From the CEO's Desk - COVID-19 Update
During these challenging times the health and safety of our members, staff and community is our priority. Committee for Wagga is adapting our business practices as the impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt across our community:
Our Executive Team is now working remotely, and the Committee for Wagga office will be unattended until further advice. If you wish to contact us directly please use the Committee for Wagga email address: ceo@c4wagga.com.au or admin@c4wagga.com.au so that we can respond as quickly as possible.
Future board meetings will be conducted via either video conferencing or teleconferencing.
The remainder of the 2020 Wagga School Leaders Program has been cancelled and the remaining events within 2020 GHD Smart Seeds program have been postponed indefinitely.
Face to face member events have been postponed and those events planned for the second half of the year will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
We will explore opportunities to engage with members by use of online communications in addition to phone and email.
Advocacy and research activities on existing and proposed Committee for Wagga projects will continue to progress so these projects maintain as much momentum as possible.
Committee for Wagga will maintain our effective relationship and communication with all levels of Government and Departments, advocating for measures to assist local businesses to ‘survive & thrive’. We will continue our advocacy and collaborative engagement with all levels of government to ensure necessary policy and infrastructure activities continue to progress during this changed environment.
The impact of COVID-19 is being felt by the Wagga Wagga economy, business and our community. We must come together to minimise the impact on both our community and business; working together to develop strategies to ensure the economic foundation of Wagga Wagga now and once this public health crisis has passed.
With this in mind, Committee for Wagga, Wagga Wagga City Council, Wagga Business Chamber and Women In Business are working together to provide leadership to business and the general community. This group is working with council to identify cost relief for businesses and developing a website to assist local businesses and the community with a single landing page for information on COVID-19 at a Local, State and Federal level. The webpage is expected to be live by the end of the week; a link will be forwarded members once this occurs.
Members of the working group meeting with Wagga Wagga City Council Mayor, Greg Conkey, Dr Joe McGirr MP and Deputy PM, Michael McCormack, last week.
In addition, a closed Facebook forum: ‘Live Local. Be Local.’ has been established by this workgroup for local business owners to facilitate effective communication across our business community. Council has established a support network that will monitor and assist with the forum. We encourage all businesses, large and small, to register on this Facebook forum and share on this forum their thoughts regarding how government, business and the community can aid and support each other over the coming months.
Our thoughts are with our members who continue to face significant disruptions to their business and are making difficult decisions. I am contactable on 0412 244 529 should any of our members require assistance regarding concerns and business challenges.
During this period of uncertainty, we also invite members to share good news stories that we can in turn share with our members and the community.
Committee for Wagga continues to follow the advice provided by the Department of Health and the Government regarding COVID 19. For general information and guidance, visit the Australian Government Department of Health Website or call the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398.
Warm regards,
Alan Johnston, CEO