Setting the Kiama Chamber of Commerce record straight

Re: the “Chamber shenanigans” reported in last week’s issue:

I am saddened on my own behalf, on behalf of last year’s committee members and on behalf of the Chamber membership at the actions of the new committee to either unwind, or denigrate, the achievements of the Chamber last year.

I now set the record straight.

The Christmas Parade and Band Concert has not been cancelled by the new committee because of lack of funds; the only funds required were the costs of sound and lighting, which Kiama Council was providing, and the $1200 bus-charter cost to bring the Australian Army Band to Kiama, which was being met by two generous Chamber members.

The real reason, simply put, was that the new committee was not prepared to confer with me regarding the high level of organisation already in place and to do the “hard yards” of finalising the parade participants.

The community is the loser!

The idea of permanent festive tree lighting, a unique gift to the community by the Chamber, was taken up by me and a few dedicated members of the previous committee, against the opposition of several who then resigned, but are now reincarnated on the new committee.

The project is a fait accompli, achieved because of the generosity of sponsors including the State Government, Kiama Council, the Kiama Independent, certain local business operators, and Integral Energy, which not only heavily contributed to the infrastructure cost of more than $70,000 but also provides the ongoing gift to the community of the substantial power cost each time the lights are turned on.

It is crass that Tourism Kiama (which played absolutely no part in the project) and/or the new committee (not one of whose businesses contributed a single cent to the project) should now “support” the project.

No such “support” is necessary – Integral Energy will “turn on the lights”!

Another unique Chamber initiative, the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display, inaugurated last year, is now at risk despite Kiama Council agreeing to provide $2500.

The Chamber itself should meet the remaining $2500, not put another “brake on events”!

The claim that the new committee was left with a “near empty” bank account is false.

The true position, a matter of public record, is in the annual report tabled at the annual general meeting.

Unlike its fellow incorporated association, Tourism Kiama, which receives more than $200,000 per annum from council ratepayers’ funds, the Chamber is entirely dependent on membership fees and revenue from monthly markets.

Scratch two markets because of bad weather, as happened, and revenue is way down. That is why the previous committee, by sheer hard work, rationalised and increased the revenue from the markets so as to provide an ongoing sound revenue base for future committees.

That revenue base should not be used for questionable payouts as has been done recently.

It would be refreshing if the new committee really did become “informed and transparent” and got on with creating its own achievements, rather than publicity blurbs about future, and as yet unrevealed, events.

As the previous committee clearly demonstrated, “actions speak louder than words”!

– Warwick Colbron, Kiama