discount to all our members. Join before 31st July: Standard Membership Free (was $199) Silver Membership $250 (was $495) Gold Membership $699 (w...

If you and your employees meet the eligibility criteria for the JobKeeper payment, you can enrol for the JobKeeper payment through: ATO online services for individuals and sole traders accessed through your myGov account (sole traders only) business Portal using your myGov ID your registered tax professional. If you have employees you need to: ask them to co...

Following a region-wide survey to find out what people wanted for the Airlie Beach Main Street, an astonishing array of imaginative ideas have come forward! The survey was carried out by the Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce following a Public Forum, at the Whitsunday Sailing Club, in July. The Public Forum was held in conjunction with Tourism Whitsundays...

Media release coming soon! The Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce Committee (7.11.19). L-R: Judy Porter (VP), Jeff Aquilina, Megan Taylor, Terry Lawn,  Deborah Friend (secretary), Allan Milostic (president) and Tanya Bartram (treasurer).

Have you got your ticket to the Airlie Beach Festival of Music yet?     The Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce is proud to be associated with this premier live music event, bringing top-name talent and emerging acts to the heart of the Great Barrier Reef.   Headline acts playing the main stage from November 8-10 include John Williamson, John Butler, Smokie...

Many employers will be looking at closing down their businesses over the Christmas and New Year period so they can have a well-deserved break. Some awards require up to 3 months’ notice be provided to employees, therefore it is important that employers check employment contracts, awards or registered agreements now for the conditions and notice periods which...

Unfortunately, the region has had another shark incident this week. As I write this column, details are lacking so it is absolutely imperative that our community does not speculate or make comments to friends and family beyond acknowledging the fact that something has happened and thankfully the people involved are safe and being well cared for.  Our thought...

As this absolutely amazing spring weather continues, it’s nice to enjoy our own ‘back yard’ and I have been managing to squeeze in a bit of hiking and boating with my family. We are so lucky to live in this magical place. The great weather certainly put the icing on the cake with a bumper Chinese Golden Week topping off a solid school holiday period. With go...

As we head into October the Whitsundays has certainly turned it on for the School Holiday and Golden Week period with our many visitors basking in some of most glorious weather you can imagine. A great time for our region with the main street abuzz with people, charter boats out by the hundreds and day trip boats full of smiling happy tourists, and countless...

It is Golden Week for the People's Republic of China commencing the 1 October.  This is an incredibly busy week of travel for the Chinese consumer and we know the Whitsundays is always a popular holiday destination during Golden Week.  To help you deliver some great customer service we have included some useful tips to consider. 1. Learn a few basic greeting...

I’d like to start this week with a few congratulations. Firstly to Tourism Whitsundays and Whitsunday Regional Council on the new brand for the region – the Whitsundays, the Heart of the Great Barrier Reef. Launched two weeks ago, it is a genuinely innovative and adaptable brand and tagline that should resonate throughout everything we do. We should all get ...

Spring is blessing the Whitsunday region with glorious weather and has certainly made a huge difference to trade and confidence in the main street.  Last week's walk the street with Mayor Willcox and TW CEO Tash Wheeler Was the polar opposite of our last visit with the mood amongst main street traders upbeat, confident and happy.  There may be a short lull, ...

The Chamber held its AGM on Thursday, August 22, as part of its Breakfast Networking Event. The new committee, voted for by Chamber members, is as follows:  Allan Milostic (President) Judy Porter (Vice President) Deborah Friend (Secretary) Tanya Bartram (Treasurer) Jeff Aquilina (committee member) Terry Lawn (committee member) Megan Taylor (committee member)...

Short and sweet this week as the last fortnight has been hectic with all sorts of events, announcements and interesting commentary taking place. Just a usual fortnight really. The fabulous weather has held for a few weeks now giving water based operators a well-earned rest from constant battering and with numbers fairly solid, the region is riding a bit of a...

Now that’s what Airlie Beach is all about! What an absolutely fabulous weekend. The Reef Festival certainly kicked off the events season with a bang and a huge crowd turned up for the festivities and fireworks on the Friday night and seemed to stay all weekend.  The main street was packed all day Saturday with a fantastic display of community participation i...

Having a game-changing idea isn’t enough.  You need a clear value proposition, sound business case, and a solid understanding of what investors expect to be successful. Attendees of this government-subsidised Masterclass will learn:   The mindset of an investor - What are they looking for?   Red flags - What makes investors hesitate?  Value proposition - How...

The Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce AGM is due to take place on Thursday, August 22, 2019, at Club Crocodile. A swag of nominations for committee positions have been received, from both current committee members and also Chamber members wishing to join the committee. The signed nomination forms are below, for Chamber members to peruse. The AGM will star...

  As always, the Airlie Beach Running Festival on the weekend was a huge success and brought many to town for the day. It is events such as this that add character to the town and give people “another reason to visit”, even if they aren’t participating in the event itself. Our congratulations to all involved And as the Events season gathers momentum, w...

Whitsunday Regional Council and Regional Development Australia are co-hosting a series of Digital Skills Workshops as part of the national ASBAS (Australian Small Business Advisory Services) program. The next workshop – Is Your Business Getting the Most out of the Digital Economy? – is due to be held on Thursday, July 25, between 9am and 11am at the Re...