What started as a Merimbula Chamber of Commerce AGM and general meeting has turned into something much larger with the call for the community to attend and discuss the state of the CBD.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It's probably the first time in many years that the nominations have reached 16 people.
Current president Lynn McColl is standing again and says that she has unfinished business with a number of projects planned for the coming year including Pink Up Merimbula - McGrath Foundation Breast Cancer Awareness month, a retail revamp, Christmas 2019 and the second Merimbula and Pambula Chambers black tie dinner.
The retail revamp is a visual merchandising strategy to revamp the look and feel of shops, Ms McColl said with Alison Vandenbergh at council working with the chamber committee and Karyn Denaro of Brief Affairs.
Pink Up your town raises money to help support McGrath Breast Care Nurses. There is a McGrath Breast Care Nurse based at Bega Valley Community Health Service.
Read also: Community urged to attend meeting
Ms McColl said the chamber plays an important role in liaising with chambers in the district and other organisations.
"We have the ear of council and we are bringing landlords back to the chamber," she said.
While Ms McColl says that Merimbula's problems aren't fixable overnight, she says that events such as the New Year's Eve markets and Spring sale help put money in the retailers' pockets.
Read also: Positive reaction to pedestrian plan
She says the chamber has runs on the board and points to the road closure on the Saturday of the Jazz Festival which kept pedestrians in retail areas.
"This town is not dying, we have to open our eyes and be proud of our town. Council has started to go in a different direction because of our input; we're starting to move forward together," she said.
