We're thrilled to extend a special invitation to you on behalf of the North West Business Chamber (NWBC) and North West community services (NWCS)

You might remember our successful event, "Foundation Stone: A Look into the Future of the North West", last year.

We're excited to announce that we're hosting another fantastic Small Business Month networking event on Friday, 27 October 2023, called "Future Forum - Setting the course of Sydney's North West".

At NWBC, we're committed to building business resilience and preparedness for the future. And we're bringing together a fantastic panel of experts to collaborate and discuss the area.

Our esteemed panellists will include: - Charles Casuscelli, An experienced senior executive serving the people of Western Sydney as Chief Executive of WSROC through advocacy, contributing to Government policy, and making local Government more effective in delivering services to its communities.

Kerry Robinson OAM: CEO of Blacktown City Council, a Company Director, Board Member and Chair of Board Committees and Project Control Groups. Kerry has qualifications in town planning, real estate valuation, and Company Directorship.

Neil Wilson: With over 30 years of experience in the property industry in Australia, United Kingdom, and Vietnam, Neil founded Sakkara in 1997 and has since been primarily responsible for building the business.

Angela Van Dyke: CEO of North West Community Services, brings years of experience in social support services and community engagement.

Warren Kirby MP: The State Member for Riverstone, formally a local business owner and an executive board member of North West Business Chamber and North West Community Service.

Stephen Bali MP: Our Special Guest, the Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and Public Spaces.

Our event will be a think tank session where these expert panellists will discuss the area. Then, participants will break into think tank groups to develop innovative ideas and strategies for the future development of Blacktown City's North West Employment precinct, specifically Riverstone West and Riverstone Town Centre.

It's an excellent opportunity to meet other business owners and community member, share ideas, and learn from our expert panel.

Chamber Members can attend for free, while Guest Plus (2 x Guest with free Chamber Membership) is just $50 and individual Guests may attend for $25.

Please book your spot today to secure your place in setting the course for Sydney's North West.

We can't wait to see you there!

North West Business Chamber

A beautiful Autumn morning, great coffee and stimulating conversation! There is no better way to end the week than a chat up with the Chamber. 

At this months event we had the honor to induct the elected members representing the electorates of the North West Growth Area, Deputy Leader, Minister for Education and Western Sydney and member for Londonderry Prue Car MP, and Member for Blacktown Stephen Bali MP along with the newly elected member for Riverstone and the past Chamber Vice President Warren Kirby MP 

All three have been an amazing support to The North West Business Chamber in the past few years and together we have been able to bring the attention of all levels of government to the needs of the North-West growth area. I can’t wait to continue to work alongside them to deliver for the people of North-Western Sydney! 

The start of the Chamber's year kicked off last week with the first of our Bi Monthly Business Meeting at the Riverstone Schofields Memorial Club with fantastic attendance.

Topics of discussion included Infrastructure Projects Updates, Community engagement, and Local issue affected our businesses.

Feel free to join us at The Memorial Club for our next Bi Monthly meeting and AGM on 28 March 2023 

Money raised by Dollars for Dignity goes directly into Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre’s Emergency Relief Fund. 

The inaugural Dollars for Dignity $10 Weekend fundraising drive was an overwhelming success and raised an incredible $38,000, most of it from local businesses who know exactly how tough the last couple of years have been.

In the last year Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre has helped almost 1300 local residents in crisis. On top of the increasing population in the area and more people than ever struggling to make ends meet there have been 2 major flooding events and the ongoing effects of the ‘post-Covid’ world. The need for crisis care has increased 300% more since Covid lockdowns began.

Yet RNC receives no funding to provide this vital service, it relies completely on the generosity of the community to provide those in need with food, clothing, furniture or the dignity of choice.

That’s why Dollars for Dignity has become vital. As the need increases, so does the diversity of what that person needs to overcome they crisis. Someone without power might need fuel for a generator, a pensioner could have run out of medications or maybe a business owner whose cashflow has struggled to get back to pre-Covid levels.

The 2 week event officially launched at the Riverstone night markets and will conclude at the Christmas Concert on Nov 26. NWBC President, Sue Lawrence says it’s fitting to frame our major fundraising drive around 2 other significant events happening in Riverstone that were proposed and advocated for both by the Chamber as a way of bringing community and businesses together. 

“The Neighbourhood Centre services the social needs of people and families across Northern Blacktown, NWBC represents the businesses who service this community. Initiatives like Dollars for Dignity gives local businesses and the community as a whole the chance to show why Riverstone is such a special place.”

Donations as little as $10 can be made via the Raisely fundraising website. 

To help is easy, we understand that everyone is stretched so we are not looking for big donations.

You can help two ways, firstly by making the $10 or more donation and secondly by distributing our link below and sharing it to your network staff and friends.(all values appreciated)

If we all get behind our community, we can make a huge difference.  We need is as many people as you can to make a $10 donation

If you've enough to spare please contribute what you can. If you don't and need assistance, please reach out to the Neighbourhood Centre to find out how they can help you on 9627 3622.

