THE SNOWY-MONARO BUSINESS ENTERPRISE CENTRE INC.
HISTORY 1993 - 2006
Throughout the 1970s and 80s, the community and local councils in the Snowy Mountains and Monaro region, looked at various vehicles to work on development activity, one being the concept of a Business Enterprise Centre (BEC). Both Cooma-Monaro and Snowy River Shire Councils investigated the prospects of establishing their own BECs in Cooma and Jindabyne. In 1992, public meetings were held and a Charter developed for a regional BEC. A Steering Committee was formed to establish a BEC, which eventually formed the initial BEC Board.
Funding approval was gained in late 1992 from NSW Government Department of Industrial Relations, Employment, Training and Further Education under the Self Employment Development Program. Cooma-Monaro Shire Council Mayor Bill Rushton, General Manager Neil Watt, Director of Corporate Services, Peter Tegart, local NSW State Member of Parliament Peter Cochran and Steering Committee members Paul Sullivan and Mick Boyce, provided considerable assistance in the BEC's formation.
The Snowy Monaro Business Enterprise Centre Association was incorporated in March 1993 and became affiliated to the NSW BEC network under the coordination of Business in the Community Ltd. A manager and business counsellor, John Mercer was appointed by the Board in April 1993 and the Centre became operational in May 1993. All Board members and staff who have served with the BEC are listed on the website.
Monaro Electricity provided a rent-free office at the front of their old appliance workshop in Commissioner Street. Cooma-Monaro Shire Council provided a telephone system and local businesses assisted with various equipment. Peter Cochran M.P. officially opened the Centre on the 23 September 1993.
During 1995, the BEC further developed its services with the creation of the Snowy Monaro Development Centre. Monaro Electricity provided a five-year peppercorn lease for the whole appliance store site to establish a Business Incubator pilot scheme. The Federal Government Department of Education, Employment and Training funded the Business Incubator development in September 1995. It was officially opened by Hon Brian Howe, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Housing and Regional Development in February 1996 and local Federal Member Mr Jim Snow, MP.
In 1998, the facilities were further renovated to allow the creation of a training facility. This was used for a range of small business management workshops, programs and seminars.
Due to potential development of the site in December 2000, the BEC had to find new premises. It took up the offer of Cooma Challenge Limited and moved into the "old Express Building" in Bombala Street which was provided at no rental.
The NSW Government continued to fund the BEC to deliver the State's Small Business Advisory Service program in the region on an annual grant until 2001. NSW Department of State and Regional Development (DSRD) tendered the NSW Government's Small Business Advisory Services in March 2001. In October 2001, the Snowy-Monaro BEC successfully gained a three-year contract to deliver the service to the Snowy-Monaro region.
In November 2000, the BEC had started to negotiate with the Department of Defence for the purchase of the old Army Drill Hall in Bombala Street. At the same time a submission was made to the Commonwealth Government under the Business Incubator Program for funding to purchase and renovate the site.
The BEC gained a grant of $460,000, from the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business (DEWRSB), now AusIndustry, in September 2001. Much credit must be given to local Federal Member, Gary Nairn MP, who provided support and assistance to gain the funding and the building.
Local builder, Don Shortridge, translated the original building design of Architectural team Geoff Watson and his wife Sue, into a well-constructed and functional Centre. Foundation BEC Manager, John Mercer, provided the project management supported by Departmental staff (Peter Wright and Paul Fluger - DEWRSB), Brett Jurgenson and Ian Duncan (Department of Defence), Gary Nairn MP, Cooma-Monaro Shire Council, the architecture team, contractors, BEC Board, especially Mick Boyce and Col Hackney and BEC staff, especially Ann Filmer.
Hon Joe Hockey, Federal Small Business Minister and Gary Nairn MP officially opened the Centre in May 2002, welcomed by Aunty Margaret Dixon, a local tribal elder of the Ngarigo people.
In May 2003, the BEC celebrated its ten years of operations with the launch of its website www.snowybec.com.au., sponsored by Ozeweb Host. It was launched by local Federal Member Gary Nairn and local State Member Steve Whan.
An announcement by the NSW Government in 2004, ended eleven years of the BEC providing a free business advisory service to its local community. The service delivery was regionalised and many rural BECs were forced to close down.
The Snowy-Monaro BEC refocussed its operations and new fee-for-service programs were introduced in 2005. The Federal Government provided funding to assist the establishment of a two-year small business growth program through its Business Enterprise Culture program, which was launched by Federal Member Hon. Gary Nairn MP in March 2005.
In January 2005 Cooma-Monaro Council, supported by the NSW Government, Cooma Call Centre and Cooma Unlimited, funded the BEC for three years to manage a Cooma-Monaro Growth Strategy program that assists the economic development of the Shire.
In 2005, the BEC became an Associate of Creeda Projects Ltd and were contracted to do international consultancy projects in Iran, Jordan and Indonesia.
Through John Mercer's involvement in the Australasian Institute of Enterprise Facilitators, he became an APEC Accredited Trainer in 2006. The BEC now provides national and international training programs for APEC business counsellor certification training.
Over the years the local media has supported the BEC through print, TV and radio news, interviews and articles of its activities and initiatives. The Cooma-Monaro Express newspaper, has produced four local supplements. These were for the official openings in 1993 and 2002, the tenth anniversary in 2003 and our 2004 refocus. From 1994 to 1995 and since 2001, the BEC has produced "Lets Do Business", a fortnightly small business column for the Cooma-Monaro Express. The column is reproduced on occasions by the Bombala Times.
A monthly BEC newsletter has been produced in various formats since 1998. It currently is produced electronically and issued to businesses and community organisations. In 2000, the BEC started its small business radio show, "Business, Beatles and the BEC". Local community radio organisation, Monaro Community Radio broadcasted the show weekly until December 2007.