Geoff Helisma |

The Grafton Chamber of Commerce will hold its second public workshop/meeting at the Clarence Valley Council’s (CVC) Grafton chambers on Thursday March 28, to discuss the likely effects of the new highway’s bypassing of Grafton.

The chamber’s website states: “Following our first bypass workshop meeting, which was unfortunately a failure [due to low attendance], we have been urged to create a follow-up workshop/meeting which will be held in council chambers.”

The chamber’s president, Justin James, said the workshop/meeting’s “basic purpose is to hear the community’s ideas about ameliorating” the bypass’s effects.

“We did get a few good ideas from the first one, though,” Mr James said.

He said he encouraged people “to engage” with the process and to be prepared “to do something after the workshop/meeting”.

“It’s about people actually wanting to do these ideas,” he said.

Clarence Valley Council’s general manager, Ashley Lindsay, said that CVC and the chamber “have been working closely on a range of measures to help the business community following the completion of the major infrastructure projects”.

“Some of these were identified in a series of chamber workshops and its Big Ideas project,” he said in an emailed statement, “and include the Vibrant Places initiative, which has already started, plans to beautify the entrances to the city and a main street beautification plan.

“We will help the chamber facilitate its planned meeting, provide the venue, and help develop the workshop format once we know how many will be attending.”

Mr James emphasised that RSVPs are required for the meeting to go ahead.

“RSVP is essential; no numbers, no meeting,” the chamber’s website states.

The meeting is planned to be held from 5.30pm until approx 7.30pm.

To RSVP, go to the chamber’s website, hover over ‘Chamber Events’ and click bypass RSVP, email office@graftonchamberofcommerce.org.au, or send a private message to the chamber’s Facebook page.