Townsville Chamber of Commerce

Like many of you, we are deeply concerned about the lack of transparency in the budget handed down by Townsville City Council. During our regular monthly mayoral meeting yesterday, we met with the Acting Mayor and Acting Head of Infrastructure and Operations to discuss our immediate concerns with the budget:

PAID PARKING: The introduction of paid parking at The Strand, Gregory and Palmer streets, and Fulham Rd near the Mater Private Hospital has been described by our President as a "slap in the face" to the community which will impact hospitality businesses the hardest, an industry that is already under significant pressure. We know paid parking has been detrimental to custom for CBD businesses, and more importantly there was NO CONSULTATION, so this decision has come as an unwelcome shock to many of our members and the wider community. The economic and social impacts of these changes could be significant, particularly for people already facing rising costs. We have launched a petition, and encourage you to take the time to sign, even if you have already signed another petition elsewhere to assist in our advocacy. https://epetitions.townsville.qld.gov.au/petition/view/pid/60

10% RATE RISE: We highlighted that the 5.1 per cent rate rise, paired with the hidden 5% reduction of the discount for homeowners’ main residence, means that many will be paying around 10% more in their rates.

KEY PROJECT BREAKDOWN: We requested a breakdown of spending per key project noting that this has been included in previous budgets, and also requested projected spending in future budgets and what that delivers back to the community over what time period.

REQUEST FOR TRANSPARENCY: We called for transparency in the council's decision-making process as crucial, particularly when it comes to issues that will have a significant impact on the community. The city voted for transparency and a number of councillors ran with that on their ticket.
These requests were all noted, and we look forward to a response.

We are not funded by any level of government, which makes us TOWNSVILLE's ONLY INDEPENDENT VOICE OF BUSINESS representing our almost 400 Chamber members from sole traders to multinational organisations across a range of industries.

Established in 1884, with a new team on October we are committed to fighting for the best interests of our members, and we will continue to push for greater transparency and accountability in the council budget.

Are you a detail-oriented individual with a passion to make a difference? We’re looking for someone just like you to join our fun and vibrant team as a Membership and Administration Coordinator!

In this role, you’ll be the heart of our membership program, ensuring our members are valued and supported. You’ll also provide essential administrative support to our awesome marketing and events team, helping to keep the Chamber running smoothly and efficiently.

Why You’ll Love This Job:

💙 Be part of a dynamic and friendly team.
💚 Play a key role in engaging with our fantastic members.
🩷 Enjoy a variety of tasks that keep each day exciting.
💙 Contribute to the success of fun and impactful events.
💚 Enjoy bespoke latte art created by our in house barista

Sound like your kind of role? Applications close midnight this Sunday 30th June

For more information and to apply 👉🏻 https://www.townsvillechamber.com.au/join-our-team/

Come and make a difference with us at the Chamber!

Big thanks to the Townsville Bulletin team for sponsoring our most recent ALTERNATIVE coffee event on Thursday at their Print Centre, including a great tour! These events are a great opportunity to get a closer look into the behind-the-scenes workings of our business community.

To all attendees & caffeine-provider Coffee Presto, thank you for joining us! Keep bringing your reusable cups so we can continue to reduce single-use landfill together ♻️

Our next coffee event will be back in the CBD, sponsored by Chamber member Angela Hill - Travel Managers
WHEN: 8-9am, Thursday 4th July
WHERE: Bulletin Square, CBD

We are thrilled to announce that our President, Miranda Mears GAICD, has been appointed to the INNOVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL (IAC) this week. 🎉

The IAC is a crucial initiative aimed at championing innovation, connecting ecosystem stakeholders, attracting investment, and building the resource base for accelerating innovation through entrepreneurial action in Queensland, ultimately leading to better community and economic outcomes.

Miranda's appointment to the IAC is a true testament to her dedication and expertise in the field of innovation, and emerging technologies and we are incredibly proud of her accomplishments. Her role on the council will involve providing independent expert advice on key innovation priorities, strategies, and opportunities to accelerate Queensland's economic recovery and job growth.

Congratulations Miranda, on this well-deserved appointment!

Read more https://advance.qld.gov.au/queensland-chief-entrepreneur

Do you know a Townsville business/s and people doing amazing things? Why not let them know by nominating them for a Townsville Business Award! Just receiving a nomination can give a business operator or staff member a welcomed boost.

