Firstly, a very big welcome back to our superstar Administration Assistant, Emmi Taylor. Emmi has returned back from maternity leave a few weeks ago and is back into the swing of things with ease. Welcome back Emmi – it is lovely to have you back at RCCIWA. And secondly, a very big thank you to the impressive Alice Gladigau, who was acting in the role whilst Emmi was on leave. Alice works for our member the KBCCI and did a terrific job in the role. Thanks Alice!

RCCIWA Members Forum – June 16^th & June 17^th - Perth
Planning is well underway for our first RCCIWA Members Forum for 2022. Registration links and all detailed information will be sent to you in the next fortnight, however for now I just wanted to make sure you were aware of the date and also ask for your suggestions on topics and speakers. We are very excited about our first forum and the interest from our members has already been strong – we know quite a few have already booked their flights and accommodation!

Day 1     Thursday June 16^th Hale House                                 8am to 2pm approximately

Day 2     Friday June 17^th The Mercure Hotel Perth            8.30am to 3.00pm approximately

BAH       Thursday June 16^th The Mercure Hotel Perth      5.30pm to 7.30pm

Generously co-hosted by Telstra Regional WA and Accor Hotels WA – thank you!!

For now, to assist us in planning we are seeking from you:

• Key issues of concern for your members and the Minister responsible. As much detail as you can in this please, as this will assist us in crafting our questions that we send to each confirmed Minister prior to the event. We are required to send these at least two weeks prior.
• Speakers you would like to hear from
• Topics, you would like us to cover on either day
• Any key stakeholders or members that are based in Perth that you would like us to invite to the awesome BAH on the Thursday night. Please do not invite them directly, but rather send Emmi the details and she will add them to our invitee list. We aim to send out the BAH invitations by the end of April, so please send through your suggested invitees (up to 5) asap. We need their name, title, company/organisation and their correct email address. Please email Emmi at admin@regionalchamberswa.com.au
• Any other suggestions you may have for the Forum

The Mercure Hotel Perth have offered us a fantastic conference rate for all delegates which is calculated at 19% off the best available rate of the day. The best way to book this is directly by emailing shelley.wang@accor.com or calling (08) 9326 7097. By quoting the block code RCCIWA_001, you will be able to access the conference rate.

If you have not attended our Forum previously, I would strongly encourage you to come along. It is two days of first-class networking,  relevant and important information, high level advocacy and lots of opportunities to share and learn. We all love the RCCIWA Forum and take a great deal from them, whist strengthening our supportive network of regional business organisations.

I look forward to your suggestions and to seeing you in June!

COVID 19 Update
In todays newsletter we have highlighted a few COVID specific grants currently open for businesses. We encourage you to share these with your members. As information is constantly updating and changing, we also recommend the website below for accurate and relevant business related advice.

• CCIWA created a COVID19 website in April of 2020 which every business in WA can access. The site contains very valuable and relevant information.
• The Small Business Development site is the trusted source for small business information and is updated regularly.

Important State Government Sites

• https://www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus/covid-19-coronavirus-business-tools-and-information
• https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe/covid-19-vaccination-rollout-information-employers

WA Government Covid Communication Update – as of 31^st March 2022
From March 31^st, public health and social measures have been eased.

The 150 patron limit will be removed for hospitality venues, nightclubs, convention centres or function centres, with the two square metre rule still required. There will be a cap of 500 patrons, which is for two weeks only. The cap will be removed from 14 April.

Masks will still be required indoors for adults and children in Year 3 and above, other than the home.

Proof of vaccination will remain in place for a range of higher-risk venues, such as hospitality venues. Patrons will also be required to check-in using the SafeWA or ServiceWA app, or a hardcopy contact register at these venues.

A detailed list of the eased public health and social measures can be found here and the FAQs page has been updated.

To assist small businesses communicate these measures to patrons, a social media graphic is here and additional materials, such as posters and signage, can be found here.

You can also  access  the revised ‘Be Kind’ posters for local businesses to display here and here reminding the community to be polite to staff when asked to wear a mask, check in or provide proof of vaccination.

CCIWA’s Pre Budget Submission to the WA Government
CCIWA have sent their 2022-23 pre-budget submission to The Premier advocating for businesses throughout Western Australia. RCCIWA contributed to this submission via our participation in CCIWA’s General Council forums and also directly with their policy team. We would encourage you to read through the submission when you get a chance.

RCCIWA Administrative Items

• Emmi Taylor is constantly updating our membership contact list. If you have any changes to your contacts or would like to add any people, please email Emmi at admin@regionalchamberswa.com.au
• Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and share our page with your members.
• Please also let us know about any activities, initiatives or events you would like us to include in our fortnightly 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 Emmi.
• 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 Emmi at admin@regionalchamberswa.com.au