The 2021 Narrabri Chamber of Commerce Business Awards dinner has been cancelled due to public health concerns driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The awards dinner, traditionally a gala event much anticipated by the business and wider community, was to have been held at The Crossing Theatre on Saturday, September 4.

“We have been advised that cancellation is necessary,” said chamber president Russell Stewart.

“Naturally the chamber and everyone looking forward to the event are disappointed.

“However, it is really out of our hands.”

Mr Stewart said the decision to cancel had to be made at this stage although the awards dinner was more than six weeks out.

“There is considerable planning and expenditure a long way ahead of the event,” he said.

“Sponsors need to be advised, nominations for awards and judging, the guest speaker, Small Business Minister Damien Tudehope has to be advised so he can plan his schedule, the venue has to be prepared in theme – there is a lot of organisation needed well in advance for this major function.

“If we had simply postponed it to a future date we could end up in the same boat in a few weeks’ time.

“Our advice from various authorities was to cancel.

“I discussed the event with the NSW Business Chamber and they advised that the pandemic was trending in such a way, with attendant

government public health requirements, that there was too much uncertainty around planning at this stage,” Mr Stewart said.

“The Chamber of Commerce has invested over half a million dollars into The Crossing Theatre venue through the staging of the business awards dinner over the years so there is a cost to our community if we can’t stage it, as well as the disappointment for participants.

“The awards are an important event in recognising our business community. Narrabri has quality businesses which have persevered and survived through the drought and pandemic.

“There is an exciting future – if businesses can get through these tough years as they have done, there are great prospects ahead in our growing shire.”

See more like this:

To order photos from this page click here