The categories are:

⭐️ Business of the Year
⭐️ Small Business of the Year
⭐️ Employer of the Year
⭐️ Young Businessperson of the Year
⭐️ Corporate Employee of the Year
⭐️ Young Corporate Employee of the Year
⭐️ Innovation Award
⭐️ Raising Regions Award
⭐️ Business Transformation Award
⭐️ Social Responsibility Award

Nominating is simple—you can do it here in less than 2 minutes and any one can nominate any business in Townsville.

To nominate and for more information visit >>
https://www.townsvillechamber.com.au/townsville-business-awards/

MEDIA: The Townsville Chamber of Commerce CEO Heidi Turner, acknowledged that the budget focused on the cost of living crisis but emphasised the immediate need to address the COST OF DOING BUSINESS CRISIS!

Turner called for long-term strategies to address the financial pressures faced by businesses highlighting critical issues impacting the businesses in NQ

"Businesses need equitable costs and the ability to plan and invest for the future. Subsidies and grants don’t provide that long term certainty or boost business confidence,” said Turner.

Turner pointed out the double taxation burden in NQ. "Currently, we are PAYING TAX ON A TAX and the state is double dipping with stamp duty with most of the GST reallocated to state coffers due to horizontal fiscal equalisation. When GST was introduced in 2000, the intention was that stamp duty would be abolished,”

Highlighting the significant impact of insurance costs and taxation especially for Northern Queenslanders she added, "Insurance is one of the highest costs for business and premiums continue to increase, we pay 19% in tax on top of our premiums. But insurance is an essential service—we have to have it for loans, mortgages, and to do business, so why are we taxed on it at all.

“In the north of Queensland we have higher premiums so this means we also pay significantly more in tax on those high premiums than in the South East. Removing stamp duty is an immediate lever that can be pulled by the state government, reducing premiums by 9% for all Queenslanders."

Turner also addressed the recent budget allocation for disaster resilience and mitigation, explaining why it won't effectively reduce insurance premiums. "The $100 million in the budget for disaster resilience and mitigation will not reduce the cost of insurance premiums as insurers don’t drill down to individual property risk,”

"The cost-of-living crisis has had a dual impact on businesses increase in operational costs and a decrease in income. Some of our members have seen a 30% increase in energy costs over the last 12 months. This, combined with the highest wages in history and increasing insurance premiums, is creating immense pressure. These issues are further compounded by low productivity and decreased consumer spending.”

Turner warned of the broader economic consequences if these issues are not addressed. "Business owners cannot absorb these escalating costs indefinitely. This will inevitably lead to further increases in costs for consumers, and continued growth in the number of insolvencies which are already at a decade high across the country.”

The state government’s latest budget has revealed a ‘lack of attention’ to a key issue contributing to NQ’s insurance affordability crisis. 📈💸 See what it is. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3yZ7ZaQ

🎙️ After his recent Chamber on Tap presentation our CEO Heidi caught up with Craig Stack, Managing Partner of Knight Frank Townsville & Mackay, about opportunities and threats for our region, the major commercial and population centre north of Noosa.

Craig shares his expertise and thoughts on the region's economic outlook, emerging industries, and the potential for growth and development whilst exploring the hurdles that businesses and residents may encounter and how our city can navigate these challenges to thrive together.

We also learnt a little about Craig where he grew up, his career and highlights from his time as President of the Townsville Chamber of Commerce in 2006-08.

This episode offers valuable insights into the future of Townsville. Tune in to learn more about what makes this region a key player in Queensland's economy and how you can be part of its exciting journey.

🔗 https://rss.com/podcasts/townsvillechambercast/1525068/

Knight Frank Townsville Support Local Townsville

Are you a detail-oriented individual with a passion to make a difference? We're looking for someone just like you to join our fun and vibrant team as a Membership and Administration Coordinator!

In this role, you'll be the heart of our membership program, ensuring our members are valued and supported. You'll also provide essential administrative support to our awesome marketing and events team, helping to keep the Chamber running smoothly and efficiently.

Why You'll Love This Job:

💙 Be part of a dynamic and friendly team.
💚 Play a key role in engaging with our fantastic members.
💙Enjoy a variety of tasks that keep each day exciting.
💚Contribute to the success of fun and impactful events.
💙Enjoy bespoke latte art created by our in house barista

Sound like your kind of role?

For more information and to apply 👉🏻 https://www.townsvillechamber.com.au/join-our-team/

Come and make a difference with us at the Chamber!

In this state budget Queensland businesses need long term strategies to create confidence not short term band aids.

We need a long-term strategy to ease daily financial pressures, rather than relying on short-term grants or subsidies that don’t fix the problem. Equitable costs that give businesses the ability to plan for the future, boost their confidence, and ensure they can thrive.

