For the first time Chambers of Commerce from Noosa, Cooroy and Eumundi met together at a sell out event at The Doonan last Thursday evening to connect, with a view to working together for businesses and the community.
Chamber presidents delivered an overview of each chamber beginning with Ralph Rogers, the president of Noosa Chamber of Commerce which initiated the event.
“I think we’re heading for challenging times both politically and economically and we’ll do everything we can to help you in your businesses,“ Mr Rogers said.
“Our job is to help you grow your businesses and grow the economy. That’s our sole objective.“
“We have three key areas of interest: membership; connection and communication and fellowship; and community engagement and educational learning. “We have large and small format seminars on anything that may be relevant to your business or the economy.“
In addition Noosa Chamber of Commerce produces an annual report on the economy. The 2025 report will be available for purchase on their website in the first week in April.
“A key factor is having accurate information,“ Mr Rogers said.
“We couldn’t find a location that gave us a snapshot of what was going on in the economy so we’ve been producing one for the past four years. It comes out every year and we publish it annually. It’s a concise reference.
“We measure the economy against our neighbouring councils and against targeted councils, that may be competitive with Noosa Shire. Last year’s 68 page document, covers everything from socio-economic factors to how many rental homes are available.“
Eumundi Chamber of Commerce president Cindy Sutar told guests the Eumundi Chamber began in 1936, having evolved from the Eumundi men’s association and this year will celebrate 30 years since its incorporation.
“Today we’re a dynamic group of businesses working together … a combined voice of local business and a strong contributor to the local community and the region’s growth,“ she said.
Ms Sutar said in addition to its strong focus on members what set the Eumundi chamber apart from Noosa and Cooroy was its affiliation with tourism, its position on the board influencing destination marketing and visitor confidence and the important role it played shaping the region’s tourism.
Cooroy Chamber of Commerce president Sirah Robb said as a massive fan of collaboration the event had her full support.
“We can all achieve more by collaborating,“ she said.
“I’ve always had belief a strong business community does flow out to a strong overall community.“
Ms Robb said the chamber was “about connecting our community“. The chamber also manages the RV, in a partnership with Council, and played a strong role in organising event with Christmas in Cooroy being their major annual event.
