Chamber to lend ear as poll nears
BUSINESSES in Far North Queensland will be first to have their say about the local operating environment as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) launches a statewide listening tour.
CCIQ members will have the chance to attend a special event planned for October, while any business in the region are encouraged to share their views through a Local Viewpoints Survey, which opens today at cciq.com.au/localviewpoints
The chamber will use the feedback it receives to update a Far North Queensland Blueprint developed through a similar exercise in 2014, which has been used by the group to lobby on issues impacting Cairns and surrounds.
The member meeting and survey will address the key constraints for Cairns businesses and uncover the most pressing business issues ahead of a State Government election expected late this or early next year, so that CCIQ can accurately and steadfastly influence the policies impacting you.
We will stay in touch with respondents to share the results and use the opinions and data collected to identify the issues that Far North Queensland small businesses say will secure their vote.
Your participation in the survey will help us present your views to government, as well as all political candidates in the upcoming election.
We will be finding out what makes the local business community tick.
Specifically, we want to know what motivated you to start your business and what general and regional challenges you face.
We’ll also ask your views on energy prices, transport, getting finance, red tape, tax, people management, workforce skills, the digital economy, infrastructure and more.
CCIQ is the voice of small business in Queensland and it’s opportunities like this that give local business owners a megaphone to report how politicians and other decisionmakers can make life easier for them.
Far North Queensland businesses are an engaged lot.
CCIQ’s most recent major survey garnered more responses from in and around Cairns than from any other patch of regional Queensland.
At a time when the Queensland Government is actively listening to the small business sector, we need you to be part of the solution.
That starts with telling us your story.
I’ll soon be departing the role of CCIQ regional manager to join the Cairns Regional Council as Mayor Bob Manning’s executive manager.
I feel very privileged to have another opportunity to serve the Cairns community.
CCIQ will continue to have a presence in Cairns, to ensure we can continue to strongly represent this region.
- Amy Turnbull, FNQ regional manager for CCIQ