The Local Chamber of Commerce Award category was presented to Tomaree president Leah Anderson at the annual gala awards night held last Friday.

Key to the chamber’s recognition was the huge growth in membership from 40 to 170 in two years, extending its reach to include the broader Port Stephens area and the board’s decision to have a stronger engagement with the business community as well as the local council.

Ms Anderson, a former Rotary club president at Nelson Bay, said the chamber had come a long way since its reformation two years ago under the guidance of former president and current mayor, Ryan Palmer.

“In that time we have been able to grow our membership four-fold and what is even more exciting is that 55 per cent of our members come from outside of Nelson Bay,” she said.

“As a new initiative we have been able to split the peninsula into areas in order to engage with those businesses in towns such as Fingal Bay, Shoal Bay, Salamander Bay and Anna Bay.”

Ms Anderson said that the revitalisation of the Nelson Bay CBD and the strategic plan remained priorities.

“We are looking at contracting experts to put together a business prospectus for the town centre, focusing on the demographics, tourism, aged care.”

Cr Palmer said the award was due recognition for the tireless work from a growing committee of business people. He said that the chamber had followed the now extinct Nelson Bay Town Management and Nelson Bay Business Association.

Other Port winners included the Tomago innovative electrical and electronic engineering company Ampcontrol for the Excellence in Business (20+) award. Also, the Lemon Tree Passage BIG4 Koala Shores Holiday Park was joint winner of the Love Water Love Business award. 

The Hunter award winners will now contest the state awards, to be hosted by the NSW Business Chamber in November this year. 

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