Gateway Centre board members (from left) Margaret Cleary, Alan Bendetti, Russell Smith, Alex Neitz, Rachel Bird, Con Cristoforou and Peter Davidson.Sarah Schwager
BUSINESSES from around Greater Dandenong gathered at the Dandenong Club yesterday (Wednesday) to recognise the Premier Regional Business Awards.
The breakfast, presented by the Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce, welcomed some of the nominees for the 2005 regional business awards.
Nominees included The Gateway Centre, a notforprofit organisation for people with disabilities.
The Gateway Centre, a project started by the Rotary Club of Dandenong in 1980, allows people with disabilities to participate in the workforce.
Gateway chief executive Margaret Cleary said the group worked hard to find activities in the area for their workers, such as cleaning, packaging and lawn mowing.
“We work as a team,” she said. “This is important when you are working with people with disabilities.”
Other nominees included Hafele Australia Pty Ltd, a Dandenongbased hardware supplier which plans to provide 100 new jobs within the next decade, and Traditional Foods Australia.
Traditional Foods Australia managing director Michael Farr said the food company, which specialises in gourmet fruit cakes and plum puddings, moved to Dandenong in 2001 and has not looked back.
Mr Farr said the company had a great ability to take on a project and make it successful, such as its export venture, and was very happy to be in Dandenong and so close to its suppliers.
Guest speaker and Greater Dandenong chief executive Carl Wulff spoke of the many initiatives and growth around Dandenong.
He said it was an exciting time for Dandenong, with more and more opportunities to move forward in the area.
“It’s all happening in the south east, and particularly in Dandenong South,” he said.
Mr Wulff said the population of Greater Dandenong would soon reach twice that of Canberra. He said there were more people living in the city than in any other city council in Melbourne, and yet there was very little employment.
“It makes sense to create jobs where people live,” he said. Mr Wulff also highlighted concerns about public transport and student facilities in the area.
Original guest speaker Melbourne Racing Club chief racing steward Des Gleeson unfortunately had to pull out at the last moment.
