Presentation by Maleny and Districts NBN Working Group
see Maleny and District NBN Problems information below
and
Topic: Sunshine Coast Tourism moving forward - Andrew will be discussing the hardships of tourism on the Sunshine Coast and the positive steps that are currently being implemented.
Marlene will tell us about how their social media platforms benefits the region and businesses and the importance of having a social media plan for your business.
Breakfast Menu: A menu will be available to choose from in the morning.
Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members.
To book please email admin@malenycommerce.org.au
Maleny and District NBN Problems
The Maleny and Districts NBN Working Group was formed as a result of a well-attended gathering at the Community Centre, hosted by Maleny Forums. The attendees heard from the federal member for Fisher Andrew Wallace and NBN representative Marcello Massi. Both speakers put forward the view that while there were instances of some householders reporting that their NBN connections were either poor or non-existent, the NBN rollout was now complete and those with problems should take them up with their Telecommunications (Telco) supplier e.g. Telstra, TPG.
Hinterland internet users know only too well that we face a major problem that Telcos cannot handle. There are several reasons for this. First, in hundreds of instances, households are not being given a connection to an NBN-enabled node and have to hope that Telcos keep supporting ADSL, an internet connection technology that is now 25 years old. There is no guarantee that this will happen. In addition, regional Australians who don't reside in or next to the main CBD area have only two NBN technology choices – Fixed Wireless and Satellite. In many cases, both are inadequate. Fixed Wireless is a bad technology for any towns that are on or near the Great Dividing Range because it is highly dependent on having a direct line of sight to an NBN tower. Hills and valleys are serious impediments. Satellite is even worse because it hardly works in bad weather and even when it does, latency issues mean that some applications such as videoconferencing are almost unusable.
Mayor Mark Jamieson says he wants the Sunshine Coast region to be the most desirable place for business. In Maroochydore, Queensland’s first direct international data and telecommunications connection to global markets is now in service. The Sunshine Coast now provides the fastest international connection point from east Australia to Asia and the US, a significant development in the Sunshine Coast's attractiveness as an investment location. This fibre-optic cable is capable of download speeds of 36 terabits per second. So what a pity it is that many Maleny businesses cannot tap into this world-class resource, less than 50 kms from Maple St because of our poor internet connection.
The Federal government recently announced that it would upgrade at no cost to the householder, thousands of under-performing NBN connections to full fibre this year, with up to two million upgrades planned by the end of 2023. It is unlikely that Hinterland internet users on Fixed Wireless and Satellite will get this upgrade.
The Maleny and Districts NBN Working Group is making a submission to the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee (RTIRC) to have the federal government urgently take steps to remediate our poor internet connectivity. The RTIRC was established to conduct a review into telecommunications services in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia. Our submission will be lodged by 30th September 2021. We would like to get support from business, schools and other community groups who have an interest in getting better internet connectivity for our region. If you would like to add your support, then please send any case studies or words of support to richard@longwalk.info.
We would need this information by no later than 15th September.
Thank you for your help.
Richard Proudfoot (on behalf of the The Maleny and Districts NBN Working Group)
Still time to access COVID business support payments
Queensland businesses impacted during the state’s fourth snap lockdown are still able to access business support payments of up to $25,000 to help pay for ongoing bills, overheads and staff and plan for long-term recovery.
If the lockdown meant your business’ bottom line was impacted, it’s important you investigate if you’re eligible for these grants, or other rebates, payroll tax relief, or fee waivers and refunds, including liquor licensing fees, to not only support your immediate recovery but also the state’s wider economy to get back to business.
Now regional businesses can also apply for payments of up to $5000 in round two of the Business Basics Grants Program to increase core skills and adopt best practice.
Free webinar with Beyond Blue
How to navigate mental health in the workplace
Mental health is a significant issue right now, particularly for small business owners. This RUOK? Day on September 9, CCIQ has invited Beyond Blue to share support that is available to business owners and their employees in an upcoming Q&A webinar.
Where: Online webinar Date: Thursday 9 September Time: 12pm to 1pm
Latest Pulse Survey results show business confidence falling for the first time since COVID-19 began in March 2020
Results from our recent Pulse Survey of Business Conditions indicate that the Queensland economy and business community are not out of the woods yet, with business confidence taking a dip for the first time since the COVID-19 crisis began.
The report revealed that over 40% of business owners have been forced to contribute personal funds to keep their business afloat. These contributions were on average more than $110,000.
The findings also indicate the Queensland business community is financially and emotionally exhausted, with approximately half of business owners or their staff stating COVID-19 has contributed to mental health challenges.
To view the regional Pulse reports, you can use the interactive map on Page 14 of the Queensland report or head here: www.cciq.com.au/business-voice/pulse/
Mental health support for businesses in your network available here: Mental Health
Save the date
MEMBERS WE WANT TO CELEBRATE YOU!
Again we call for any member that wishes to promote their business to please email admin@malenycommerce.org.au and Nicole will liaise with you to complete a social media and newsletter profile and advertising campaign.
Our organisation’s operations are supported by council through a Community Partnership.
About Maleny Commerce
Maleny and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. is an incorporated body representing the business community since 1986. Check our website for upcoming events.
