“Is the tide going out for the Douglas Chamber of Commerce?” the Chamber’s coordinator, Suzanne Robson asks in the post.

“We understand that business owners may be snowed under with their own companies and work and feel that they cannot spare the time to serve on the Management Committee, but it is really important to keep this voice of advocacy strong and alive....who else is going to represent the business point of view to government or the Council?” Ms Robson adds.

The recent closure of the Daintree Ferry for maintenance and mandatory inspection, which ended up going for an unscheduled extra three days, prompted an outcry from business owners especially north of the River, who said it was ridiculous that a community had to be cut off from the rest of the world, and that there should be an alternative ferry or stand-in services.

“Is your one small voice sufficient when you want to discuss the closure of the ferry; the closure of the highway to make available only to participants in a bike race; the removal of parking bays in town; the reduction of the frequency of rubbish collection services....?”

Ms Robson said the Chamber relies heavily on the revenue brought in by membership fees and “we really need to boost the numbers of businesses belonging.”

“Annual membership is only $155. If your company joins now, they are offered a pro rata rate based on how many months are left in this financial year.

“We have 1500 followers on this page. If only 50% of them joined, we would have the strong capability to advocate with authority; we could hold workshops and seminars to increase knowledge and business skills; we could hold regular networking events to strengthen the alliance between local firms and enterprises.

“Please help to strengthen our voice.
Go to: https://www.douglaschamber.com.au/com.../douglas/memberships and become a Standard Member today.”