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Braidwood & Villages Business Chamber
Representing Retail, Commercial, Hospitality, Industry, Agriculture and Tourism
WELCOME TO THE BAVBC
The Braidwood and Villages Business Chamber (BAVBC) is an incorporated not-for-profit association that represents the combined business interests of Braidwood, surrounding villages and our region. We aim to take a balanced approach to promote the strategic commercial interests of our region while advocating on day-to-day matters
What do we do?
We provide a forum for businesses to collaborate, share ideas, further our joint interests and to help shape the future of our community.
We plan and prioritise activities such as advocating to local, state and national government agencies on matters affecting our membership and the broader business interest of our region.
We also facilitate networking and educational activities to improve the business acumen of our membership; and work with other community groups to represent the broader interests of our community.
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Who can join?
Membership is open to all businesses within our region, interested individuals and local community groups.
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What are our aims?
Our aims are to encourage a vibrant and flourishing local economy that leverages the natural advantages of our region and is consistent with the broader community’s vision for Braidwood and region.
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What are our values?
Our values are to be open, honest, professional and inclusive.
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​​How can Braidwood businesses and groups help each other?
By sharing information, contacts, lessons and supporting each other to be better.
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How can we shape Braidwood and villages?
By planning and prioritising our efforts to promote regional economic development in a sustainable manner that leverages our natural advantages.
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How have we already helped?
We have created strong and respectful relationships with local state and national government representatives and advocated on local matters important to our membership, including Braidwood’s heritage listing, the poor state of our infrastructure and the need to plan for the sympathetic development of our region.
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How can I join?
Simply click on the application form link below. We will contact you with more information
OUR MISSION
To improve and enhance the economic vitality and the quality of life for our community and region.
In pursuing its mission the Braidwood and Villages Business Chamber will do the following:
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Be sensitive and responsive to the needs of business and the community;
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Encourage business community involvement in pursuing our community goals;
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Develop, promote and provide leadership;
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Provide services for the members and the community;
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Represent the interests of our membership and business community.
What's on in Braidwood & Villages
To list your event, email braidwoodeventslist@gmail.com
NEWS ROUNDUP
How the BAVBC is working for you
BRAIDWOOD'S BRILLIANT NEW ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY
The Braidwood and Villages Business Chamber is working on a comprehensive online directory for Braidwood and Villages to support and showcase our vibrant and diverse business community.
We hope the directory will not only be a valuable tool for residents of Braidwood and Villages but also be of interest to visitors looking to explore the region.
The online format allows businesses that fit into more than one category to be listed under each category, ie eating out, accomodation etc.
Inclusion in the directory is free for members of the business chamber. Membership costs just $10 for sole traders, individuals and businesses with five or fewer employees. Businesses with between 6 and 20 employees pay $100 to join, and large businesses with more than 21 employees pay $200.
Our membership is growing fast and we are excited to work on new projects such as the business directory to support our members, but also to help give Braidwood and Villages a stronger voice that better represents the diversity and common goals of our communities.​
To join today, simply click here to fill out the membership application.
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TELSTRA WARNS OF OUTAGES TO MOBILE SERVICE
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February 16 2024
UPDATE: Telstra has announced that work to the Gillamatong base station will now take place in March after the Braidwood Show.
The works, now scheduled from 4-15 March, are to upgrade Telstra's mobile base station at Mt Gillamatong to improve 4G services and to prepare the network for 5G coverage once the 3G network closes in June 2024.
The base station provides coverage for Braidwood and villages and the Kings Highway.
Telstra advises that the works will require a series of temporary outages or reduction in Telstra mobile coverage. They are expected as follows:
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Between 8am and 4pm on Monday 4 March and Tuesday 5 March 2024. The mobile base station at Monga will also be disrupted during this period as work on the transmission is undertaken.
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From 8am on Monday 11 March to 5pm on Wednesday 13 March 2024. The site is expected to be off the air for this entire period.
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Minor disruptions will also be experienced during the day on Thursday 14 March and Friday 15 March as Telstra tests and integrates the mobile network.
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Telstra says that, if the works go forward as planned, residents should be noticing an improvement in Telstra mobile services by 15 March 2024. Telstra mobile customers will receive text messages advising of the upcoming work.
You can read Telstra's full press release here
WHAT'S ON WHERE?
NEW EVENTS CALENDAR LAUNCHED
Our local media and Facebook pages are great platforms for promoting community events and have a brilliant reach. Now, working in tandem with those platforms, the new Braidwood and Villages events calendar provides an at a glance guide to what is on in Braidwood and Villages.
We hope it will become a valuable tool for people planning events and meetings to help avoid clashes and doubling up.
Volunteers at the Braidwood Visitor Information Centre told the BAVBC that an online events calendar would be a handy resource to better enable them to promote events to tourists.
You can list your event, meeting, concert etc by simply emailing the details to braidwoodeventslist@gmail.com
Listings are free.
Include the name of event, date, start and finish times, entry fee if any, and location.
Check out the calendar here
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GREAT IDEAS PITCHED
AT TOURISM WORKSHOP
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February 19 2024
Gin, bushtucker, farm machinery and an events calendar were at the heart of four exciting ideas to boost tourism to Braidwood and villages.
The ideas were pitched to the panel at a Tourism Product Development Workshop at Mona Farm on Friday, 9 February, that was hosted by the Braidwood and Villages Business chamber (BAVBC) with the support of Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) and Enterprise Plus.
Gavin Gillin, owner of Hold Fast Distillery, was looking at extending his popular gin school and working with other businesses to create a weekend experience for visitors to the region.
Two other ideas – for a dedicated events coordinator for the region and a beefed up version of BAVBC's online community calendar – were rolled into a single pitch.
George Sherriff promoted an existing idea for an old farm machinery trail for the region and Walbunja Rangers Andy White and Ross Carriage presented a pitch for indigenous cultural tours in the region, looking at bushtucker, walks on traditional tracks, traditional land management and cultural education.
After the inital presentations were made, the panel members formed smaller working groups to help develop each pitch.
There was quite a buzz in the room as the pitches received constructive feedback, ideas and advice from the panel members.
The pitches were presented again to the group at the end of the day, showing how much the workshop had already aided in sharpening the proposals to attract funding opportunities.
There was some great collaboration too with the Gin School and the Walbunja Rangers coming up with a new idea of cultural bush tours to harvest botanicals to take back for use in a special the Gin School class.
The panel included members of the BAVBC, Braidwood and Villages Tourism and Investment working group, QPRC, Braidwood and Villages Tourism, Enterprise Plus, Braidwood Community Association, and other invited guests, including ABV Volunteer Professor Brian Roberts (Emeritus Professor of Urban and Regional Economic Development) who has extensive experience in over 30 countries, and Associate Professor Brian Weir from the University of Canberra, who specialises in Tourism and Events.
