CENTRAL GOLDFIELDS is set to celebrate business success in its biennial awards.
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This year, the focus will be on youth in business, good service and on ‘having conversations’ to create economic growth.
“This year we continue to celebrate business but rather than have multiple awards and a long night we have opted for two major categories and made it more of a networking event so people can have conversations,” said Margaret O’Rourke, shire business initiatives consultant. “It is important to acknowledge young people in business as they are our future leaders.”
Nominations are open to celebrate youth in the ‘Young Person in the Workforce’ category and ‘Reward a Local Business’, which will applaud good service, at Central Goldfields Celebrates on August 13.
“These awards are important to the region,” Ms O’Rourke said. “We see there is a need for business operators to collaborate more, they need to spend more time in running their business rather than working in it, so we want to give them the opportunity to do just that - have conversations with other business leaders and learn from a wealth of experience.”
Ms O’Rourke said Maryborough had a strong manufacturing industry, which was encouraging for economic growth, despite the recent Dropping Off The Edge report stating it was one of the most socially and economically ‘disadvantaged’ regions in the state.
“The awards will showcase some untapped gems, the Maryborough community is strong and vibrant. There is a positiveness there,” she said.
“We are doing well per capita; local shop owners are doing it tough, but that is across the board in retail. But we need to understand that there are niche areas of business that are doing well and talk about those we can develop more.
“Maryborough is a proactive town, it has a strong, vibrant business membership, which is keen to work together to bring more people to the shire. And, council is very flexible in working with business and is keen to assist where it can.”