The Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce hosted its first official engagement for 2025 – reflecting on its recent achievements and outlook for the year ahead.
“This year holds immense potential for growth, innovation and collaboration, and it is through strategic foresight and deliberate action that we can ensure our community thrives,” chamber of commerce president CJ Baldry said.
Looking back on 2024, the chamber engaged more than 600 participants across 14 key events.
A highlight included the return of the Gunnedah Business Awards and Gala Ball which featured six award categories across the local business sector – several which advanced as a finalist to the regional and state level.
The chamber listed several “key trends and strategic priorities” for the Gunnedah business community in 2025. This included workforce and skills development, digital connectivity, collaboration and advocacy, housing and development and artificial intelligence in HR, among other areas to note.
Ms Baldry called on Gunnedah’s business leaders to embrace a shared responsibility in advancing these priorities. She said one way this could be achieved was through business involvement in chamber activities.
“By contributing to and participating in the chamber’s initiatives, we can collectively strengthen the essence of our mission and amplify our advocacy efforts,” she said.
Some of the chamber’s key engagements in the immediate term include a partnership with Gunnedah’s 2025 Weeks of Speed Festival.
The collaboration will feature a ‘Meet the Speed’ event at Club Gunnedah on March 22.
This chamber event will include local business opportunities and promotion as well as a chance for the community to meet the faces behind the helmet and the drivers behind the steering wheel who take part in the month-long, annual event.
Separately, Gunnedah is also launching the ‘Next Gen Chamber’ – an initiative to inspire and empower the next generation of business leaders within the community.
The platform will target young professionals, emerging entrepreneurs and ambitious individuals aged 16-35 years.
It is hoped such representatives will go on to fulfil roles within the business chamber and leadership elsewhere in the Gunnedah community.
“If we don’t capture their talent, we won’t have a new chamber coming through,” Ms Baldry said.
Individuals can self-nominate their interest or business representatives can nominate individuals who they think may be suitable.
Also speaking at the chamber event was sponsor Whitehaven Coal Community Relations Manager Jabin de Keizer.
He reflected on moving with his family from Sydney and the benefits a regional area like Gunnedah affords.
“I understand why 75 per cent of our workforce live in the area,” he said.
The Whitehaven representative flagged key points for the company in the year ahead, including a time extension to the Maules Creek mining operations and increase in employees from about 850 to 940 people.
Venue host for the business breakfast, Club Gunnedah, also noted its $7 million expansion plans which include upgrades to administration, function rooms, auditorium and the addition of a rooftop bar.
Santos representative Andrew Snars also spoke about the evolution of regional towns and despite others “shrinking” across the country – areas like Narrabri and Gunnedah were moving onwards supported by organisations like the Gunnedah business chamber.
“The strength of this chamber is quite heartening,” he said.
Mr Snars said the company will be progressing with its approvals process this year including the Hunter Gas Pipeline which will eventually connect Narrabri to the NSW gas network.
