Emma Pritchard
Allegations of tension between executive members and dissatisfaction in the direction the Grafton Chamber of Commerce is moving towards has led to the resignation of President Natasha Hillery, Vice President Justin James, and executive member Sue Redman.
In a lengthy statement released on July 19, Mr James revealed he made his decision with a heavy heart after being involved with the not-for-profit organisation for 10 years.
Mr James identified the Prince Street Marketta, held on May 20, as the catalyst in creating disgruntlement within the chamber.
Despite describing it as a great success for Grafton, Mr James said executive members wanted to do more events like it, effectively shifting the focus of the chamber.
“The chamber should be as supportive as it can be within the community, but it is not in place to be utilised as event management,” he said.
“I feel this year has been one of the worst in the Chambers history in terms of inner turmoil.
“We (Natasha and I) tried to manage the situation during the last two months in keeping with the constitution to try and maintain where the Chamber lies in terms of what we are supposed to do and not supposed to do to support local businesses, and we were left feeling outnumbered.”
Mr James denied allegations he and Ms Hillery were sacked from their former positions, dismissing them as “not true.”
He also denied allegations of an announcement made during an alleged public meeting where a vote of no confidence was shown towards himself and Ms Hillery.
Ms Hillery said she and Mr James were losing the battle to maintain the high standards the Grafton Chamber of Commerce has always been renowned for, adding a number of executive members are self-serving in relation to their business interests, and want to take the Chamber from being a business advocacy group into an organisation which focuses on community events.
“The Chamber is about representing our local businesses and advocating for their needs,” she said.
“We knew there was tension between executive members, and it wasn’t in either of our interests to continue in the direction we were going in.”
When approached for comment by the Clarence Valley Independent, current executive members of the Grafton Chamber of Commerce Jeremy Jablonski and Lisa Busch respectfully declined to comment when asked about the allegations, but said the management committee would like to thank Ms Hillery and Mr James for their hard work over the years, adding the remaining members are focused on serving and advocating for the wonderful Grafton business community, which remains the motivation behind everything they do.
“Our organisation isn’t about any one individual, it is a group of people from varied backgrounds, and with varying skills and experience, who come together to serve,” they said.
“We look forward to a future of collaboration and community service, and welcome anyone who has ever thought about joining us to come along to our next Business After Hours event.”
Business NSW Regional Director for the Northern Rivers Jane Laverty said it was upsetting to hear Ms Hillery, Mr James, and Ms Redman had resigned from the Grafton Chamber of Commerce, and confirmed she will be attending the next AGM once a date has been announced to provide support and assistance as the chamber continues to move forward.