Insight And Discussion At Latest Chamber Networking Night

The Home Hill Chamber of Commerce and its members congregated at the Home Hill Community Sports Club in ordinary fashion as the organisation hosted its monthly social networking meeting last Wednesday.

The Chamber’s third meeting of the year saw the evening’s guest speaker, Burdekin Community Association (BCA) CEO Debra Cochran, share insight into the Burdekin’s underlying issues of homelessness, domestic violence, and declining volunteer rates, among others.

Home Hill Chamber Secretary Robert Antoniazzi said the presentation served as a “real eye-opener” for guests.

“Debra gave a great presentation and fielded a lot of questions from the floor," Antoniazzi said.

“When she began presenting all the figures and statistics, people began realising how bad things are and how much the BCA does in our community.

“What they do is great, but it’s unfortunate that there’s still a big need for them in our community.”

The session reinforced the Chamber’s role as a forum for discussion and knowledge sharing, a goal Antoniazzi says has also helped boost attendance.

“My aim in getting speakers is so that we can educate ourselves,” he said.

“Since we started bringing guest speakers in, our meeting attendance has gone from a dozen to 25-30.”

The Home Hill Chamber’s next social networking meeting is set for 15 April, where guest speaker Owen Menkens, President of the World Association of Beet and Cane Growers (WABCG), will present to the gathering.

CAPTION: Guest speaker Debra Cochran with Burdekin Shire Councillor John Furnell. Photo supplied

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