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RDAMNC -  2021 Ignite MNC Tickets out soon, Housing Ideas Report, RDAMNC New Board Announced, Grants & Support, Local Jobs Program and more...

Welcome to the RDAMNC E news,

The RDAMNC team have been busy working on a number of projects outlined in the following news items include a welcome to our new Board Members, development of the Workforce Development Report, advocating on local issues and preparing for the Ignite MNC Symposium which will be held in Wingham on the 3rd November.

With the increasing COVID cases reported each day in Sydney we note the uncertainty people across the Mid North Coast may be feeling. For local business now is the time to get your plans in place and create some certainty on how you might deal with changes in our situation should they happen. It is more important than ever to support our local business and to support each other with considerations of the impacts to mental health of these challenging times. We have included some quick links for COVID information and support in the articles below.
RDAMNC Announce New Board
Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast (RDAMNC) has successfully completed its recruitment process and appointed Board members for the next term. Made up of new and continuing members, the Board consists of representatives from various industries and interests from across the Mid North Coast region. New Board Members are Professor Heather Cavanagh, Mike Crowhurst, David Harvey, Dr Caroline Hong, John Newell, and John Roydhouse.

RDAMNC would like to thank our departing Board members Dr Christene Capel, Wayne Lowe, Robyn Simon, and Stewart Dowrick, who have over several years given their time, local knowledge, insights, and commitment to their roles and the region. Read the full article HERE, and more about our Board Members HERE
COVID Quick Links 
With increasing numbers of COVID cases announced each day it is important to keep up to date with the latest advice and requirements. We have included a few quick links below for easy access:

Quick Links:
Covid-19 Vaccinations
At RDAMNC we’ve allocated time for our team to get vaccinated including time for recovery, if required. We have encouraged our team to register for vaccination at their earliest convenience, very important as there can be waiting times.

How are you helping your staff to get vaccinated?  Find more information HERE
Are you gifting locally?
Right now – your dollar and how you spend it is more important than ever before. While Government led initiatives such as Dine and Discover and even Active or Creative Kids Vouchers have been important for our region, we still have a long, long way to go in recovery of 24 months of disaster. Particularly when considering our small business community. (Side note did you know that MOST businesses in the Mid North Coast of NSW actually fall into the category of a small to medium enterprise?)

While you may think your humble dollar doesn’t really count I encourage you to reconsider the little things – as they all count… Click here for some tips on how you can help local business with your spend.
INTERVIEW: RDAMNC Chair Kieren Dell:
Impact Of Covid Restrictions On Regional Businesses

RDAMNC Chair Kieren Dell was interviewed this month by Cameron Marshall at the ABC Mid North Coast about the impact that the latest Covid restrictions are having on regional businesses.

Click HERE to listen to the interview on the RDAMNC Soundcloud channel.

NEW $30 MILLION FUND TO ACTIVATE TOURISM IN REGIONAL NSW
Deputy Premier John Barilaro, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh were in Coffs Harbour today to announce the new $30 million Regional Tourism Activation Fund which will deliver new or upgraded tourism infrastructure as well as improve accessibility and inclusion for people with disability.

“This brand new fund will support the construction of new iconic visitor experiences, such as cliff-top walks or unique event spaces, boosting the profile of regional NSW towns and giving people even more reasons to take a holiday in the regions,” Mr Barilaro said. “We are also supporting accessibility and inclusion improvements by funding upgrades such as a lift in a multi-level venue and clear access pathways to give more people with disability the opportunity to experience what our regions have to offer.”

The $30 million Regional Tourism Activation Fund is part of the $2 billion Regional Growth Fund. Applications open 16 June and close on 11 August 2021. For more information, go to: www.nsw.gov.au/RTAFund.

Local Jobs Program Mid North Coast
The Local Jobs Program supports tailored approaches to accelerate reskilling, upskilling and employment pathways in 25 Employment Regions, supporting Australia’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. From 1 July 2021, the program will be expanded to cover all 51 Employment Regions. More information is available in the Local Jobs fact sheet.

Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast encourages any interested applicants that would like find out more about the program and the Local Recovery Fund, to get in touch with the MNC Employment Facilitator, Stephen Saunders, to discuss potential projects via facilitatormnc@localjobs.net.au or by phoning 02 5525 1500.


My Future Workforce app now live! 
The launch of the new MFW App means you can stay up to date on the latest matches when you are on the go! Download the My Future Workforce App here!

Do you have a vacancy? Local employers are invited to post their vacancies on the My Future Workforce Platform and be found by the many registered local jobseekers actively seeking work. It is a FREE service and has been built to save employers time and effort to match the best applicants for the role. 

