Welcome to Business News. As we are all aware, the Victorian and NSW border is now temporarily shut to contain the spread of COVID-19 and to protect our health and jobs.
Council has a dedicated COVID Border Closure page with information applicable to Bega Valley businesses and residents, which is updated as relevant information comes to hand.
Our thoughts are with the businesses, families and communities who have been affected by the border closure and remind everyone how important it is that we continue to follow the health and safety advice from the experts.
If you are experiencing business difficulties with the closure - getting products or supplies in or out, or issues getting a Border Entry Permit - we would like to know. Email us at EconomicDevelopment@begavalley.nsw.gov.au
Our quick and easy Future Business Needs Survey is still open and we ask you to help us pave the way for business recovery and positive transformation. We want to understand your future business needs, the business programs you have accessed so far and your thoughts on economic priorities. The survey closes on 24 July.
Is your listing on the Bega Valley Shire Business Directory? The Business Directory contains contact details for hundreds of local commercial businesses.
Our Bega Valley community members use this list as an alternative to other online search options – it’s quicker and easier ... and local.
Some listings are out-of-date. We encourage you to update your listing so you don't miss out on any potential customers who use our directory. If your business is not on the list, you can register with us at any time.
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COVID-19 UPDATE
Victorian-NSW COVID Border Closure
Under the Public Health (COVID-19 Border Control) Order 2020 (as at 8 July), if you have visited or travelled from Victoria, you must self-isolate for 14 days.
It is essential people follow directions they receive about home isolation and quarantine, and maintain COVID-safe practices of physical distancing of 1.5 metres, cough or sneeze into their elbow, and regularly wash their hands.
People in the following categories can enter NSW from Victoria with a border entry permit:
- returning NSW residents; and
- children going to boarding school (and their parents)
- persons providing critical services
- persons entering child access or care arrangements
- persons transiting out of NSW
- seasonal workers
- people need medical or hospital treatment
- people need to meet their legal obligations
- people in border communities.
People entering NSW generally will have to obtain an entry permit and comply with the conditions on the permit or specific conditions in the order (eg returning NSW residents have to self-isolate).
Council has a dedicated COVID Border Closure page with information applicable to Bega Valley businesses and residents, which is updated as relevant information comes to hand.
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Bega Valley Mayor features on The Caravan Show podcast
The Caravan Show recently spoke to Bega Valley Shire Mayor, Sharon Tapscott about what’s on offer for visitors to the Bega Valley and the Sapphire Coast.
In this special podcast, host Roy Wyss chats with our Mayor about our picturesque locations, extensive coastline, and the activities and experiences unique to our part of Australia.
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Young Bega woodturner secures DFAT order
Following Council’s submission to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) product purchasing program earlier this year, 14-year old Jamie Parker-Barnes from Bega recently provided DFAT with 100 hand-turned wooden spatulas, to be used as gifts for special guests at public diplomacy and cultural programs overseas.
Jamie, a talented woodturner and woodworker, first started doing woodworking classes with Jo Saccomani at Two Sheds in Bega and it quickly became his favourite pastime. Four and a half years later Jamie still attends the Two Shed classes, fine-tuning his woodwork skills and learning about the beauty and boundless possibilities of wood craft.
In 2019 Jamie looked towards woodturning; something he just ‘knew’ he would love and found a DVD at the library by an Australian woodturner. After much arm twisting, he was able to convince his father to buy him a small wood lathe for Christmas, and it was immediately clear that he just ‘got it’ - he had the skill to turn wood into beautiful things.
When the DFAT request arrived, Jamie suggested the best product was his spatulas, which are made from offcuts and discarded wood from other projects. DFAT agreed and returned with their order.
The DFAT program is a way of supporting bushfire affected communities and to promote Australian excellence overseas.
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Steve Millott helps Cobargo businesswoman secure grant
Community Lead for Bega Valley’s free virtual Business Support Drop-In Centre, Steve Millott helped owner of The Country K9 Parlour, Sharleen Salter do something she would never have been able to do on her own - secure a bushfire recovery grant.
The building which housed Sharleen’s dog grooming parlour in the main street of Cobargo was damaged when the summer bushfires tore through the township in January. The parlour suffered severe smoke damage, roof damage, the ceiling fell in and most of Sharleen’s grooming equipment and furniture were destroyed.