The inaugural Dollars for Dignity $10 Weekend fundraising drive has been an overwhelming success, raising an incredible $35,000 and smashing expectations.

The money raised from Dollars for Dignity is for the Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre’s Emergency Relief Fund and every cent donated goes to providing support for people in crisis in the Northern region of Blacktown LGA – one of the areas of concern during the current Covid19 outbreak in NSW.

The largest single donation came from the Riverstone-Schofields Memorial Club who donated a staggering $20,000 to the campaign, despite being closed for months due to lockdown restrictions.

“The Board and Management is very pleased to be able to provide the financial support to ensure the ongoing Emergency Relief Fund is delivered into the community where it is needed most through the ‘Dollars for Dignity’ initiative undertaken by Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre and its many supporters and worker”, said Mark Sheridan, CEO of the Riverstone Schofields Memorial Club.

Despite businesses currently feeling the pinch, they understand how important it is to support the community who has supported them and we’re more than willing to donate.

Amongst the other notable donations from business were $1000 donations from Market Country Meats and Windsor Fresh Meats, Fuller Cranes, Merc Capital Group and Doolan Plumbing, 

Along with our $1000 donations we would like to acknowledge our $500 donations from  he Riverstone Business Park, Mac's Hire, Roadmaster and Austeel.

We are grateful for all of Chamber members who contributed especially Alex Hemmer design for creating the artwork for the campaign.

Aiming to get 1000 people to donate $10 Dollars for Dignity was started for two reasons. First, to collect enough funding to sustain emergency relief for the community as we approach the Christmas period. Second, to raise awareness of the services RNC provides and connect our community, whether they were feeling isolated, new to the area or struggling under the weight of lockdowns.

Dollars for Dignity has been so successful and with so many people contacting us offering to help the donation site will now continue to accept donations on an ongoing basis.

Angela Van Dyke, CEO of Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre said, “Our Dollars for Dignity Campaign has been so successful. I want to extend our heartfelt “THANK YOU!” to everyone that has given, both financially and with other in-kind goods.  

“I have been amazed at the endless generosity of our community to give in times of need. We are part of an amazing community.

“Our approach with emergency relief is always to provide dignity of choice and ensure people do not feel like a “charity case”.

“No one chooses to face a financial crisis, but we can choose to reach out for help, and we can choose to support people in need in practical ways. Our Dollars for Dignity campaign allows all of us to make an important contribution, no matter how small.

“Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre has been providing Emergency Relief to individuals and families for many years. We rely on the generosity of our community, residents, and businesses to fund that work.

“We offer confidential support, that is free and provided by qualified and skilled professionals. We work with people to understand the issues they face, and goals they seek to achieve. We offer dignity when people are at their lowest and hope to believe that tomorrow can be a better day.

“We support each other to create neighbourhoods, and “Building a Stronger Community Together”. Winston Churchill captures this with the quote “we make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give”.

Dollars for Dignity $10 weekend was an initiative of The Riverstone, Schofields and Districts Chamber of Commerce.

“When the second wave of Covid hit us, a lot of our businesses started struggling, we’ve got a very big asset in the Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre and thankfully they are there to help our community and our businesses during this tough time.” said Sue Lawrence, President of the Riverstone, Schofields and Districts Chamber of Commerce.

“We’ve been thinking about how we can help our members and how do we help the community? Because really, our businesses are only as strong as the community around them. My community is our community.

“In the current climate, the target of $10,000 will last for around 6 weeks, every dollar above that means people in our community can receive the help they need leading into the Christmas period.

“During the lockdown period from the end of June to September 2021 RNC received more a 300% increase in calls for help and almost emptied the emergency relief fund.

“Due to the generosity of the businesses and individuals across Sydney we know RNC can continue to provide for our community who has been hit particularly hard this year.”

Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre a registered charity, with all donations over $2 tax deductible.

Suburban Vaccination Figures Called Into Question The Riverstone, Schofields and Districts Chamber of Commerce and Industry is calling into question vaccination rates released today by the NSW Govt. According to NSW Government data (https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/find-the-facts-about-covid-19#map-of-nsw-vaccinations-by-home-postcode) the postcodes of 2765 and 2762 have vaccination rates in excess of 80%.  According to the data across the 2765 postcode there are 18,322 residents eligible for the vaccine, despite the emergence of whole suburbs like Angus, Gables, Grantham Farm, Marsden Park (Elara), Melonba and Richards.  In Schofields, 2762, the eligible population is listed as 7592, yet according to the website Profile ID the 2021 population in the same area is 15,857 (https://forecast.id.com.au/blacktown/about-forecast-areas?WebID=400) despite multiple new estates throughout the postcode, including medium and high density unit towers near Schofields Station. “There’s simply no way these numbers are correct and it’s putting the health of our community at risk.” Said Sue Lawrence, President of The Riverstone, Schofields Chamber of Commerce. “We haven’t been able to determine exactly how the Govt calculated the number of residents in the area who are eligible for a vaccination but it beggars belief that in an area with around 100,000 residents only about 1/4 are included. “When somebody hears on the news that 80% of their suburb have been vaccinated it’s likely some will be less vigilant about visiting family and friends or mask wearing.  “Even worse, these are the figures the Government is using to determine where vaccines are needed most. If we’re showing rates at nearly 90% while other areas are showing much lower rates, those are the areas that’ll receive the most attention.  “The North West Growth Area has seen explosive population growth in the last few years and we’ve struggled to get the infrastructure needed to support it. “If the data they Government is working from is so far out of alignment from the actual numbers, there’s no wonder our pleas for more spending in the North West go ignored despite the valiant efforts of our elected politicians. “It’s also highly likely decisions like where to put a new Hospital are being impacted based on inaccurate data. “In this case, inaccurate population figures are putting lives at risk and they must be reviewed immediately.” The Riverstone, Schofields and Districts Chamber of Commerce request an urgent review of the population numbers to ensure they correctly reflect what’s happening in our community.

