Byfords tour was a winning wrap

Welcome to September’s column.

A few weeks ago, we hosted our third industry visit to Byford Equipment, one of our region’s most respected manufacturing businesses.

We were delighted to welcome more than 40 people to the behind-the-scenes factory tour, learning about Byford Equipment’s remarkable 50-year journey, exploring its end-to-end manufacturing process, and gaining valuable industry insights.

It was wonderful to welcome people from more than 20 businesses, many who continued to network afterwards at Two Lads Brewery.

That was the final industry tour for the year, with plans already in place to lock in some great businesses next year. If anyone has a suggestion for a visit, please get in touch.

The design-and-construct brief for the Safe Towns CCTV Project has now been finalised. This brief is the basis of the tender process, giving contractors a four-week period in which to submit proposals for the project. Once the successful tenderer has been appointed, a timeline for completion of works will be established, along with plans for ongoing maintenance and operational costs.

In exciting news, Nationals candidate for Murray Plains Brett Hosking has pledged $140,000 to the CCTV project should a Coalition government be elected in November. We thank Brett for recognising the importance of this project and what it will mean for the safety of residents and visitors to Echuca.

With the Victorian election looming on November 28, C4EM, in collaboration with Callaghan Hospitality Group, will host a candidate forum.

The free event will be open to all candidates standing for the seat of Murray Plains, with residents encouraged to come along and hear their policies and platforms.

A date for the forum will be announced shortly, keep an eye out on C4EM’s social media pages for further details.

In other news, C4EM’s A Snapshot in Time project is progressing well. The community-driven initiative is being run in partnership with student leaders from district schools, Campaspe Cohuna Local Learning and Employment Network, The Riverine Herald and the Fairley Leadership Program.

It will celebrate and honour women from the Campaspe and Murray local government areas by documenting their contributions and legacies in a published book.

All profiles have now been written, with final editing wrapping up this month, before the book is designed and sent to the printers. We will be announcing a book launch shortly.

Last week, C4EM attended a lunch with representatives from the Tongala, Rochester and Kyabram business networks, along with Campaspe Shire Council.

It was extremely positive to see these groups all collaborating and sharing ideas on how to boost business across our region.

With the end of the year fast approaching, we will be hosting our annual general meeting on Wednesday, November 18, all members are welcome to attend.

And save the date for this year’s Christmas party, Thursday, December 10, to be held at Bar Lee. It’s sure to be a great night.

If you’d like to learn more about C4EM, or discuss a challenge facing your business, please get in touch. We’d love to start a conversation.