Register - HERE   Or use this QR CODE to be taken directly to the platform:

GRANTS & Funding Opportunities

Export assistance grant: An export assistance grant of up to $10,000 is available to eligible NSW businesses impacted by COVID-19, bushfires or drought, to help you access new global markets or re-enter old ones. For eligibility criteria and to apply, visit Apply for an export assistance grant.

Bushfire Legal Aid Scheme: This program aims to provide support for small businesses and primary producers affected by the 2019-20 bushfires. The program provides: - An Early Resolution Assistance (ERA) approval of $2,000 in professional fees is available for legal services. - Up to an additional $5,000 is available for disbursements. Find more information here

Bushfire Industry Recovery Package – Supply Chain Support Grants (Forestry): This program aims to provide financial assistance to forestry businesses impacted by the bushfires from 31 August 2019 to assist with the cost of burnt timber storage, haulage of burnt timber from out of area forests, nursery expansion and measures to improve soil stabilisation, road construction and groundcover recovery in fire impacted Private Native Forests (PNF). The submission of claims for haulage activities has been extended from 19 June 2021 until 17 June 2022. 

Flood Disaster Recovery Small Business Grant: This program seeks to to support small businesses and not-for-profit organisations directly impacted by the NSW Storms and Floods from 10 March 2021 onwards (AGRN 960) in defined disaster areas agreed between the Commonwealth and states. Applications close at 11:59pm on 15 October 2021.

Strengthening Business provides access to experts who'll will work with you to make your business stronger, more resilient and better prepared for the future. They'll work with you to develop a roadmap, and strengthen your business systems, operations and strategies. Additionally they'll connect you to services you need to achieve your business goals. Close date: 31 Mar 2022 05:00 PM AEDT.

NSW Rural Assistance Authority – Special Disaster Grants (Primary Producers): This program aims to provide a grant to primary producers to help pay for the costs of clean-up and reinstatement of primary production enterprises that have suffered direct damage as a result of the eligible disaster. Closes 31 Oct 2021.

Regional Events Acceleration Fund ProgramThis program aims to support the social and economic recovery of the NSW regions and help organisations to attract new major international and domestic events to regional areas and supports existing regional events to grow even bigger and better. Submissions close 5:00PM 17 December 2021.

COVID-19 National: Business, Non-Profits – Recovery for Regional Tourism Program: This program aims to support nine tourism regions which are heavily reliant on international tourism, as part of the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund to support regions, communities and industry sectors disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19. Applications from eligible entities opened on 30 November 2020 and will close on 30 September 2021.

Dine & Discover NSW Voucher scheme: The NSW Government has launched a voucher scheme to encourage the community to support hospitality, arts and tourism businesses. Eligible businesses can now register for the scheme. For more information, visit Dine & Discover NSW.
SAVE THE DATE - TICKETS OPEN IN AUGUST!
3rd November 2021, Ignite MNC Symposium 2021!


The Ignite MNC Symposium, which began in 2017, hosts a mixture of speakers and panel discussions to bring together representatives from the Mid North Coast community and business sector. In 2021, the event will follow tradition and head to another wonderful rural location on the Mid North Coast - the town of Wingham!

Housing, Work Pathways and Circular Economies - RDAMNC have picked three hot topics on the Mid North Coast to bring to the Ignite discussions, to consider how we can reimagine the way we live. The Ignite MNC Symposium, will provide a forum for ideas and information sharing on how we can bring about new ways of doing things in our regional communities. The pressures of these issues are highlighted by the many challenges we have faced in recent years. Now is the time to come together with vibrant conversations to explore the new way of doing things and create better outcomes for the Mid North Coast.

Stay tuned via our website www.rdamnc.org.au and our Facebook page for updates.
We will be igniting opportunities across the Mid North Coast, so get ready to REIMAGINE...
Housing  - Ideas Forum Report
Earlier this year RDAMNC conducted the Housing Ideas Forum. The forum was held at Nambucca Shire Council and it sought to discover ideas (rather than issues) to alleviate the current housing crisis.

The RDAMNC team has commenced work on this project and will provide an update in our next newsletter.

Click HERE to check out the report. 
Work Pathways
The Workforce Development Forum report captures feedback, ideas and next steps generated by the series of successful meetings held across the Mid North Coast in June.  Hosted by Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast and the Local Jobs Program, and facilitated by Kerry Grace, the forums aimed to create discussions around impacts and gaps in our local workforces, the possible causes of these gaps, as well as generate some local solutions. Read the report for contributing issues and next steps for the region.
Circular Economy
What is it? Check out this little video explaining the circular economy and how we can rethink progress:

That's it for now, stay tuned for another update soon.

Thanks and regards
Kerry



Kerry Grace
Director of Regional Development and CEO
Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast
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