BERWICK Village Chamber of Commerce has reelected president Michael Hall to take it through the next year.
The chamber has doubled its membership to 100 during the past two years and Mr Hall has called for this to be doubled again.
He has spoken out strongly during the year over the Enterprise AvenueClyde Road traffic grid lock, called for a radical plan to underground the Berwick Railway station and railway line leading to Berwick, and led a chamber opposition against the extraordinary plan to sell Monash University land at Berwick for housing and commercial development. Mr Hall said the chamber ended the year free of debt and with money in the bank. “We also know that we can run a successful grand prix festival and auction night,” he said.
“But the real test is have we given Berwick businesses a higher profile and are more people coming to Berwick to shop or for lifestyle?”
Mr Hall said probably not, because they could not get through the traffic jams and difficult parking.
“The real test is have we improved the lot of our members and the answer is probably only a little.
“We need to increase membership, increase the number of functions we hold.
“If we can increase our membership from 100 to 200 we will become a much stronger force.”
Mr Hall questioned issues and said why hasn’t the streetscape development been started, and why haven’t lights been installed at Enterprise Avenue?
He said the reason was because the chamber had not yet made enough noise about the issues.