RCCIWA 2022 AGM Wrap Up
On October 31^st we held our AGM online and it was terrific to see so many of our members joining in. Here at RCCIWA we love an AGM as apart from being a constitutional requirement, they are an invaluable opportunity to highlight the achievements of the past 12 months, get ready for the next 12 months and elect your new Committee. RCCIWA has had another very successful year and we have continued to strengthen our membership engagement and offering, amplify our voice and improve our processes and governance structure. This all aligns perfectly with the three pillars of our 2022-2027 strategic plan of Members, Voice and Future.  You can read the RCCIWA AGM Summary Highlights here which was tabled our AGM.

We are pleased and very proud to announce the newly elected 2022-23 RCCIWA Executive Committee and thank each of them for their commitment to being involved in the strategic direction of our organisation and for putting their hands up. We welcome:

Simone de Been               President

Chantelle King                  Vice President

Kristy Gillian                     Secretary/Treasurer

Andrew McKerrell             General Committee Member

Joanne Fabling                 General Committee Member

Rik Soderlund                   General Committee Member

Great to see six different regionals represented on our Executive Committee!

We are excitedly looking forward to working as a collective. You can find more about our 2022-23 Executive Committee Members here

We also take this opportunity to thank David Lantzke, who was our Vice President since 2016 and has stepped down from the position. Thank you David, for your dedication and brilliant contribution over many years.

RCCIWA Share n Learn Online Workshops
Late last year we commenced our regular Share N Learn online workshops, covering areas such as  revenue streams, membership & sponsorship structures, marketing your organisation, shop local campaigns and business awards. They are proving to be very valuable sessions with lots of great information shared and very informative conversations. A big thank you to our President 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 regularly, and we are planning these to recommence early  in 2023.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. We are keen to receive your suggestions for any topics you would like covered – so please send them through to me ceo@regionalchamberswa.com.au

RCCIWA Representation
In the past fortnight we have continued to represent the voice of our members. This may be in a round table meeting, responding to surveys seeking regional business views or in one-on-one consultation. Of note in the past two weeks we have:

• Met with the Chair of the Board of the Small Business Development Corporation
• Participated in the DTWD Skilled Migration Jobs Connect meeting
• Further contribution to the Review of the WA Jobs Act
• One on One consultation with JTSI as part of the Heavy Industry consultation for Sectoral Emissions Reductions Strategies

RCCIWA Member Engagement
It has also been a very productive fortnight for engaging with members, with some of the highlights being:

• Facilitating the first meeting of the Southern Chamber Collective
• Attending the Avon Valley Business Awards in Northam – hosted by our member the Northam CCI (a fabulous event it was too)
• Holding our regular RCCIWA Members online meeting, with 11 members in attendance
• Holding individual meetings with the Working Together Providers, 2 held so far, 4 more to go
• Joined in on the online discussion hosted by CCIWA, with our members who have a One on Many membership agreement with CCIWA
• Held an online meeting with four of our members individually to assist them with a specific issue or information.

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 Emmi at admin@regionalchamberswa.com.au As mentioned above,  know that it is AGM time for many, so please send through your newly elected committee when ready. The information we need is name, position/role, email address and mobile number.
• Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and share our page with your members, and in particular your elected committee or board members.
• 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 Emmi at  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 Emmi   admin@regionalchamberswa.com.au

Information and Updates for our Members
Part of our role is connecting with organisations and information for us to share with our members, so that they can share the information with their members. Please see below for what we have received from our stakeholders in the past week or so, that you are welcome and encouraged to share:

CCIWA free online event – Gaining the edge in the digital economy on 25^th November from 10am to 11am.
Today, all business leaders are striving to maximise the potential of the digital economy and positioning themselves for a future that will be dominated by the expectations of high-speed, reliable, and secure connectivity to drive growth and capture new markets.

Discover what the digital future holds and learn more about the support that is available from business nbn. Join Aaron Morey, Chief Economist CCIWA for an exclusive online interview with Brendan Donohoe, Executive General Manager, business nbn®.
This webinar will feature a topical presentation, in-depth discussion and a facilitated audience Q&A.

To register: Tickets for Gaining the Edge in the Digital Economy in Perth from Ticketbooth

New paid family and domestic violence leave
From next year, employees will be able to access 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in a 12-month period. This includes casual and part-time employees.
The new entitlement will be available from:

• 1 February 2023, for employees of non-small business employers (employers with 15 or more employees on 1 February 2023)
• 1 August 2023, for employees of small business employers (employers with less than 15 employees on 1 February 2023).

Find out more about the changes at New paid family and domestic violence leave. 

Support Services
Confidential information, counselling and support for people impacted by domestic and family violence is available at the 1800 RESPECT website, the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.

Road Safety Grants 2023 – Now Open
The Road Safety Commission and RAC WA have partnered to provide grants of up to $5,000 for eligible organisations, including local Town Teams, for events/activities held during National Road Safety Week from 14 – 21 May. There are far too many people killed or seriously injured on WA roads - we need to do better! These grants could also help fund community activities or #placemaking projects. So get creative.

This opportunity is in addition to the twice yearly RSC grants of up to $5,000 for one-off events and $25,000 for bigger projects (advertised in January and July each year)! National Road Safety Week grant applications close 12 December 2022. See here for all of the information.