If you need business support, don’t self-assess - get in contact with Steve now via begavdic@gmail.com or 0413 606 982.
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Grants for business energy reduction
Grant applications are now open to businesses, under the Energy Efficient Communities Program, to help them lower their energy bills and reduce emissions.
Small businesses and dairy farming businesses can apply for a grant of up to $20,000 with no co-contribution required. Applications close on 26 August 2020.
High energy-using businesses will be able to apply for a grant of up to $25,000 with a matching co-contribution required. Applications for the high energy-using businesses round open shortly.
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Future Business Needs Survey closes 24 July
Council wants to help pave the way for business recovery and positive transformation, and needs to understand your future business needs, the business programs you have accessed so far and your thoughts on economic priorities.
Now is a good time to think through where you want your business to go, what you want to achieve and how you can get there.
Contribute to our Business Needs Check-In and help us develop business improvement activities across the Shire.
Your feedback will help us to continue our work on enabling the Shire's recovery and advocating for resources and programs that directly support you.
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Small Business Recovery Grant open
If your small business or not-for-profit organisation has experienced a decline in turnover as a result of COVID-19, you may be eligible for a small business recovery grant of between $500 and $3000.
This grant helps small businesses meet the costs of safely reopening or up-scaling operations. These expenses include, but are not limited to:
- fit-out & temporary physical changes (ie, plastic barriers at checkouts)
- staff training and counselling
- business advice and continuity planning
- cleaning products and additional cleaning services
- additional equipment necessary to comply with social distancing or other public health measures
- marketing, communications and advertising
- digital solutions (for example, e-commerce or business websites).
This grant can only be used for purchases of eligible expenses made from 1 July 2020, and only where no other government support is available.
Applications close 11:59pm Sunday 16 August 2020.
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Start Feeling It campaign gaining momentum
The Start Feeling It campaign, which runs up to our summer season, is going strong. Website traffic is up 33% compared to this time last year and there is positive engagement across all digital and social channels.
The Start Feeling It stickers are popping up in shop windows around the Shire and video development continues, with the latest showcasing Potoroo Palace.
If you want stickers for your store or business, or want to be included in a video, contact scdm@sapphirecoast.com.au
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Be part of the iconic, ground-breaking Snowy 2.0
Snowy 2.0 is an exciting and innovative project that will see significant employment in the Snowy Mountains region for up to six years. It will have a workforce of 1,000 by Christmas and 2,000 people at its peak, in about 12 to 18 months’ time.
At Polo Flat in Cooma, construction of the new concrete segment factory has begun. Once operational, the factory will employ between 130 and 150 people to produce more than 130,000 concrete segments to line the Snowy 2.0 waterway tunnels. The Cooma-based workforce will potentially do shifts of 14 days on and five days off. That offers drive in, drive out options - go there for your shift and come home in your off-time.
And it’s not all about picks and shovels. There is essentially a township being built in the mountains that will house 2,000 people; a township that requires plumbers, electricians, chefs and cooks.
If you are interested in becoming part of the Snowy team, visit the Future Generation website to view current jobs in the market, create a profile and receive email alerts for future jobs that may suit you.
Snowy 2.0 hopes to hold job information sessions in Bega and Eden in September. In the meantime, potential applicants can go online and talk to recruiters.
If you’re a business looking to supply, register with the ICN Gateway, a network for providing large contracts and large procurement.
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Are you interested in learning how to sell online?
The COVID-19 experience and the latest statistics are clearly telling small businesses to embrace the digital world – get online and get a social media presence.
Customer behaviour has fundamentally changed, business is being conducted online more and digitalisation has accelerated.
Sapphire Coast Destination Marketing is calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) to participate in a crash course, using the skills and expertise of the Bega Valley Innovation Hub, covering WordPress, WooCommerce, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Graphic Design and Cloud Systems. This includes:
- using a self-hosted WordPress website
- setting up and managing a WooCommerce online storefront with inventory, products, product variations, pricing, GST and shipping settings
- SEO, including WordPress SEO plugin Yoast
- basic skills in understanding what Google is looking for and how to grow your search engine ranking
- basic graphic design, including colour palettes, fonts and an overview of popular new graphic design applications - Affinity Designer, Photo, Publisher and Figma
- how to plan a website, develop a user-friendly User Interface and how User Experience is important to your website design.
