Year: 2021
Chamber Christmas Hours
Our offices will be closed from:Thursday 23 December 2021 to Friday 14 January 2022 We will be re-opening on:Monday 17 January 2022 Export Documentation will be done remotely during this period.Any enquires to office@southlandchamber.co.nz Have a safe and relaxing break.
Applications to be part of Southland Monopoly are open!
The Southland Business Chamber is creating this special edition board game as a way to promote our region, and support our members' in a fun and entertaining way. While it's impossible to feature everything Southland has to offer, contact us today to discuss advertising opportunities.
Southland Newcomer Leadership Scholarship
Invercargill City Council, Southland District Council, and Gore District Council have identified that there is an opportunity for newcomers to hold leadership positions within Southland’s business, community and not-for-profit sectors. The Southland Newcomer Leadership Scholarship is a contestable fund whereby eligible applicants can apply to access funding to enable them to participate in the Southland […]
Invercargill business pays it forward
Jo of the Southland Business Chamber was one of the recipients of the scheme. She received free sushi from Bonsai Sushi in Esk Street, Invercargill. She said the idea was “wonderful”. “It was a very nice surprise and a very nice gesture. A great initiative by Mee & Henry Lawyers,” she said.
Te Anau excited and optimistic as Auckland borders open
Christine Wallace, co-owner of Fiordland Outdoors Company (FOC) said the show must go on and we need to keep pace with the rest of the world. FOC was at just 10% of a pre-COVID season, so Wallace would be "very, very, very glad to see [Aucklanders] down here". Things [have been] pretty grim. Tourism needs it, she said.
Employment law changes relating to mandatory vaccination requirements
Employment New Zealand are hosting Zoom webinars about employment law changes relating to mandatory vaccination requirements for employees, under the COVID-19 Protection Framework (the traffic light system). The webinar outlines the Government vaccination mandates for certain work under the COVID-19 Protection Framework (the traffic lights system), and the relevant employment law updates including: Reasonable paid […]
Rio Tinto donates $473,000 to Southland organisations
Rio Tinto donates almost half a million dollars to the Southland community in response to COVID-19.
Southland businesses grapple with increasing costs
The Southland Chamber of Commerce’s quarterly Business Confidence Survey for November found all businesses surveyed average costs had gone up in the past three months, with 86 per cent of businesses expecting them to continue increasing.
Southland businesses: ‘We have no clue what’s going to happen’
Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Sheree Carey said whilst the fast implementation had been a "headache", most businesses were glad they'd received some level of guidance. "Everybody has got broad advice, and for the anomalies that don't, specific sector advice will be coming next week," she said.
Tough summer expected for Fiordland as international border opening date set for April
Fiordland Business Association chair Nathan Benfell said the border announcement was “one step forward and two steps back”. International tourists historically accounted for about 80 per cent of Fiordland’s visitors, and tourism businesses had been anxiously awaiting a border re-opening date.
Vaccination Certificate policing has potential to be ‘absolute disaster’
Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sheree Carey said businesses were in limbo and there were concerns there would not be enough time to sort out staffing before the traffic light system was introduced.
Employment Lawyer: Roles, not Individuals can be Mandated
A Southland employment lawyer is encouraging businesses to do their own risk assessments before Government introduces a new process under public health legislation later this year.
Are you a member of your local Chamber of Commerce?
If I had a dollar for every time I have heard “work on your business, not in it” I would be a rich woman, well possibly not rich but I would have earned some coin. As any business owner can attest to, it is common to get stuck working in your business and not on […]
Pupil’s Idea Grows into Prize Winning Firm
This year’s winner of the Young Enterprise Scheme for Southland, Kaylin Goodall (16), is heading to the national competition next month to showcase his Sills hydroponic growing system.
Resurgence Support Payments Increased
The amount and frequency of the Resurgence Support Payment is increasing from 12 November 2021 and will be available until Auckland moves into the new COVID-19 Protection Framework. The Resurgence Support Payment (RSP) is a payment to help support viable and ongoing businesses or organisations due to a COVID-19 alert level increase to Level 2 […]
Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Regional Final & 2021 Awards
Today we celebrated the achievements of our talented Young Enterprise Trust (YES) students. Congratulations to all our finalists, The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise 2021 Southland Company of the Year, and all the Excellence Award winners.
Young Enterprise Regional Awards
This year’s business students from throughout Southland prepare for the Southland Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) Regional Final to be held on Tuesday, 2 November at Southern Institute of Technology.
Vaccine passports, mandatory vaccines on cards for Southland businesses
Chamber chief executive officer Sheree Carey said that once vaccine certificates were introduced it would be up to each individual business to decide if they are going to serve unvaccinated patrons or not.
Government considering different settings for unvaccinated in new framework
Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Sheree Carey said until the vaccine passport and restrictions around it were officially announced it was difficult for businesses to plan what decision they would make. “A lot of businesses aren’t making money under level 2, so they won’t have a choice, they’ll have to go vaccination only to be able to make money,” she said. “There’s some big decisions to come, it’s just that we’re kind of sitting in limbo at the moment waiting for them to decide to start the work.”
Q&A with Hon Stuart Nash
Conversation with Hon Stuart Nash, Minister of Tourism and Minister of Small and Medium Businesses. Auckland Chamber CEO Michael Barnett and a selection of Chamber CEO's, including our own Sheree Carey.
Jocelyn O’Donnell: Grasping every opportunity for Southland’s growth
Jocelyn O'Donnell is a finalist in the Southern Institute of Technology’s Business Personality category of this year’s Southland Business Excellence Awards.
Introducing Project Management – PRINCE2 Courses
With an estimated $1 billion dollars worth of projects commencing or tendering in Southland, The Southland Business Chamber, in partnership with Project Results, is now offering the popular project management PRINCE2® courses. Why PRINCE2 PRINCE2 wasn’t just made up, rather it is the collection of the knowledge of successful project managers. PRINCE2 gives you best practice advice on […]
Eco-friendly Fertiliser Business Growing Strong
A group of Mount Aspiring College students have produced an Eco-friendly spray fertiliser for indoor plants, through the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) programme. The group of five Year 13 students have been successfully selling their fertiliser at the local Wanaka Artisan Market and also on their website https://sprout-tonic.mystorbie.com/ Made of three key ingredients – seaweed, tea […]
Southern Events Organisation Feels ‘let down’ in Alert Level 2
Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sheree Carey says Monday's announcement did not provide clear guidelines, or respite, for the events industry. "Due to the lack of clarity around the new restrictions for hosting events, the Chamber had no alternative but to postpone the 2021 Southland Business Excellence Awards," she says. "It was extremely confusing and not helpful. We are obviously frustrated and disappointed."
New Date for Southland Business Excellence Awards
We invite the Southland business community to join us at the 2021 Southland Business Excellence Awards evening to be held on Friday, 19 November at Bill Richardson Transport World, where we will recognise and celebrate the local businesses that make Murihiku Southland one of the leading regions for business. To learn more about the Southland Business Excellence Awards […]