Coast manufacturers get behind Industry Festival The changing face of East Gosford

Coast’s manufacturers get behind Industry Festival

THE CENTRAL COAST Industry Festival kicked off with a bang last month with a series of nine Workshops from 19th August through to 1st September followed by a 3-day Industry Expo from from 1st to 3rd September. (a full report on the Expo will appear in next month’s CCBR).

A first for the Central Coast, the Festival highlights the value of the manufacturing sector to the Central Coast’s economy and the support it receives through Central Coast Industry Connect and Central Coast Food Alliance whose initiative it was to organise the event.

The industry Workshops were designed to focus on building resilience in manufacturing and agricultural production businesses.

Commenting on the Festival CCIC Chairman Frank Sammut said, “ We have been able to bring together some impressive facilitators for our series of workshops across critical areas for building resilience and capacity in manufacturing and food production.

At this difficult time with labour shortages and high sick leave in the sector, we still managed to get good attendances to our program with the feedback being extremely positive from the participants. Its times like this that reinforce the importance of learning and engaging with your peers to ensure you can ride through these difficult times. We are all in this together,” he said.

Held on 19th August a Grants and Government Funding Opportunities presented by “The Grants Guy” Keith Whelan was a full day event providing an understanding the grants process and educating you on how to prepare for grant opportunities: and knowing what grants are available from different government agencies.

Also on the 19th Keith Whelan presented at a Workshop, Business Planning Through Difficult Times saying that while there is no short-cut solution, there are some things you can manage to do to manage your business, to position it to cope with the future

Innovation management consultant Anton Kriz facilitated a one-day workshop titled Turbo Charging Innovation in Your Organisation - a catalyst in setting the foundation for your future in innovation and how to lead and foster it in your organisation.

Graham Knowles CEO IQRenew, Chloe Hyde Executive Assistant TrendPac, Professor Veena Sahawaja UNSW, Frank Sammut, Chair CCIC, Professor Paul Dastoor UON, Mark Harry R&D Packaging, Product & Raws Development Manager Mars Food and Professor Alan Broadfoot, Executive Director Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER).

Associate Professor Anton Kriz speaking at the Turbo Charging Innovation in Your Organisation workshop

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Across business, property, criminal, family law and wills & estates law, our teams include

The changing face of East Gosford

OVER THE PAST 20 years East Gosford Town Centre has seen the highs and lows that many town centres go through as businesses move in and out and change hands.

When the last of the Big 4 banks shut its doors in East Gosford twenty three years ago, it left a vacuum in the close-knit community that seemed impossible to fill.

Local consumers left in droves for Erina, putting enormous strain on the once thriving shopping strip.

But all that changed when long-established local businessmen and members of the East Gosford Chamber of Commerce put their heads together after watching a story on A Current Affair about a Community Bank® Bendigo Bank, and were given the nod to conduct a feasibility study.

The result of that was the establishment of the Bendigo Bank branch a year later and with it a change in fortunes for businesses in the town centre that has endured.

The last few months has seen an unusually high turnover of businesses at East Gosford that many locals are saying is for the good of the town centre.

Furthermore, there are no vacancies in the main street, Victoria Street.

Commenting on the changes local resident and lawyer Michael Roberts said, “it all started to change when John Singleton bought the Elanora and turned into the ‘go-to’ eating spot for a demographic that is looking for good food, pleasant surroundings, entertainment and can afford it.”

Owned by the Binns and Laybutt Families for the past 30 years, the East Gosford Newsagency passed into new ownership in September. Last month Edwards Family Butchery sold to Full Circle Farm, a pasture based regenerative farm located in the Dooralong

Valley that produces grass-fed beef, pastureraised chicken and pastured eggs.

Full Circle Farm also supports a number of other Central Coast organic food producers.

East Gosford Charcoal Chicken has also recently changed hands.

Early into the Covid lockdown the Ministry Café closed its doors in East Gosford leaving a vacancy that has recently Victoria Street, East Gosford been filled with the opening of The-O Thai, Thai Restaurant. What could be called the ‘anchor’ busi-

It is the second Thai restaurant in East ness in East Gosford is the John Singleton Gosford complementing the very popular owned Elanora Hotel. Siam Empire. In early 2019 Mr Singleton acquired

Earlier this year Vishals Indian Restaurant the Elanora Hotel, through his property that had been operating in Victoria Street development company Bonython Property for many years relocated to a larger upstairs Investments, for a reported $25 million. long time eating place at 26 Adelaide He subsequently spent over $2 million WHEN EXPERIENCE MATTERSon renovations with a brand new bar and Street, opposite the Elanora Hotel.

Earlier in the year the well-known Fedele another million dollars on a sports bar CORPORATE INSOLVENCY & where the TAB had been located and plans to do more. Brothers who had operated an Italian restaurant in the Dural Country Club but lived PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY SPECIALISTAlways a popular haunt for locals and in East Gosford leased the corner spot at Victoria Court on the corner of Victoria and visitors alike the new Elanora has seen a Contact Shaw GidleyAdelaide Streets. growth in business that has translated into Newcastle 02 4908 4444increasing business across the town centre. Apart from food and dining East Gosford Victoria Court is also home to well known night-spot, Sweet Caroline Central Coast, Tuggerah 02 4365 3344is well known for its fashionable boutiques Crust Pizza, Thai Anan Thai Restaurant Contact James Shaw, and Saigon Bites Vietnam restaurant. attracting a high yield demographic.

Paul Gidley or Je Shute

reconstruction insolvency since 1991

@shawgidley www.shawgidley.com.au

02 4908 4444