Latest News & Updates

DESBT Connections Update

Safe Work Month

Safe Work Month raises community and industry awareness about the importance of work health and safety, and best practice rehabilitation and return to work. But this is not something we should work on just in October – safer, healthier workplaces are for everyone, every day.

Get involved by promoting safe work in your workplace or participate in the many events organised by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.

There’s something for everyone with programs covering topics like good work design, incident preparedness, creating a positive culture around workplace safety and wellbeing and more.
To learn more, access events or view resources to promote Safe Work Month, visit WorkSafe.qld.gov.au.

Strengthen your small business with a new online training course for work health and wellbeing
The rise of COVID-19 brought unprecedented financial and emotional pressures to many workplaces, particularly small businesses. These pressures can have a major impact on work health, safety and wellbeing.

The work health and wellbeing interactive course has four modules that focus on how to embed work health and wellbeing intobusiness systems to improve the health of your workers and workplaces.

Small business owners, managers, health and wellbeing coordinators, human resources staff and health and safety advisors will all benefit from this course.

Head to the Work Safe website to grow your skills around how to integrate work health, safety and wellbeing into your small business.

 

Queensland Mental Health Week

Queensland Mental Health Week is being held between 8-16 October.  The week focuses on the importance of mental health and wellbeing, and reducing the stigma associated with mental illness.

Protecting the psychological health of workers is just as important as protecting their physical health. During your career, it’s highly likely you will work with or manage someone with a mental health condition.

In fact, 1 in 5 Australians experience a mental health condition in any year and 1 in 2 Australians will experience a mental health condition in a lifetime.

Get involved! Attend one of the many free events held during the week to show your commitment to building mentally healthy workplaces, nurture your teams’ capabilities and improve your awareness of psychological health and safety and early intervention.

One way the Queensland Government is supporting Queenslanders’ better mental health is through new small business wellness coaches. We have partnered with the Queensland Mental Health Commission, the Queensland Small Business Commissioner, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland to engage six new small business wellness coaches located across Queensland.

These new coaches join the network of small business financial counsellors and tourism financial counsellors to provide a complete package of support for small businesses. Keep an eye out for more information about how to access these Small Business Wellness Coaches in your area.

Remember, if you or someone you know needs support, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

Visit Mental Health Week website

 

Train and Retrain Staff with Micro-credentialling Courses

With skills and staff shortages hampering many tourism businesses, the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) and Queensland Government are providing industry operators and their staff with access to hundreds of free of charge tourism and hospitality-related online courses.

Micro-credentialling courses are flexible, bite-sized courses delivered online. They’re a great way to upskill and onboard new and current employees inhouse.

Staff can be trained in as little as 40-minutes with industry-specific skills. The learnings provided by the courses are helping to fill critical skill gaps and improve staff retention.

Learn more and register

 

Business Planning Course

Future-proof your business with an online Business Planning Course, delivered by University of the Sunshine Coast

Micro and small businesses form the foundation of the Australian economy, employing approximately 44 percent of the Australian workforce and contributing around one-third of Australia’s GDP. As approximately 97 percent of Australian organisations are categorised as micro and small businesses it is critical that this industry sector is supported in being successful.

The Business Planning Course is free and designed to provide local business owners with a clear understanding of the key factors that underpin their success and are critical to their long-term survival.

Participating in this course, comprised of a series of workshops, provides a platform for business owners to survive and thrive by adopting and implementing strategic management principles, thereby lowering the rate of business failure.

NB: Businesses located outside of USC course locations are able to participate via registering to complete the course online.  All dates and course outlines are in the link below. This course compliments the Mentoring for Growth Program. Mentoring for Growth
The Business Planning Course is proudly supported by the Queensland Department of Employment, Small Business and Training.

Check eligibility, dates, course information and registration

 

Get in touch with DESBT

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Email your query/request to [email protected] and an officer will be in touch.

Indigenous Business Month – Actions Today, Impact Tomorrow

Indigenous Business Month is an annual celebration that occurs every October and 2022 marks its 8th year. Indigenous Business Month shines a light on the growing ranks of successful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses across Queensland.

This year’s theme is ACTIONS TODAY, IMPACT TOMORROW to inspire the next generation of First Nations business leaders. During all of October, First Nations business owners and their non-Indigenous allies are collectively called upon to gather online, and in the community to look at our actions today, and how they will impact our tomorrow.

Queensland has a thriving Indigenous business sector and we want Indigenous businesses across the state to tap into opportunities to supply their goods and services in the lead up to and after the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Visit the Indigenous Business Month website for more information and keep an eye out for events happening near you by visiting 2022 EVENTS – Indigenous Business Month.

The Gold Coast Indigenous Business Connect event is a connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, industry, executive stakeholders and government representatives.

