On Monday Morning Matters (17 November) “Hendo” was joined by Gianni Musameci; President of the Five Dock Chamber of Commerce, discussing the current business environment in the Five Dock area.

So what does the Five Dock Chamber of Commerce do? 

The Five Dock Chamber of Commerce is an independent organisation which aids in ‘adding value’ back to the business sector. The Chamber of Commerce provides a voice for the business community, going to forums and voicing concerns impacting the community. 

The Sydney Metro West line, which includes Five Dock, is expected to be open for transportation in 2032. 

Musameci expressed his thoughts regarding its introduction stating, “it’s causing somewhat a little bit of disruption around the amount of foot traffic going up and down our main road, Great North Road. I think some small businesses are doing it tough because of recent high inflation, cost of living and cost of doing business.” 

He furthered, “some landlords have had to raise rents, and they’ve passed that cost onto the businesses as well…it’s a very circular environment.” 

It’s important to reflect on how these drastic changes will have on the local community. 

Musameci provided his insight, expressing, “I think definitely there will be a lot more foot-traffic—the demographic of the area will definitely change, because it’s going to be a little more fast-paced.”

“I don’t know how many people are going to be remaining in the area…it’s going to be a lot of passing trade, so the demographic of businesses might change in the area.” 

Small businesses are vital for our local economy, making the area more “personable”. 

“Small business is pretty important to a small and local economy. If you look at an area like Five Dock, it’s a very village feel. Everybody almost knows everybody virtually, and small businesses are important because they sponsor the local sports teams, they provide goods and services…overall they just make the area a more vibrant place to live,” said Musameci.

The Five Dock Chamber of Commerce meets monthly, hosting networking forums including breakfast and afterhours events. Their next working event is this Thursday 27th of November at Five Dock RSL from 6pm. 

Tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/fivedock-chamber-of-commerce-live-property-qa-event-tickets-1929332398139?aff=ebdssbdestsearch