Graham Fitton President Wonthaggi Business and Tourism Association

16 Jun 2019

I was honoured to be elected President of the Wonthaggi Business and Tourism Association at the recent AGM.  My thanks to the outgoing Committee for leaving the association in such a strong position, and I was delighted most of them stayed on in new roles that have been created to share the workload. 

The next 12 months will be challenging.  We ran a survey earlier in the year and the over 100 businesses that responded told us that we were missing the mark with the focus of our activity. The Committee is a team of dedicated volunteers and after our families and own businesses, time is a scarce commodity; so we need to get the best output for our available efforts.  As a first step we have re-aligned our vision based on the survey and workshops with the Committee.  We are striving to maintain our position as the foremost local body representing business and tourism in Wonthaggi.  We see our role as:

• delivering services that members value, including promotional opportunities, businesses education workshops and events, discounts and a strong voice on behalf of local businesses
• helping to raise the profile of Wonthaggi as a progressive and growing community and so encourage increased levels of investment, economic activity and tourism
• working with all levels of government and relevant funding bodies to encourage investment in Wonthaggi
• partnering with strategic groups to help foster increased business and tourism in Wonthaggi.

Wonthaggi has a wonderful opportunity to develop our own brand and become a go-to destination in our own right.  We have a rich history and first-class arts culture from which to build our story.  Anyone who saw the recent production of Les Miserable knows exactly what I mean, it was a fabulous production.  We are strategically positioned geographically in Bass Coast being almost equidistant between Phillip Island and Wilsons Promontory. There is much going for us, but on the other hand a lot of work to do to get our message heard, and we can’t do it on our own!

I would encourage all local businesses to join the WBTA and be part of our journey. Our voice is only as strong as our membership, so if you’re not a member it’s time to jump on board.  I can be contacted anytime at president@wonthaggibusinesses.com.au, and I would love to hear from you.