Tilligerry chamber to join Business Port Stephens

But as former longtime chamber president Mike Colecliff has identified "as one door closes another opens", with the chamber members deciding to join forces with the strong and ever expanding Business Port Stephens (BPS) organisation.

Members of the Colecliff family, who once owned the Lemon Tree Passage marina, have been connected with the business chamber since the 1980s.

"My parents, Ben and Lucy Colecliff, owned the marina and were keen members of the chamber of commerce for many years," said Mike Colecliff, who remains as the marina's manager.

"I have been president of the chamber for the past 15 years and it was time for me to move on ... I am tired and getting too old and stale."

Unfortunately, there was no-one interested in taking over the reins.

Mr Colecliff said that while he was extremely disappointed with the chamber's demise, he was excited about the future partnership with BPS.

"Tilligerry has around 25 business members and it's great news that they can remain active through the partnership with BPS," he said.

"The marina will be joining the new organisation and as part of the agreement to forward our finances is that businesses who decide to join BPS will have half of their first year's membership fees paid up."

Mel Turner, BPS president, said the organisation was pleased with discussions with Mike Colecliff who had suggested that "the members had expressed interest in becoming BPS members".

"The decision to do so is advantageous to the members of the Tilligerry and to BPS. This provides an opportunity to extend our membership base and provides the added benefits to the Tilligerry members as we continue to expand our networks broadly across the LGA.

"Our main objectives are to connect, promote, encourage and support our members, who represent a broad range of businesses from small enterprises to leading corporations across Port Stephens.

"Expanding our membership base with a broad range of businesses provides more opportunity and continue to drive strong business relationships across the Port Stephens LGA."

Mr Colecliff said that he was proud of the achievements of the Tilligerry chamber over many years, most notably lobbying for a 24-hour, two-person police station on the peninsula, ensuring the completion of a range of Henderson Park projects around infrastructure and swimming pool and providing an RV pump outlet.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: