What a remarkable and challenging beginning to the 2026 year it has been for us all. We currently find ourselves navigating a political landscape that is so volatile it makes solid concrete look like shifting quicksand.
Furthermore, we are witnessing an international landscape that has the genuine potential to take our local economy to places that we have simply not been or seen before. In these unpredictable times, the role of our local business collective and the strength of our Chamber become even more vital for our shared success.
Since our AGM last year, the committee has been working incredibly hard to continue and enhance the work of the Chamber. Our ongoing efforts to support the region and provide value to our members have included several key highlights and successful initiatives:
We held a highly successful networking dinner at Clarence Town where Tony McLeod from Williams River Steel spoke in detail about his significant $8M development of a new tavern and function centre in Grey Street. This is a massive win for our local infrastructure and a testament to the investment occurring in our region.
In March, we held a second productive networking event at The Royal, Dungog. Our featured speakers were Balaji Seshadri, Project Officer for the Waste Management Department at Dungog Council, who provided an essential update on new waste management initiatives now available to businesses within the Shire.
We also welcomed Kristen Kilpatrick from Dungog Early Literacy. Kristen shared moving insights into the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program, a wonderful initiative fostering a love of books and reading from birth. Dungog Early Literacy is keen to raise awareness and welcomes any support from local businesses and individuals.
Additionally, we have auspiced the Dungog Shire Youth Council and met directly with the General Manager of Council to discuss a range of pressing issues affecting our members.
We have officially commenced the planning phase for the Dungog Street Party – be sure to save the 27th Nov 2026.
We have also progressed with updating our website, responded to the many draft planning documents prepared by Council, and further developed a Shire-wide Welcome Pack for new residents.
We were saddened to hear the news that the Gloucester Chamber has now folded. This is a stark reminder that we must continue to meet the needs of our business community to remain strong and viable. Consequently, our Chamber will be holding a vital strategic planning event in May on the 21st, at what would normally be a networking dinner.
Following a couple of recent resignations, our committee is currently down to 5 members. Under our Constitution, the committee can consist of up to 9 members, and ideally, about 7 members are required to share the workload effectively in running the Chamber. Our committee would like to broaden its membership with members from of Vacy, Paterson, and Gresford (Clarence Town is already heavily represented).
Even if you don’t want to be formally on the committee, you could help organise events, such as the networking dinners for example. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. If you are interested, please contact Alan (president@ddcc.org.au). The broader the representation of members on our committee, the more we can achieve and the better we can deal with village-specific issues. Together, we can ensure our business community thrives.
Stay tuned to DDCC’s social media channels for updates on these exciting events. Contact secretary@ddcc.org.au or visit
www.ddcc.org.au