The cost-of-living crisis has had a dual impact on businesses. Some of our members have seen a 30% increase in energy costs over the last 12 months. This, combined with the highest wages in history and higher insurance premiums in the north, is creating immense pressure. These issues are further compounded by low productivity and decreased consumer spending.

Business owners cannot absorb these escalating costs indefinitely. This will inevitably lead to further increases in costs for consumers and continued growth in the number of insolvencies.

The Townsville Chamber of Commerce has been advocating heavily for a reduction in the cost of insurance for almost a decade. Currently, the state double dips with stamp duty and GST on premiums, and GST is almost all reallocated back to state coffers, amounting to nearly 20%. In the north, we pay more for insurance, and as tax is a percentage, we also pay significantly more tax than the rest on insurance than the rest of the state.

Above all, businesses need the confidence to invest in their future.

Business knows business best. They just need to be able to focus on what they do best to succeed.

After the budget announcement at 2pm today the budget will be here https://budget.qld.gov.au

wnsville

A massive thank you to the team at Getbranded for sponsoring our CBD coffee event yesterday! Your support not only helped us kick start our campaign to reduce waste by providing attendees with free reusable cups, but also made the event extra special for everyone involved.

You never know who you will meet at our events and this week we welcomed staff from the Reserve Bank, who enjoyed meeting with local businesses and learning about their challenges and successes.

To all attendees, thank you for joining us! Keep bringing your reusable cup so we can continue to reduce the amount of single-use cups we send to landfill. Together, we can make a difference! ♻️



Our next event will be a free behind the scenes coffee at the Townsville Bulletin Printing building.

WHEN: 8-9am, Thursday 20th June
WHERE: Opposite CQ University on Flinders street.

In less than a week the the business basics grants will close. The grant provides up to $5000 in funding for the following activies:

✅ business continuity and succession
✅ security planning and solutions
✅ sustainability.

Applications close at 5pm, Tuesday 11 June 2024.

https://www.business.qld.gov.au/starting-business/advice-support/grants/business-basics-grant

🎙️ EP 43: Podcasting and Radio for beginners

In our latest podcast episode, we dive into the intriguing careers of podcasters and experts in radio Power100 Fm presenter Donny Watkin and his fearless boss Verena Louise the General Manager of Chamber Partner ARN (Star 106.3 Townsville and Power100FM).

Host Heidi finds out how the Seaview Hotel Townsville sealed the deal in getting Donny to move here and discuss the most successful radio story lines, their passion for Townsville and eventually get on to sharing top tips for podcasting!

Plus, find out who would win in a fight: a taco or a toastie! 🌮🥪

Stay tuned for more valuable discussions and insights with our members. 🎧✨

>> LISTEN >> https://rss.com/podcasts/townsvillechambercast/1504948/

Donny Watkin

We had a fantastic turnout to our first 'Chamber Connects - Welcome to Townsville' event, with well over 100 people networking on the rooftop of Terrace at Flinders with Michels Catering and Events

It was an amazingly diverse group of fun people from bank managers to Brigadiers and florists to French teachers. Thank you to all who attended, for creating such a welcoming atmosphere for the newer members of our local community. We look forward to hosting this event again!

NEXT EVENT: Join us for our classic CBD Coffees networking - Sponsored by Getbranded, we're aiming to make this one a ZERO waste event! Bring your keep-cup and join us for more connection with your local community.

📅 Thursday 06 June
🕟 8am-9am
📍Bulletin Square, Flinders St



This Regional Networker Grant event is a part of Queensland Small Business Month and is proudly supported and funded by the Queensland Government.

Funeral Notice for the Late Graham Jackson OAM

All Family and Friends are respectfully invited to attend GRAHAM'S FUNERAL SERVICE

🕰 11.00 a.m. WEDNESDAY MORNING 5th JUNE
📍 St. James Cathedral, 36 Cleveland Terrace

NO CORTEGE

No Flowers By Request donations to Salvation Army

For those unable to attend Live Streaming can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/GrahamJacksonFuneral

** Morleys Funerals will never ask for payment to watch a Funeral Streaming or Recording. They are always free to view at morleys.net.au.

📢 We need your help! 📢

We have an event tomorrow night for both locals and newcomers to Townsville. Our focus is to give non locals a warm welcome into our business community, so we’ll be asking everyone as they arrive if they are local or new to town...

During a radio interview with Archie and Donnie on Power100 yesterday, they asked Heidi an interesting question:

“What is the criteria for being a local?"

