Dear ​

Welcome to our October newsletter.

September has been one of our busiest months.  We again held the BMEE Bushfire Building Conference and Community Forum in Springwood.   Over 1000 people attended this unique event over two days, with the Friday devoted to industry experts from various professions presenting and discussing the design and construction of buildings in a bushfire-prone area.  Many local businesses were involved and delegates came from across the country.  The Saturday provided local residents with the opportunity to engage with product suppliers and experts for their particular needs.  As the major partner in the event the NSW Rural Fire Service had a large presence and was on hand to provide information about specific bushfire regulations and the current bushfire season.

Creative Industries in our region continues to be a major focus for our small team, and we are enjoying engaging with an increasing number of businesses in this sector right across the mountains.   MTNS MADE was launched late in 2015 and we continue to collaborate with the creative community to grow, strengthen and market the local creative industries.  I encourage you to have a look at the MTNS MADE website http://mtnsmade.com.au/  and engage with the creative community through the MTNS MADE Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/mtnsmade/

Whilst the creative industries sector is already thriving, we are looking to identify creative industries businesses that want to grow, so if that is you and you want some help, please contact us so that we can connect you with the resources that you need.

As CEO, I spend time connecting with all levels of government, and have recently met with the NSW Department of Industry and Jobs for NSW, seeking to understand how their various programs can assist economic development in the Blue Mountains.

At a local level we are continuing to work to enable the establishment of a co-working facility in Katoomba. We are also working with the owners of the Savoy building to help identify commercially viable future uses of this historic site. All this work is about facilitating the development of a vibrant, diverse, resilient community that offers employment opportunities locally.

Regards,

Bernie

Bernard Fehon
CEO, Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise