Humphries first speaker for OCU’s business breakfast
Wednesday April 22, 2009
Orana Credit Union staff Melanie Proudlove and Kelly Fairbank serving breakfast
to Cobar’s new Enterprise Facilitator Mark Workman and State member for
Barwon, Kevin Humphries. Mr Humphries was the guest speaker at OCU’s first business
breakfast at the Cobar Bowling and Golf Club last Thursday.
State Member for Barwon, Kevin Humphries, was the guest speaker for the Orana Credit Union’s (OCU) first Business Breakfast at the Cobar Bowling and Golf Club last Thursday morning.
OCU Cobar branch manager Melanie Proudlove said following feedback of those who attended, the first business breakfast appeared to go well.
She said the New England Credit Union (NECU), who merged last year with OCU, have business breakfasts on a regular basis.
“So we thought we’d see how it went in Cobar,” Ms Proudlove said.
“We only had a small group this time, but it was good to see that there were a couple of tradesmen among them for our first breakfast.”
NECU’s chief executive officer Kevin Dupé, who is based in Armidale, attended the first breakfast in Cobar and invited Mr Humphries to be their first guest speaker.
“These business breakfasts give you a platform to introduce speakers of note to the community,” Mr Dupé said.
Mr Humphries gave a brief outline of his past career in education, as well as his business involvement in the cotton industry and aged care, and with NECU.
He spoke about his involvement in helping to set up a credit union in the small community of Mungindi.
“This was when banks were talking about downsizing, paring back and removing face-to-face contact with their customers.
“This was what fundamentally drove me into politics,” Mr Humphries said.
“I’m a great believer in governments getting out of the way and letting small businesses get on with it.
“It’s not about imposing regulations and taxes - NSW is the most overtaxed, over-regulated and over-managed state in the country.
“Small business owners in NSW spend approximately 5-6 hours more [than in other states] per week dealing with licensing, red tape and paperwork.
“Our aim is to get all that stuff out of the way.
“Despite this area going through a downfall, this is not the first time it has happened.
“I think there is still some grief to come in the next 12 months.
“The guts of our communities are small business. They will still be here long after the big businesses have moved on.
“Cobar is a resilient, good, strong community,” Mr Humphries said.
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