Is it about the time you've spent here, the community connections you've made, whether you wear a tropical shirt on a Friday or something else? We want to hear from you! Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

If you haven't got your ticket for tomorrow yet >> https://tinyurl.com/9mawmpd6

The Great Barrier Reef Aquarium continues to be home to the world's largest coral reef in captivity, it continues to thrive behind the scenes with some of its sea creatures remaining. But when will the world get to experience its wonders again?

This significant piece of the Great Barrier Reef is crucial for education and tourism. Its absence is felt deeply by locals, but the impact stretches far beyond. Reef HQ put Townsville on the map as the centre of marine research and ecological understanding for generations of locals. Without it we miss out on a vital link between groundbreaking research, education and public engagement.

Reef HQ was more than just an attraction; it was a catalyst for the vibrancy of our CBD, drawing tourists and locals alike. The loss of this iconic aquarium affects our community, economy, and our global standing in marine research.

Its return would be a catalyst for our city, revitalising and reestablishing Townsville as a hub of marine research and ecological education.

How can you ensure your voice is heard? There are currently 2 petitions:

🐠 Townsville Enterprise have this petition > https://www.change.org/p/save-townsville-s-reef-hq-Great Barrier Reef Aquarium

🐠 Our Federal member of Parliament Phillip Thompson OAM MP - Serving Our Community has this petition > https://www.philthompson.com.au/reefhq/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1Us8LoLCgYT5D26yNFhaeU9xJYVkvE_yn6bsWyOm6amqeGpPeFGxJjnR4_aem_AWpCJbB3JphzhZzMmafttVcXb0TFgNRwoxvg8m8-ZAQozEQHdF_9FRlEqLskbjShfmLGOp6vaNXBeAIslTOpaupP

(Gallery 3 of 3) thanks to everyone who came to our Behind the Scenes Coffees at selectability yesterday with coffee from Coffee Presto

Thank you to our hosts, who are doing such an important job across regional Queensland. Their growth over the last 7 years has been exponential and inspiring.
You can find out more about their services > https://www.selectability.com.au

We look forward to seeing you all at our next event for more invaluable and spirited networking

NEXT EVENT - CHAMBER CONNECTS: Welcome to Townsville
A new networking event for newcomers and locals alike on a CBD rooftop at sunset, enjoy canapes and a cash bar while you make new connections.

📅 Thursday 30 May
🕟 530-8pm
📍Terrace at Flinders
BOOK - https://www.townsvillechamber.com.au/chamber-connects-welcome-to-townsville-8brrae/

(Gallery 2 of 3) A excellent morning at our Behind the Scenes Coffees at selectability with coffee from Coffee Presto

Thank you to our hosts, who are doing such an important job across regional Queensland. Their growth over the last 7 years has been exponential and inspiring.
You can find out more about their services > https://www.selectability.com.au

We look forward to seeing you all at our next event for more invaluable and spirited networking

CHAMBER CONNECTS: Welcome to Townsville
A new networking event for newcomers and locals alike on a CBD rooftop at sunset, enjoy canapes and a cash bar while you make new connections.

📅 Thursday 30 May
🕟 530-8pm
📍Terrace at Flinders
BOOK - https://www.townsvillechamber.com.au/chamber-connects-welcome-to-townsville-8brrae/

(Gallery 1 of 3) What a great turnout we had to our Behind the Scenes Coffees at selectability with coffee from Coffee Presto

Thank you to our hosts, who are doing such an important job across regional Queensland. Their growth over the last 7 years has been exponential and inspiring.
You can find out more about their services > https://www.selectability.com.au

We look forward to seeing you all at our next event for more invaluable and spirited networking

NEXT EVENT > CHAMBER CONNECTS: Welcome to Townsville
A new networking event for newcomers and locals alike on a CBD rooftop at sunset, enjoy canapes and a cash bar while you make new connections.

📅 Thursday 30 May
🕟 530-8pm
📍Terrace on Flinders
BOOK - https://www.townsvillechamber.com.au/chamber-connects-welcome-to-townsville-8brrae/

It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Graham Jackson, an exceptional human being and a cherished member of our community.

Jacko was a life member of the Townsville Chamber of Commerce and served as our President from 1986 to 1987. His dedication and leadership in roles across the city have left an indelible mark. His unwavering commitment to the growth and prosperity of Townsville will always be remembered.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Jackson family during this difficult time. Graham’s legacy will continue to inspire us all.

Loloma Jewellers founder Graham Jackson has been remembered for his impact on Townsville's growth and community groups after passing away this morning 💜 The Order of Australia recipient and Queensland Great has died at the age of 92.📍Learn how he impacted the city: https://bit.ly/4bx2Ips