We will come together to celebrate Indigenous Business Month for:

  • On Country experience, at the monument honouring Jenni Graham
  • Sharing Indigenous Businesses and People opportunities
  • Promoting Indigenous Businesses
  • Participate in business-to-business networking
  • Celebrating Indigenous Culture
  • Showcase Indigenous Business Connect 21-22

When:       Tuesday,  11 October 2022
Time:         9.00am – 11.30am
Where:      HOTA – Outside stage
​        135 Bundall Road
Bundall

RSVP:      6 October 2022

Register Here

6 week Yoga for Anxiety Course

Owning, managing and working in a small business can be incredibly tough. The uncertainty, inconsistency and heavy work load can all cause increased anxiety. Over the last few years the impacts of COVID have definitely taken their toll and continue to with staff shortages and forced isolations.

This stress has physical, mental and emotional impacts on us humans and can leave us feeling exhausted, isolated and anxious.

The tools of yoga will not protect you from COVID, nor will they reduce business costs or increase revenue, but they will equip you will the ability to accept and stay calm. They may help improve your sleep, reduce your blood pressure, slow your breath rate, release tension from your body and create a positive connection with your colleagues.

Engaging with others can help build a sense of community and support. Thinking about your muscles and your breath, will bring you out of your head and into your body, providing a much needed anchor in uncertain times.

Funded by Wesley Mission COVID Recovery Border Community Service, this 6 week course is free for owners, staff and families of small businesses located on the NSW/QLD border who were part of the Border Bubble. Small business is considered less than 100 employees.

6 week Yoga for Anxiety Course

Starts Mon October 10

6.30pm – 7.30pm (QLD  time)

REGISTER HERE

Boonah Chamber of Commerce 2023 Business Directory

The Boonah District Chamber of Commerce will once again be producing a Businesses Directory this year.

Each listing will cost $100

5000 Directories will be printed and distributed via local businesses and the Boonah Visitor Information Centre.

The directory listing will be under appropriate business headings, and will include business name, address, phone and either website or face-book details.

Sponsorship deadline is 16th November 2022

To register for the Boonah Business Directory, select payment method and complete the form:

Pay Online Via Credit Card

Women’s Leadership Development Scholarships Now Available

Women & Leadership Australia is currently offering professional development scholarships for Boonah District Chamber of Commerce and members. The scholarships are open to women at all levels, from outside formal leadership positions to senior and executive leaders.

Women & Leadership Australia (WLA) supports women at all levels across all sectors and industries. Our career-defining leadership programs bring together a focus on applied learning with the latest in leadership theory and practice. We believe that advancing gender equity, especially in leadership, is central to creating a more fair and inclusive society.

Through our Industry Partnership Framework, we work with hundreds of Australian associations and professional bodies to increase awareness and action around gender equity. With your support, we can continue to create meaningful opportunities for women leaders across the country.

 

Scholarships of $1000-$5000 per person are available for women at all levels

To encourage more women to increase their impact at work and step into leadership roles, Women & Leadership Australia is offering scholarships for four leadership development courses. Apply by 2 December or find out more by clicking here:https://www.wla.edu.au/funding.html

Scenic Rim’s iconic wildlife to feature in landmark artwork

Wildlife for which the Scenic Rim is renowned will feature in a 44-metre long mural that will become one of the largest public artworks in the region, adding colour and vibrancy to the Boonah town centre.

Following community consultation, and on the recommendation of the Scenic Rim Arts Reference Group, Council at its Ordinary Meeting this week approved artist Ash Taylor’s concept for what will become a local landmark in Walter Street.

Inspired by the Scenic Rim’s Biodiversity Strategy (2015-2025), the mural features two of Queensland’s threatened species, the Spotted-Tailed Quoll and the Glossy Black Cockatoo, along with the bird’s sole source of food, the She-oak.

Scenic Rim Arts Reference Group Chair Cr Michael Enright said that feedback, provided through the Let’s Talk Scenic Rim online community engagement platform and public comment at the Boonah Library, showed strong support for Ash Taylor’s concept.

“This was one of three finalists – including Yannick Blattner’s concept featuring Rainbow Lorikeets frolicking in Eucalyptus foliage, and Colleen Lavender’s tribute to the horses which built our nation – selected from the 15 submissions received by Council and presented to the community for two weeks of public comment, which closed on 3 June 2022,” he said.

“These three finalists were considered by the Arts Reference Group, which assessed the outcomes of the community feedback, and the concepts based on their artistic merit, success in meeting the project brief, project management and viability and technical skill, with the result that Ash Taylor’s was the recommended design.”

In her proposal, Ash Taylor said her concept for the Boonah mural considered contemporary design principles to engage and intrigue the audience and share facets of the Scenic Rim’s identity.

The use of the common names of the species depicted in the artwork aims to encourage the residents and visitors to the region to discover more about the plants and wildlife featured in the mural.

