100 years together

This December the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce will be 100 years old; a great milestone in the history of any organisation. The centenary of the Chamber sits appropriately as part of Parramatta's wonderful heritage with our city being founded the same year as Sydney and being so much an integral part of Australia's birth.

The Chamber's close association with the Parramatta Council, so productive over those 100 years, started with the first President of the Chamber - the Mayor of Parramatta. Like all such long relationships, this one has had its ups and downs however in recent years the association has mirrored that starting point.

The Council was a major sponsor of the recent highly successful Western Sydney Awards in Business Excellence, auspiced by the Chamber and are again to the fore as part of our Centenary celebrations.

What is important in this relationship is that both parties remain independent of each other, as is appropriate, and oft times disagree on matters of policy - but the relationship allows open debate. As a lobby group the Chamber has the ear of Council on behalf of the Parramatta Business Community and provides a two-way conduit to and from Council.

Let the celebrations begin.

Trevor Oldfield AM JP

President