The BizConnect Maroondah Breakfast Series provides an opportunity to hear from prominent business speakers, with the aim of assisting businesses within the municipality.

The guest speaker this morning was a specialist on foreign exchange and international Economics who discussed Australia’s current economic situation relative to the global economy.

Topics included Australia’s relatively stable economic activity, relative to major global economies and the increasing importance of China as a major trading partner to Australia.

The BizConnect Breakfast Series is one of several events, including networking and training sessions which are designed to assist businesses within Maroondah.

For further details please visit the BizMaroondah website: www.bizmaroondah.com.au.

Please continue reading to view the speech delivered as the opening address for the morning:

Welcome to our April ‘BizConnect Maroondah Business Breakfast’. Maroondah City Council, in the spirit of reconciliation, acknowledges that we are meeting on land for which the Wurundjeri people have been custodians for many centuries.

I would like to acknowledge the presence here this morning of my fellow Councillors:

• Cr Ann Fraser;
• Cr Natalie Thomas;
• Cr Rob Steane.

Once again, I would like to commend you all for coming to the business breakfast this morning. It is Council’s aim that through the breakfast series, networking events and training sessions you are able to improve your business practices and feel more connected to, and aware of, your fellow local businesses. In challenging times, such events can also provide inspiration and examples of success in its many forms, as well as reducing the degree of ‘isolation’ sometimes felt by business operators.

This morning, ANZ Bank’s Foreign Exchange and International Economics Research Head Amy Auster will reveal and discuss Australia’s economic situation and emerging global trends.

For the remainder of 2010, we have assembled a great program of events to both motivate, inform and inspire local businesses to embrace change, accept challenges and remain optimistic.

Full details of these events are posted on our BizMaroondah website, and we encourage you to visit the site and investigate.

Council is also aware that, providing such opportunities and information is only one aspect, which may assist you in your business. Another focus of Council is to encourage the local community and local businesses to, wherever possible, embrace the concept of ‘buying locally’.

This phrase is often used, but why is it so important and why should you support local businesses and ‘buy local’? Just some of the reasons are that:

• Local transactions reduce transport and therefore environmental costs.
• Spending locally increases the chances of that ‘dollar’ being re-spent locally.
• Success breeds success – with businesses often wanting to be near ‘busy’ businesses.
• Local business owners often invest their time in the local community, thereby enriching the community as a whole – and lastly, buying locally
• Creates potential employment growth, and helps secure existing jobs.

With these benefits in mind, Council would encourage all businesses here this morning to consider the positive flow-on effects of buying locally.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our 2010 Sponsors of the Business Breakfast series:

• Denso Automotive Systems Australia;
• Hutchinson Legal;
• RACV Business Insurance – and of course
• ANZ; our host sponsors here this morning.

Once again, welcome to the April Maroondah City Council business breakfast, and please enjoy your morning.