Cobar shines at regional business awards
Wednesday October 14, 2009
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Region’s best: Cobar’s winners at the Orana Regional Business Excellence Awards on Saturday night Red Earth Real Estate, Cobar Public School and Stationery Essentials with Regional Development Australia’s John Walkom, Cobar Business Association president Michael Cox and Cobar Mayor Lilliane Brady.
While we didn’t win the top prize, there was no disputing that it was Cobar’s night on Saturday at the Orana Regional Business Excellence Awards.
Cobar hosted the awards for the first time this year, bringing visitors from across the region and showcasing the town.
A number of local businesses took out major awards on the night, with Stationery Essentials winning the Retail/Personal Services Category, Red Earth Real Estate winning the Professional Services Award and Cobar Public School’s ECOgarden project winning the Environmental Achievement Award.
A number of local businesses were also highly commended in their categories
including Cobar Quilt Shop (Retail/Personal Services), Bizzy B’s (New Business) and KML Industries (Manufacturing, Construction and Trades).
And while they didn’t take out any of the major awards, three of the five nominees for the apprentice and trainee awards were from Cobar.
The major award of Most Outstanding Regional Business went to Narromine’s Edgerton Nursery.
The awards were facilitated by Regional Development Australia (RDA) Orana, with entrants from Brewarrina, Bourke, Cobar, Coonamble, Mid-Western Region (Mudgee), Narromine and the Warrumbungles.
At the beginning of the night Mayor Lilliane Brady welcomed guests to the town, declaring Cobar “the regional city”.
RDA Orana chairman John Walkom said the night was about celebrating the businesses from across the “fantastic” region.
“There has been 12 months of challenging times, but tonight epitomises that these businesses are the main cogs that drive our region,” Mr Walkom said.
“Community is also a very important part of the region.
“It’s very important that a community has good businesses, and that businesses have a good community,” he said.
Stationery Essentials’ Wendy Robinson echoed Mr Walkom’s sentiments when accepting the award for Best Retail/Personal Services Business.
“We don’t offer the services we offer, we don’t strive to get those extra products for the accolades,” she said.
“We do it because we love it and we love our customers and community.”
Cobar Business Association president Michael Cox said Cobar businesses truly mixed it with the best of the region.
“Our entries did well, and we were unlucky not to get a couple of other awards as well—they probably felt that they had to spread it around a bit!” Mr Cox said on Monday.
He said the night was also a fantastic opportunity to show off Cobar to the region.
“One attendee has to organise a seminar in the near future, and has now put Cobar on his shortlist of possible venues based on Saturday night.
“We organised an underground visit for [awards emcee] Dugald Saunders which was well received, and should get Cobar a bit more airtime on his [ABC Radio] program,” Mr Cox said.
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