June 24, 2018
The Kingaroy Chamber Of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) is encouraging South Burnett businesses and residents who want to work on the Coopers Gap Wind Farm to contact the project’s major contractors.
At the KCCI’s latest Meet ‘n’ Greet last week, president Rob Fitz-Herbert told the meeting that thanks to help from AGL, the KCCI has now obtained a list of all the major sub-contracting firms working on Coopers Gap.
The list, with contact phone numbers and brief information about each company’s main method of recruitment (eg: seek.com.au, email, website etc), is now available as a PDF on the KCCI’s website
Mr Fitz-Herbert said there were about 120 people working at the Coopers Gap site at the moment, and he believed about half of these were from the South Burnett.
But the KCCI was keen to see many more South Burnett businesses and workers obtain as much work from the project as possible.
While not all the inputs for the $800 million wind farm could be sourced locally, he said the project still had the potential to inject millions into the South Burnett’s economy over the coming 12 months.
That money would ultimately find its way into other parts of the economy, helping to improve local business conditions.
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Businesses or community groups seeking grants should keep an eye on the Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation’s (BIEDO) website.
BIEDO are putting together a grants education program to teach people how to prepare better grant applications.
They are also building a database of grant writers who will put together grant applications for a fee.
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The proposed revitalisation of Kingaroy’s CBD is currently on hold.
Mr Fitz-Herbert told the KCCI meeting the South Burnett Regional Council’s application for a $2 million Building Better Regions grant towards the project was waiting on a decision from the Federal Government.
However, neither the Council nor anyone else knows when this would be made.
Whether the application is successful or not, the KCCI wants to see the best outcome from the project.
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The annual South Burnett Careers Market will be held at Kingaroy TAFE on July 19, and more than 800 students from local high schools have indicated they are keen to attend.
Mr Fitz-Herbert said the event gave the region’s biggest employers the chance to showcase career opportunities with their businesses.
It also gave universities and other tertiary education institutions to opportunity to introduce potential new students to their course offerings.
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Kingaroy’s new Baconfest Festival on August 24-26 needs volunteers to help it run smoothly.
Kathryn Stevens, from the Baconfest committee, said the group are currently looking for “about 50 people” who’ll be willing to volunteer two to three hours work apiece during the three-day event.
They will also be required to attend a one-hour briefing beforehand to be assigned their tasks, and will receive a Baconfest T-shirt in exchange for their help.
Volunteers can apply by email
The Festival’s three ticketed events – a Wine and Swine Cocktail Party, a concert by Newcastle band The Porkers and a Long Table Breakfast – are now on sale.
Posters promoting Baconfest will be available soon and will be distributed by email on request – businesses can simply print them out and put them up.
Kathryn said the Baconfest committee was also hoping CBD businesses would dress up their shop windows to promote the event.
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The Meet ‘n’ Greet was held at the South Burnett Youth Park in Somerset Street and was hosted by South Burnett CTC’s Youth and Family Services division, which has its offices there.
CTC’s Director Youth and Family Services Kirsten Firman told the meeting that providing emergency relief for families in distress was one her division’s top priorities, but they only have a shoestring budget to work with.
She said the government currently funds the service with just $12,000 a year, which only helps meet a fraction of the demand.
This meant CTC staff had to work with other agencies – and act quickly – whenever new clients presented themselves.
CTC also looked after more than 200 children who need to be taken into care at the moment, and would greatly appreciate extra foster carers to help lighten the workload.
All up, the group’s Youth and Family Services division employs 20 staff at the South Burnett Youth Park.
It also has another 20 youth and family services staff spread throughout the region at CTC’s other six sites.
South Burnett CTC currently employs more than 170 full-time and part-time staff in the region across a wide range of other social service areas.
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The next six-weekly KCCI Meet’n’Greet will be held in August at a venue and date to be announced, starting at 5:15pm.
Meet’n’Greets provide updates on issues of interest to South Burnett businesses, and often include updates on council matters as well, as well as networking opportunities.
Meeting fees are $10 to cover the cost of drinks and nibbles, and all businesses are welcome whether they’re KCCI members or not.
More details about the next Meet’n’Greet or KCCI membership can be obtained by emailing KCCI secretary Paula Greenwood
