Our Beaches Cabinet

A proposed Northern Beaches 'Cabinet'  is urgently needed to deliver the implementation of support for the Local Business Community driven by Small Business and their Business Associations.  Our Beaches Cabinet would be practicably facilitated by NBC CEO in a non-partisan way for the effective distribution of resources controlled by Government to support Local Communities.  The make-up of the Beaches Cabinet should invite each political Representative in our area and each President or their nominee of the main Local Chambers of Commerce to participate.  The Beaches Cabinet is a high level Committee mandated with the ability to source and facilitate a needed mix of resources from Government stakeholders to then authorise appropriate measures of financial and practical support to build the local economy.

The Government rub

The Northern Beaches had the fabulous Manly Daily newspaper and our Member's publication Pittwater Life keeping us up-to-date with local happenings but sadly the accountability from all levels of Government is a rarity these days.   The economic framework of the area does organically function however there is no integrated planning that recognises and brings together the role and capability each stakeholder can deliver particularly for increased and sustainable performance.

The Local Business Chambers as a key stakeholder for the area need a balanced share of financial and operational recourses and an equivalent say in the determinations needed for guiding resilient, progressive and developmental goals for the Northern Beaches as the Business Community is best capable of delivering.  This Cabinet of equal stakeholders alongside Government is a broad-based means for delivery of structural and economic resources for essential sustainable growth for the Northern Beaches beyond Government leveraging the rhetoric of Small Business and leaving the Northern beaches short!

The contribution of the Federal Government to JobKeeper and JobSeeker etc has been transformational however has not transitioned to building back the economic strength that Small Business uniquely delivers that various level of Government needs to address.  NSW Government has only recently provided some level of meaningful support that is qualified and then there is Northern Beaches Council (NBC) that is defensive in its obligations as a public funded stakeholder obligated to serving the Local Community.  The demonstration of the commitment of each level of Government is on the very light side that has to step up with practical and financial support that is unarguably needed for Local economic recovery.

Your Member feedback on the website form is welcome!

The Politics affecting Small Business in the Mona Vale Hub

The big ones

• Stakeholders must integrate and collaborate on an equal basis, where the actual deliverables occur in the middle position in the economic top down framework.  This middle position is the domain of Small Business stakeholder role that is relied upon for the capability of Small Business contributing to build the Local economy and its Community.Government take mandated revenues for background service for Community needs, where the role of Small Business delivers the essential Community needs and wants with value, opportunity and supply.  The Community benefits from the amenity and lifestyle in a circular and increasingly needs and wants a stronger green economy.  This essential relationship  of stakeholders must be reinforced with the superior public resources of Government.

  Are our politicians - with political Party stranglehold even listening to our issues or if listening is there any meaningful acting?  There is no evidence they are acting at all or demonstrating the obligations of their crucial role!  A Coastal Cabinet is where the obligation of commitment and broad based support is made and delivered.

  • Mackellar Office of Jason Falinski approached the Chamber and asked for a Meet and Greet with the new President.  In the fact-finding meeting, the Federal Member was asked among a number of initiatives for Local Small Business, to support our fledgling operational needs with financial assistance for essential Chamber resources like staff, equipment, IT applications, signage and printing etc.   The Federal member says "I will approach Rob Stokes as we work together and are in contact all the time on these type of things, so leave it to me and we will get you the support you need.  Thanks Jason!
    The response to our follow-up a month later was ". . .  try this private grant scheme that you can make an application for $200".  Really powerful support, but in reality the message appears to be 'the value and standing of the Local Business Community is taken for granted and not worth any effort or contribution!"
• Structural developments to build member's market demand needs to include:
  • A strong business identity to leverage and build our available and up-to-date amenities for the area i.e. tourism, centre of excellence, a green environmental based local economy
  • Add to the limited commercial areas and resources with new and expanded in-built and greenfield areas for integrated and quality commercial and logistics development for businesses to grow,
  • provide future business resilience resources including for startups, create skills development and talent pool to support businesses and entrepreneurship
  • Investments in quality accommodation, grow high grade office resources, decent accessible warehousing, marine facilities and overcome fragmented town centre developments with integration of the broader Hub for the north part of Northern Beaches centered at Mona Vale
• Climate responses
  • Council as drivers for water quality improvements and waste efficiency should act together with local capability
  • Authorities to ensue effective NBN communications and energy benefits
  • State-of-the-art transport initiatives and terminals are more than privatisation for Government revenues
  • digital transformations adopted for natural resource efficiency from Local Businesses initiatives
• Deliver financial and infrastructure support from all levels of Government to the Small Business sector
  • Government-as-a-Business is expanding using public funds and regulatory revenues at the expense of Small Business and its opportunities
  • State Government is privatising our Assets so monopoly Big Business charge the Community for their commercial gains and usurp Small Business market demands using equity funds that are a mis-match to Small Business resources and opportunities
  • Small Business is limited by largely debt financing, that must offer better opportunity to be able to build and protect its market channels and market demand to grow the Local economy like new and low cost structural improvements for Small Business.
• Improve collaborative and integrated resources, Consultant and Mentoring drivers and tailor regulation to target cost of doing Business - competing in a low cost market with limited volumes and our market being exploited by monopoly Business and online.

Dynamic capable Local Business Associations are the means for delivering broad based support for the whole Business Community from Government stakeholder, with conscionable and obligated additional financial and other investments into the Local economic framework for the combined Community good.