“The design highlights the Glossy Black Cockatoo and its source of food, the She-oak, found throughout the region, and also brings attention to Spotted-Tailed Quolls as the incredible achievement of the community and Council combined confirmed their local existence after they were declared extinct,” Ms Taylor said.

The $25,000 mural project will be funded from the Scenic Rim Story Marker Project budget as part of the revitalisation of Boonah, with the artwork providing a landmark for the local community and a wayfinder for visitors to the Scenic Rim.

With a total length of 44 metres, the wall facing Walter Street represents a blank canvas that will be transformed as one of the largest public artworks in the Scenic Rim.

“On behalf of Council, and the nine community representatives who comprise the Arts Reference Group, I would like to thank everyone who took the time to provide feedback which has contributed to the choice of this spectacular public artwork,” Cr Enright said.

SHOP SCENIC RIM GIFT CARDS

Shop Scenic Rim gift cards are a great way to shop locally with Scenic Rim businesses.

By choosing a Shop Scenic Rim gift card, you will be supporting local businesses, boosting employment in the region, and helping to grow the local economy.

Did you know that every $100 spent with a Scenic Rim business provides up to $180 worth of benefit to the local economy, because the money keeps circulating in the community?

Cards can be purchased online or purchased and loaded up at numerous local stores including:

  • My Country Escape, Canungra
  • Amcal Pharmacy, Beaudesert
  • Oppy’s Fruit & Veg, Boonah
  • Maynards, Boonah
  • Infinity Pharmacy, Canungra
  • Curtis Falls Cafe

They then work just like normal EFTPOS debit cards and can be spent at participating Scenic Rim businesses.

GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY

Keep money local – cards are purchased and redeemed ONLY in Scenic Rim businesses

Variety – cards can be redeemed in any participating businesses (or several)

Easy – cards make an easy and thoughtful gift for that hard-to-buy-for person

Meaningful – when used as raffle prizes and in fundraising initiatives, cards have the two-fold benefit of boosting the local economy

A BONUS FOR BUSINESS

Free – set up costs are covered by Scenic Rim Regional Council.

Easy – once set up, Shop Scenic Rim cards operate like any other EFTPOS card

Support – from fully trained local Council staff and a 24/7 support hotline.

Marketing – access a range of point-of-sale marketing and promotional material for use in business-specific campaigns

CONTACT SRRC: If your business would like to participate in the Shop Scenic Rim gift card program or if you’d like more information, please email Council’s Regional Prosperity team or phone 07 5540 5111.

The Shop Scenic Rim gift card program is hosted by Scenic Rim Regional Council as part of the Regional Prosperity Strategy 2020-2025 which strives to build a sustainable and prosperous economy in the Scenic Rim, and its launch has been funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. 

Special Offer for Volunteers

The wondrous talent of the skilled pianist, Roman Rudnytsky will be playing at the Boonah Cultural Centre on Friday 26th August at 7.30pm.

Scenic Rim Regional Council are keen for you to enjoy this event and want to offer this opportunity at a discounted rate of $5.00 (normally

Adults $34; Concessions $29)

Book on line at liveatthecentre.com.au and on the first screen on the spot that says using promo CODE type in Volunteer or call (07) 5540 5050 during office hours, or call in at the Scenic Rim centres.

Scenic Rim Council Grants are Open!

SRRC Community Grants

The Minor (up to $5k) and Major Community Grants (up to $20k) are now open.  These close at 5pm on the 15th August.

An important change is that the guidelines now state that you need at least 10% contribution of the requested grant amount which could include co-funding from other funding bodies, sponsorship, and organisational contributions or in-kind contributions.

It is also imperative that if you are on Council land you complete page five of the attached document and do this ASAP as this could hold up your application or even mean that it becomes unsuccessful.  Guidelines and the application form are here…

https://www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/grants-funding-awards/community-grants-program/1

 

SRRC Environmental Grants

These grants close on 21 August

You can view the guidelines here..

https://www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/grants-funding-awards/environment-grants/1

 

Grant Workshops 

If you wish to get some support on using the Smartygrants portal, tips and tricks on grants or want to discuss your projects.

The Community Grants team and a Biodiversity Officer for the Environmental Grants will be doing some face to face and online workshops on the following.

Monday 25th July – 10.30am – 11.30am, Vonda Youngman Community Centre

Monday 25th July – 7pm – 8pm (online) email me your email

Tuesday 26th July 10.30am – 11.30am, The Centre Beaudesert

Tuesday 26th July 1pm – 2pm (online) email me your email

Wednesday 27th July 10.30am – 11.30am, Boonah Cultural Centre

No need to book at the face to face workshops, you are welcome to just turn up.  For online workshops, email Lacey Sawtell <[email protected]> so she can send you a calendar invite.