[Bermagui Community] FYI - Cobargo Quaama Business Recovery Group - message from the chair Shona Taranto

[Geoffrey Grigg]

Hello,

While this email does not directly impact you... I thought it worth sharing
this comprehensive update from Shona Taranto of the business recovery group
for Cobargo and Quaama because these towns do impact your communities - and
their welfare is connected to yours.

Thanks

Geoffrey
Moderator
0428244811

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Shona Taranto
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2020 at 13:07

*Cobargo Quaama Bushfire Recovery Group Inc. (CQBR GROUP) *

This email is to let you, our community, know more about the CQBR Group,
who we are, who we represent and importantly what we have been doing since
the beginning of January 2020.

WHO ARE WE?

A Bushfire Recovery Group, Specifically for Cobargo and Quaama Business
Community.

Chair Shona Taranto :

As you would be aware, I as a local fire affected business owner, put up my
hand in January to help in the recovery efforts after the catastrophic
bushfires on NYE, which raised 8 commercial buildings to the ground in
Cobargo.

Among the active businesses that were lost, was my own, as I am sure many
of you are aware and others in the community will have read in The Triangle
News, January Edition.

I was very motivated to see how we could pull together and manage the
severe impacts of the fires on our town - and saw the clear need for an
inclusive group to form in Cobargo and include our neighbour Quaama, to
have a united voice for the key needs in recovery  - short term, medium
term and long term.

I then formed *The Cobargo Quaama Business Recovery Group* , invited all
business owners to join, and engaged a volunteer steering committee to
start work immediately - initially advocating for issues specific to the
local Cobargo business community recovery - including Clean-Up, and keying
in with all levels of government and other non-government organisations
offering assistance for Far South Coast bushfire impacted towns.

To date the Business Recovery Group have ACHIEVED :

*2 NEW BUSINESS DIRECTORY SIGNS - *
*COBARGO UNITED SERVICE STATION*
- volunteer coordinated
- secured pro-bono artwork design (thanks to Jen Main from home and garage
giftware and Leanne from SeeSure Designs Narooma)
- secured a discount price on the sign printing (thanks to Danny at Design
Post Bega)
- cost of sign materials, printwork and installation - (covered by Minderoo
Foundation aid funding)
- no cost to the Cobargo Business Owners - a 100% funded project!

All mainstay business owners in town were contacted and invited to supply
their logo and business details and 2 NEW SIGNS WERE DESIGNED AND INSTALLED.
Large scale prominent BUSINESS DIRECTORY SIGNS at the United Service
Station are a key touch point for visitors to town, CQBR Group is proud to
see the current business community now represented on these signs.

*BCA BUSINESS RE-TOOLING VOUCHERS *
- OFFERING TO LOCAL COBARGO AND DISTRICT BUSINESS OWNERS, WHO LOST 'TOOLS
OF TRADE' DUE TO FIRE $2,000 TO PURCHASE TOOLS OF TRADE.
*- 4O+  distributed in Cobargo and surrounds*
*- That's $80,000*

*- A key short term initiative with tangible and immediate results -
helping kick-start the local economy again and support our affected
business owners to keep supplying their goods and services in the area*
-CQBR Group Chair, Shona Taranto, personally helped coordinate hand-out of
these vouchers and could see the real difference it made to so many of our
local business owners!


*BCA - EXTRA SUPPORT TO THOSE BUSINESSES IN NEED*
*- 5 x re-conditioned laptop computers gifted to affected business owners
in Cobargo and surrounds.*
*- 3 x $500 Bunnings Vouchers were matched with business owners in need to
help them rebuild.*

*TARGETED AND ONGOING SUPPORT FOR PROPERTY OWNERS OF DESTROYED BLOCKS*
*- Advocacy from the get-go for timely clean up of destroyed blocks -
removal of debris and asbestos*
- Constant engagement in the months after the fire with key rep's from
local Council, State Government and local members, Lang O'Rouke directly
and NGO advocacy groups to see the clean up go ahead.
- formation of the Property Owners Subcommittee- to see if there was
benefit in working together and navigating the challenges faced as a group.
* - Receiving Pro-Bono Offer from Renowned Architect Philip Cox, From Cox
Architects, to assist in the Cobargo Rebuild.*
- Coordination of meetings with this subcommittee and with Philip Cox to
plan what they see as important for a rebuild and what is a
resilient 'viable' option that ensures economic, social and environmental
resilience in future.
*- Ongoing meeting with BVSC head of department Community Environment and
Planning, as well as key council officers and councillors to update them on
progress towards a 'Cobargo Rebuild Funding Submission, an application for
Cobargo to access     NBRA funding for rebuilding post the Black Summer
Bushfires 2019-2020.*
*- Most recently - engaged local charity building Angels to seek quotes for
land surveying of the destroyed blocks and provide a comparison for the
subcommittee to consider - a preferred provider has now been engaged. - *
*- surveying a key step to recovery and future rebuild.*

*TARGETED SUPPORT FOR THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS WITH A COMPLETE LOSS DUE TO THE
FIRE*
*COBARGO BUSINESS HUB *

*- A bushfire recovery initiative targeted at supporting those business
owners who incurred a complete loss due to the bushfire, to help give them
the confidence to re-join the village, in a collaborative and supportive
new space.*
BCA who coordinated the Mogo Pop-Up Mall after the fires, - offered a
similar concept to Cobargo in Feb 2020.
Those business owners with a total loss not only have been financially
impacted, but metally impacted severely by the loss and transition needed
to rebuild and re-commence trading. This initiative is seen as a supportive
stepping stone to assist those business owners in a supportive environment.
CQBRG engaged with the affected retailers, forming the retailers
Subcommittee
 BCA pro-bono project manager was enaged for detailed planning meetings
over several months - to define what solution for a hub.
*Hub aims would support the affected group, be a viable option (agreement
of property owner who's land the hub would sit on/ proposed agreement), and
have lasting benefits for the whole of the Cobargo Business Community.*
- Recent Proposal of a Permanent Building for Hub - Proposal distributed
for community consultation


Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about any of the
above recovery projects or would like further information.

 email:
cqbegroup at gmail.com

Many thanks,
Shona Taranto
Chair
CQBRG


-- 

SHONA TARANTO



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