What a wonderful morning of coffee, chatting and Christmas cheer.

To celebrate we decided to take the time and look at what 2020 had meant to us as businesses individually and to our community.  We took the time to talk about our "Pivot".

Pivot is the buzz word for 2020 and it means Change. How did we change the way we operated our business to survive.

In the telling of each of our individual stories I realized none for the this is new to us, it sound pretty much like everyday practice for the businesses of the Chamber.

Riverstone, Schofields and Dristricts Chamber members are some of the most resilient and innovative people in business, we are fearlessly authentic, We are passionate about our community and the people in it , but most importantly we understand our environment is changing and we want to be a part of that !

What is important to us is survival not just of our individual businesses but the businesses of our peers and most importantly our community.

I would like to thank our local politicians who have worked with us over the last 12 months.  Michelle Rowland Federal member Greenway , Ed Husic Federal member Chifley, Kevin  Conolly  State Member for Riverstone , Stephen Bali State member for for Blacktown, Pru Car State member for Londonderry, Tony Bleasdale Mayor of Blacktown City , and our local Councillors Moninder Singh, Chris Quilkey, Brad Bunting and Kevin Gillies. 

If you are passionate about your community please consider joining the Chamber we always welcomes new members. To join us please click the Join link above.

Although the COVID-19 storm may not yet to be over it is now time for the Government to dust of the economy and look towards the future.

If the economy is to recover there will need to create strong stimulus opportunities.

NSW Planning, Industry and Environment has released the priority projects criteria to support the recovery of the NSW economy during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project criteria rely heavily on the delivery of much needed employment, economic stimulus and both physical and social infrastructure.

Whilst the government scours the country looking to bring forward "Shovel Ready" infrastructure projects to keep the state's economy moving, Riverstone stands out like a beacon ready to answer the call.

Ticking off all the priority projects criteria the regeneration of Riverstone delivers the opportunity to stimulate the economy while providing much needed benefits for the town all at NO COST TO THE GOVERNMENT.

Deliver of the Riverstone West Project alone delivers

• 20,000 Jobs both in construction and ongoing employment
• $2.5bn of immediate economic stimulus
• 100 ha of green space for community use
• Local road infrastructure removing heavy vehicles from Garfield Rd

The Riverstone West road infrastructure opens Riverstone to allow the development of Blacktown City Councils proposed Masterplan resulting in the creation of addition construction jobs, additional economic stimulus, new retail premises, community facilities and affordable housing for 6,500 people and the revitalisation of the existing Industrial area capable of retooling towards recovery

Infrastructure investment has an important role to play in our economic recovery however economists are now questioning the appropriate scale of the projects.

 Are we better to deliver large scale projects or smaller projects stimulating the local economy of those areas impacted by social distancing restrictions. Riverstone would create the perfect test case for this theory.

Sensible planning would create the jobs where the work is needed. Blacktown Councils Website shows, and analysis of the jobs held by the resident population in Riverstone - Vineyard in 2016 shows construction at 14.9% in comparison, to Greater Sydney employment for Construction being 8.2%.

The announcement of the approval of the Mt Druitt $1.49bil CBD creating 15,000, new homes and new businesses is encouraging to the residents of Riverstone. 

By comparison based on the Mt Druitt figures the revitalisation of Riverstone would create 30,000 jobs, $4bil economic stimulus, affordable housing for 6500 people, these numbers are too big to ignore.

This is a real opportunity to improve both employment in the North Western Sydney and to improve the lives of the people of Riverstone.

Riverstone is ready, the time is now.

COVID 19 may has changed many things in your businesses but there is one thing it doesn't change and that is that we are better together. 

Join us on ZOOM for an virtual coffee 8am Friday 24 April 2020 to discuss the Impacts of Covid 19 on our business community.

How is COVID 19 affecting your business ? What can we as a Chamber do to help you ? What can you do to help members of the Chamber ?

We are in unprecedented times and supporting each other has never been more important.  With this in mind we are now offering free 2020 membership to all new members. For the remaining 3 months of this financial year we are here to support ALL local businesses.

If you know a local business that is not a member and would like free membership please have them click join from our website home page.  

Look forward to chatting with you online