New name, scope for business group

CHANGE is in the air for the Bannockburn and District Chamber of Commerce as it seeks to broaden its horizons and reach.

The first step is a change of name and scope, with the recent annual general meeting voting for the organisation to become the Golden Plains Chamber of Commerce.

The meeting was held at the Bannockburn Cultural Centre and ushered in a new executive committee consisting of Peter Nunn (president), Melinda Mahon (vice-president), Michelle Cain (treasurer) and Julie Kaye (secretary).

Mr Nunn said the new name would be adopted because the executive wanted the chamber to cover the entirety of the Golden Plains Shire.

He said although the chamber already did focus on much more than just Bannockburn, the name was “putting people off”.

“People from Inverleigh and Teesdale and those sorts of places, they look at the name and say ‘It’s only about Bannockburn’, which is not what we want to be at all,” he said.

“That was the major thing that was brought up at the meeting; we hope we’ll have that sorted out shortly.”

Mr Nunn said under its existing arrangements, the chamber primarily covered the southern half of the shire.

“We would struggle to adequately support the northern part, and the fact that Bannockburn…is in the name is actually putting people off joining,” he said.

Mr Nunn said the executive also planned to “open it up” so membership was available to businesses other than those operating or owned by people living in the area.

“If anyone who can service customers within the Golden Plains Shire, as long as they’re prepared to service customers in the shire at no additional charge from where they are, then we see no reason why they can’t come in [as members].”

Mr Nunn said the focus up until now had been entirely on local businesses, but that was restrictive because many people living in Bannockburn worked outside the town or even outside the shire.

He said that some also lived in Bannockburn but owned businesses in Geelong.

“It’s been restrictive in that if there were people from outside the Bannockburn area – or our catchment area, if you like – who wanted to become members, they could only be members if no one else from within our catchment area had the same business,” he said.

“We’re not really seeing that that’s a useful distinction to make anymore,” he said.

Mr Nunn stressed, however, that the chamber would continue to heavily promote Bannockburn businesses.