Send your EOI to participate in a course to Amanda at scdm@sapphirecoast.com.au. Include details of your product or service and ‘why our visitors love it’. You must have an existing product or service ready for sale.
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NAIDOC Week moved to 8-15 November
Bega Valley Shire Council acknowledges that during a ‘normal’ year, we would be celebrating the start of NAIDOC Week on Sunday 5 July.
However, the National NAIDOC Committee has wisely moved NAIDOC Week to 8-15 November, “to protect our elders and those in our communities with chronic health issues from the disastrous impacts of COVID-19".
In the lead-up to NAIDOC Week from 8 to 15 November, Council will consult the Land Councils on suitable activities that reflect and underpin the theme for this year, which is Always Was, Always Will Be.
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How to write, manage and maintain funding for the arts
Creative people and arts professionals who plan to use funding and grants as a revenue strategy are welcome to attend a free online workshop on writing, managing and maintaining funding.
In this 2-hour workshop, participants will learn about:
- the different kinds of funding available
- creating a grant folder (and being ready for opportunities)
- researching funding and considering applications
- writing the proposal – and avoiding the common errors
- creating a grant calendar
- the acquittal process – and how to recover from setbacks
- five ways to FAIL at grants.
This Creative Plus Business workshop is a partnership between Business Connect and Regional Arts NSW. It will be held on Thursday 23 July from 6pm using Crowdcast/Zoom.
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Holiday Destination COVID-19 resource kit
NSW Health has developed a COVID-19 Holiday Destination resource kit.
A sample of the posters is above. If you are interested in seeing more, visit the NSW Health website.
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Free COVID-19 course for food service training
COVID-19 awareness for food services is a free, voluntary online course for anyone working in NSW food retail and food service businesses. Key topics address:
- COVID-19 introduction and background
- infection, signs and symptoms
- self-protective measures
- protective measures for premises and personal hygiene
- cleaning and sanitation practices
- social distancing measures
- record keeping.
The NSW Food Authority course is self-guided and will take participants around 20 minutes to complete. A ‘COVID-19 awareness for food service’ acknowledgement certificate will be emailed to all participants who complete the course.
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ABA announces banks' decision to extend loan deferrals
The Australian Banking Association (ABA) has announced banks will extend deferred loans for small businesses that are still struggling for an extra four months.
The initiative has been agreed to by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), which have made a collective effort to support those facing financial hardship as a result of COVID-19.
The ABA says customers with reduced incomes and ongoing financial difficulty due to COVID-19 will be contacted as they approach the end of their deferral period, to ensure that wherever possible they can return to repayments through a restructure or variation to their loan.
If these arrangements are not in place at the end of a six month deferral, customers will be eligible for an extension of their deferral for up to four months. Customers will be expected to work with their bank, during this extra time, to find the best solution for them.
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Handy tax toolkit for small business
Whether you use a registered tax agent or lodge your own tax return, you will find the ATO’s Tax Time 2020 Toolkit useful.
This toolkit includes a directory of links as well as several updated and new fact sheets for small business, such as:
- claiming deductions for the costs of using your home as your main place of business
- claiming a deduction for motor vehicle expenses for your business
- claiming a deduction for expenses you incur when travelling for your business.
There is also information to help if your business had to pause or permanently close due to COVID-19.
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National Skills Commission labour market report
The National Skills Commission (NSC) is working to develop intelligence on Australia’s labour market, workforce changes and current and emerging skills needs. The NSC will drive long-term improvements across the skills system to bring together existing data and develop new capability in skills analysis, and improved data and advice on VET pricing and outcomes.
The National Skills Commission’s first public report explores the impact COVID-19 has had on Australia’s labour market and how the work of the NSC will support the recovery.
For insights into Bega Valley’s labour market, download our Jobs & Skills Bega Valley report.
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Get the latest Bega Valley and Sapphire Coast business news and information direct to your inbox.
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Business News is a key channel that connects us to you and helps us support your business.
Let us know what you need from us. You can contact Dan and Alison in the Economic Development team on (02) 6499 2222 or EconomicDevelopment@begavalley.nsw.gov.au
As we navigate the pandemic, we thank you for continuing to care for yourself, your staff and your families. Please check Council's dedicated COVID-19 webpage for the very latest news and information on the pandemic, including business news.
Feedback and topic suggestions are welcome:
EconomicDevelopment@begavalley.nsw.gov.au
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