A Minute With The Mayor

The Queensland Small Business Commissioner (QSBC), Dominique Lamb, visited the Whitsundays last week to engage with the local business community and budding entrepreneurs, providing valuable insights and support tailored to the unique challenges faced by small businesses in the area.

Council’s Economic Development Team hosted an event for the Commissioner to showcase the extensive support available through the QSBC to help businesses succeed. This includes financial advice, upskilling and training, assistance with navigating disputes and government regulations, wellness checks, and a variety of other tools.

Approximately 40 people attended the event held in Cannonvale and the Commissioner then travelled to Bowen to have one-on-one meetings with some local businesses there.

Initiatives such as these are crucial in fostering a resilient small business community in the Whitsundays and I encourage everyone to use the QSBC as it’s a fantastic resource.

I represented our region at the Greater Whitsunday Council of Mayors meeting which is a partnership between Whitsunday, Isaac and Mackay Councils to identify joint opportunities for innovation and collaboration across the region.

This group works together to address regional issues, promote sustainable development, and advocate for the interests of our communities at state and federal levels. By pooling resources and expertise, the aim is to get better leverage when advocating for the region.

Over the recent weeks my fellow councillors and I have been through a new council induction which has included updates on changes to legislation and planning for mandatory training to be completed over the first six months of the term. We’ve also been in discussions about the upcoming budget with our attention drawn to the intricate balance between meeting community needs, recognising the cost-of-living pressures and maintaining financial responsibility. We are looking to adopt the budget in late June with information to be provided to the community in due course.

The Disaster Management Team kicked off their visits to primary schools across the region for Under 8’s Day! Under 8’s provides us with a unique opportunity to educate our youngest community members about the importance of disaster preparedness and safety. As a father myself I know that kids are great for sharing their knowledge and teaching their parents a thing or two from time to time!

They also enjoy saying hi to our disaster mascot Turbine and have had fun completing activities in our disaster preparedness activity book, which helps them prepare for disasters in a fun way.  While we aren’t officially in storm season anymore, disasters can strike at anytime and it’s important our community is prepared all year round.

From Mayor of the Whitsundays, Ry Collins

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Councillor Clay Bauman, Queensland Small Business Commissioner Dominique Lamb and Whitsunday Mayor Ry Collins. Photo credit: Daniel Heggie

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