From the CEO's Desk
From the CEO's Desk
Friday 4th February 2022
COVID 19 Update
Reliable sources of the most current information and advice and information for businesses
- CCIWA created a COVID19 website in April of 2020 which every business in WA can access. The site contains very valuable and relevant information. https://covid19.cciwa.com/
- The Small Business Development site is the trusted source for small business information and is updated regularly. https://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/coronavirus https://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/blog/proof-vaccination-requirements-wa- businesses
- Important State Government Sites:
https://www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus
https://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/Coronavirus
https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe/covid-19-vaccination-rollout-information-employers
- The Chief Health officer is the best for the more technical questions (i.e.: do chefs have to wear a mask?) Please email those questions directly to CHO@health.wa.gov.au
What RCCIWA are currently doing:
- Ensuring all feedback, questions and concerns are sent to the right Government department, agency or either The Premiers office or the relevant Minister. The communication with all of these offices, has been very strong.
- Attending any industry roundtables of briefings that the Government hold (we are invited to them) to ensure we have all of the information, are voicing the concerns of our members and that we ourselves are informed and up to date.
- Please send through any questions you have as we will ensure they go to the right people. We have been very successful in getting prompt responses to our members questions from either the SBDC or the COVID communications team – so please send through any questions you have, and we will follow them up straight away.
- We have asked the Government to do more work on educating and encouraging customers to do the right thing, to ease the burden off businesses and we have also asked for financial assistance for those businesses financially impacted by the border now not opening and the additional costs of checking for proof of vaccination. We will keep you posted on this.
What the main concerns of business are, (as told to us by our members)
- Not enough lead up time to new Government announced directives and mandates, and not enough detail when they are announced
- A great deal of confusion about the directives
- Businesses are already understaffed and flat out – asking them to now check proof vaccinations as well – is adding a great deal of pressure to already stretched businesses. It feels like there is a big burden on businesses to carry and it does not seem fair.
- Checking for proof of vaccinations will actually cost those businesses money in time spent
What has been very encouraging is the way so many businesses have just got on with it, are fully prepared and ready to check for proof of vaccination and how prepared they are to do the right thing for the greater good. We really do have amazing businesses in regional WA.
RCCIWA Share n Learn Online Sessions
In August we commenced our monthly Share N Learn online workshops, with four being held so far covering revenue streams, membership & sponsorship structures, marketing your organisation and business awards. Notes for each session if you click on the four topics just mentioned. They are proving to be very valuable sessions with lots of great information shared and very informative conversations. A big thank you to Simone de Been for suggesting the whole concept of the Share n Learn and for offering to facilitate sessions. Based on the very positive feedback from our members we will continue to hold these each month. They are a fantastic way to share ideas, activities, processes, and ways of working as well as for picking up very relevant tips, tricks and suggestions. Our first Share n Learn for 2022 is:
Tuesday February 22nd
2.00pm to 3.00pm
Shop Local Campaigns, Programs and Cards
A facilitated discussion on all aspects of encouraging shop local.
A zoom link and calendar invitation for this first Share n Learn will be sent out next week.
RCCIWA Administrative Items
- We are constantly updating our membership contact list. If you have any changes to your contacts or would like to add any people, please email Alice at admin@regionalchamberswa.com.au We know that it is still AGM season for some, so please send through your newly elected committee when ready.
- Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and share our page with your members, and in particular your elected committee or board members. https://www.facebook.com/RCCIWA/
- Please also let us know about any activities, initiatives or events you would like us to include in our weekly newsletter. We love showcasing a great idea, program or event that one of our members is delivering. If you have something you would like us to share – please send through the details to admin@regionalchamberswa.com.au
- Our member portal is being well accessed by our members, but we can always add more content – so please send through any operational documents you are happy to share with your fellow members to admin@regionalchamberswa.com.au