Council’s community and business engagement project kicks off

Published on 15 February 2021

Uralla Shire Council kicks off its community and business engagement project funded by the NSW Bushfire Community Resilience and Economic Recovery Fund – Phase 1.

Council received $100,000 in grant funding from the NSW Government’s Bushfire Community Resilience and Economic Recovery Fund – Phase 1 to deliver community capacity building projects and facilitate economic development in the Uralla Shire.

The first of the projects is now underway as Council continues its engagement project with the Uralla Shire business community to fully understand the impacts on local businesses due to bushfires, drought, COVID-19, and arsenic contamination in Uralla’s town water supply.

Council has engaged the regionally based Wixim Consulting to conduct surveys of Uralla Shire businesses and residents. Drop-in sessions will be held in Bundarra, Invergowrie, Kingstown, and Kentucky.

All businesses in the Uralla Shire are invited to complete a comprehensive survey which records changes in employment, cashflow, and productivity. A shorter survey has been designed for community members and all residents in the Uralla Shire are encouraged to complete the survey.

Wixim Consulting’s research team is contacting businesses in the shire directly to gain a representative mix of responses from key industries. Businesses who have not yet been contacted are encouraged to opt-in to complete the survey by emailing research@wixim.com.au by Wednesday, 17 February 2021 to arrange an interview.

Paper copies of the community survey are currently available for collection at the Uralla Shire Council Customer Service Centre and from the Bundarra General Store following the drop-in session on Wednesday, 10 February.

Uralla Shire Mayor, Cr Michael Pearce said the NSW Government’s Bushfire Community Resilience and Economic Recovery Fund Phase 1 grant funding enabled Council to deliver targeted community capacity building projects and facilitate economic development in the Uralla Shire.

“It’s fantastic to see these projects progress, with community surveys open to all businesses and residents and disaster preparedness webinars for the local business community to help businesses utilise Resilience NSW’s Get Ready Business framework.”

“Council encourages all businesses and residents to take the surveys, as the feedback will inform Council’s gap analysis research project to identify opportunities for growth and new business potential to support further economic development planning,” Mayor Pearce said.

In addition to the community surveys, Council has engaged UNE Partnerships to deliver a two-part disaster preparedness webinar for local businesses and to help develop business continuity plans based on Resilience NSW’s Get Ready Business framework.

Mayor Pearce said the workshops would be a valuable tool for any local business and hoped business owners would take up the free training opportunity.

“Resilience NSW’s Get Ready Business is a fantastic tool to help small business owners prepare for any disruption, and the idea behind the webinars is to make sure our businesses can have any questions answered as they go through the process.”

“The disaster preparedness webinars will be a valuable tool for any local business, and Council encourages all business owners to take up the free training opportunity. Resilience NSW’s Get Ready Business is a fantastic tool to help small business owners prepare for any disruption,” Mayor Pearce said.

Registration for the online webinars will be published on Council’s website and promoted through social media via public notice.

The webinars will be recorded so that any businesses unable to attend at the time will be able to view the training at a later date.

Other projects funded by the Bushfire Community Resilience and Economic Recovery Fund – Phase 1 grant funding currently underway includes the development of a Shire-wide Interactive Map, sponsorship of a travel writer, and social media videos as part of a broader Uralla Shire promotional campaign.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Uralla Shire Council
council@uralla.nsw.gov.au | 02 6778 6300

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