By Jesse Graham
A NEW advocacy group for businesses in the valley will launch next month, rising from the ashes of the recently-folded Healesville Chamber of Commerce.
Yarra Valley Business, a peak body formed by former chamber members, will launch on 20 October at Rochford Wines.
Chairman Brett Whelan said the organisation came about as part of “natural progression”, with the Healesville and Lilydale Chambers recently folding due to a lack of members.
At the final meeting of the Healesville Chamber, Mr Whelan told a group of nine people that the model for township-based chambers was “broken”, and that a whole-of-area approach was needed.
“You think about how the world is changing, it’s becoming much more regional,” he said.
“Even when people go out to restaurants, they’re using their smartphones … using the internet, and no longer can businesses afford to think about the town next door being its competitor.”
Mr Whelan said YVB would work to “support and nurture all businesses” in the valley, and run alongside, not against, other business groups or chambers of commerce.
“We’ll be a lot broader,” Mr Whelan said.
“The catchment area isn’t defined by borders – if a business feels like it belongs in the Yarra Valley, then they’re open to join us.
“And it just goes back to the core belief that the valley can be so much more than just a tourist destination – the tourist profile of the valley is such an important thing, but it can be so much more, and there’s plenty of example of other areas around Australia, where they have a really good mix of industry, tourism, farming, the whole mix.”
The goal for YVB, he said, was to help businesses “connect, grow and thrive”, and that the organisation could advocate on behalf of the valley’s businesses and help them to connect.
“For starters, the broader reach, the expanded knowledge that you can get from having the diversity of businesses, but I’m a really strong believer that businesses within the same sector should really connect,” Mr Whelan said.
“For example, I’m sure that all hospitality businesses could gain benefit from one of the Yarra Valley Business members like RACV Country Club, and go for a tour, have a chat and spend half a day looking at how their systems work – that’s a successful enterprise and we can draw from that.
“We’ve got plenty of people that are more than willing to mentor and to connect start-ups.”
The launch of Yarra Valley Business will be held on Thursday, 20 October, from 6.30pm at Rochford Wines in Coldstream. For more information, visit yarravalleybusiness.org.au.
