Welcome to the RDAMNC E news,
 It has been a tumultuous few weeks with lockdowns of various LGA's in the Mid North Coast. Opening and closing your business on short notice is no easy task.
We encourage business owners to remember there is help available and to reach out to your networks. It is important to stay in touch and be mindful of our mental health. Please scroll down to review helpful support and information links.
The RDA MNC team have been busy behind the scenes with the Ignite MNC Symposium commencing from 3 Nov 2021! With a line-up of over 20 Speakers, interactive tools and facilitated networking sessions, you won't want to miss the Ignite MNC experience this year.
As you may have heard, Ignite is going digital! You will be able to join via your desktop or an event app on your smart device. So where ever you are, get ready to engage in vibrant conversations on Housing, Business Preparedness and Circular Economy.
Get your Tickets HERE!
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Is your Mid North Coast located business interested in supporting your staff in voluntary vaccination at your workplace? Contact us here at RDA MNC via email for further details.
COVID vaccination for business and industry
 Business owners wanting to encourage their employees to get the jab now have a handy set of tools to use. All the hard work and thinking about the best messaging has been done for you, with the release of the Australian Government’s COVID-19 Vaccination Business Kit, part of their Arm Yourself campaign. Find out more HERE
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2021 COVID-19 Support
 The NSW Government has a range of business information and support measures available:
- COVID-19 and your business: Support to help your business plus information about QR codes and safety plans.
- Grants and funding: Grants, funding and assistance programs to help your business succeed or recover.
- COVID-19 rules: Learn about the rules and restrictions in NSW and what you can do to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
- 2021 COVID-19 Support Package: The NSW Government will provide financial assistance, support measures and tax relief to help businesses and people across the state impacted by the current COVID-19 restrictions.
- Roadmap to recovery reveals path forward for all NSW: NSW has a clear path to follow out of the pandemic and lockdowns, with the roadmap for easing restrictions at the 80 per cent double dose target revealing a brighter future for the community.
To keep up to date with restrictions and other COVID updates, please go to https://www.nsw.gov.au/
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New Access for Small Business Owners
 NewAccess for Small Business Owners is a free and confidential mental health coaching program, developed by Beyond Blue to give small business owners, including sole traders the support they need.
The program uses Low-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LiCBT) that allows participants to recognise the way they think, act, and feel and break unhelpful thoughts. Find out more here
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North Coast Flavour Trails - Project Launch Webinars
 Destination North Coast is excited to announce we are in the process of creating and launching a 'virtual' North Coast Food & Beverage Trail, the North Coast Flavour Trails. The project has been enabled through the North Coast receiving Federal Government, Regional Tourism Bushfire Recovery Grant funding.
The North Coast Flavour Trails online platform will support food, beverage and agri-tourism operators from producers through to retailers. The platform is being developed in partnership with Destination NSW and will exist on VisitNSW.com thus leveraging their ongoing marketing efforts.
Destination North Coast invites interested food, beverage and agri-tourism suppliers (or those stakeholders interested in this space) to join a launch webinar:
- Date: 5 October 2021, 2.00 - 3.00 pm, Webinar Link (registration required)
- Date: 8 October 2021, 10.00 - 11.00 am, Webinar Link (registration required)
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Regional Telecommunications Review Submission
 Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast has completed a submission to the Regional Telecommunications Review 2021 in collaboration with Councils throughout the region (Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Nambucca, Kempsey, Port Macquarie-Hastings and MidCoast).
The Review will examine the adequacy of telecommunications services in regional, rural and remote Australia. It will also consider particular issues identified in the Terms of Reference, including the impact of Government policies and programs, insights from COVID-19, emerging technologies, service reliability, regional development, and improving coordination between tiers of government. Read more here
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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. More information is available in the Local Jobs fact sheet.
 RDA MNC encourages any interested applicants that would like find out more about the program and the Local Recovery Fund, to get in touch with Stephen Saunders, MNC Employment Facilitator, to discuss potential projects via facilitatormnc@localjobs.net.au or by phoning 02 5525 1500.
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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:
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 GRANTS & Funding Opportunities
A number of key grant opportunities are closing soon! If you have a project that needs a boost be sure to click HERE for some funding inspiration!
Want to know more about how RDAMNC can support you with your funding application? Find out more here
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From 3 November 2021 | Online via Wingham
The 2021 Ignite MNC Symposium enables us to rethink how we live on the Mid North Coast. The event is packed with conversations around three sub-themes of housing, circular economy and business preparedness.
With Ignite MNC going online this year there are some special opportunities available to promote yourself and /or business with Ignite! Want to find out more? CLICK HERE and email us your digital workshop or presentation idea and we will be in touch!
Stay tuned via our website www.rdamnc.org.au and our Facebook page for updates.
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Housing
 Everybody's Home has developed heatmaps showing the number of homeless and those in need of social housing per federal electorate (figures are drawn from the 2016 Census).
Over the past couple of years, regional housing pressures have increased with the growth in rental and property prices, an influx of people moving to the regions and other factors such as displacement from recent natural disasters. Join the conversation at Ignite MNC in November and contribute to the MNC Housing discussion.
Have you got an innovative ideas for housing solutions on the Mid North Coast? Reach out to Kerry via ceo@rdamnc.org.au
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Business Preparedness
 Business Preparedness is an ongoing and vast topic. To help you get started, find some helpful webinars below:
Don't forget to check out the RDAMNC Business Support Hub, which has been designed to provide business owners in the Mid North Coast with links to timely information, support and opportunities.
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Circular Economy
"There is not one fix, it is about the whole system being redesigned" This quote from the video below is the key to moving towards a circular economy. We could design bio products to eliminate landfill waste, we could extend the life of our products and reduce demand by renting clothes and equipment.. do we all really need one each? There are so many ideas to explore.
Mid North Coast local grower Ricardoes Tomatoes and Strawberries got creative with the excess produce that normally would have been picked by tourists, and turned it into 25,000 jars of jam. We love these local examples of diverting resources back into the economy.
Are you a business working in the Circular Economy? Reach out to Lisa at ignitemnc@rdamnc.org.au and tell us more about your work!
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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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