Though the CEO of the Regional Chambers of Commerce and Industry (WA) believes Western Australians have developed a better appreciation for all things local, many still underestimate how much impact decisions made in cities can have on those who live around the State. There is heightened awareness of food security, for example, but the fuel spike disproportionately affects regional businesses.
“We’re such a driving state – so many businesses, everything they produce, everything they deliver, is someone driving around in a vehicle,” Kitty says.
With members from 46 regional chambers and associations around WA, representing more than 10,000 businesses, the RCCIWA is a staunch advocate for regional businesses and their communities and its CEO loves nothing more than seeing them thriving.
It’s why a recent visit to Katanning in the Great Southern filled her with joy. The town is buzzing, with the imminent arrival of a new gold mine energising, rather than polarising, the farming community. “Every retail space on the main street is full – it’s amazing,” Kitty says. “It’s really buoyant and a very welcoming place.”
Showing up for the regions
Shining a light on these communities and their success stories is one of the reasons Kitty is a regular at Meet the Buyer™, the annual trade show that brings producers from as far afield as the Great Southern and the Kimberley and buyers together under one roof.
“For me, it’s about supporting the regions, and I want to meet as many producers as possible,” she says. “And I am supporting Buy West Eat Best (which runs the event) because it is such an incredible program.”
At last year’s event, Kitty made a point of introducing herself to every regional producer and grower on the floor, asking about their business and letting them know what RCCIWA can do to support them. That might be putting them in touch with the business’s local support networks, such as the Mid West Food Industries Alliance.
“The Mid West does a really amazing stall, and that’s supporting our members – it’s so important for their community,” she says.
Kitty also makes sure she shares that experience with other RCCIWA members. “I go back to them and say ‘you really should promote this to your members because it is such a significant event’,” she says. “It’s a fantastic reminder of what we’re all about – to support all regional businesses and their community.”
Beyond the paddock
A thriving regional producer has a ripple effect far beyond one successful business. Kitty points to Pemberton, a town made up of almost entirely small businesses.
“They have this unbelievably connected community,” she says, citing the town’s annual avocado festival in November hosted by the Pemberton CCI as an example. “Yes, it’s avocadoes, but it’s much more than that – the whole community gets behind it.”
The flow-on effect is also evident in the pride a regional town takes when a product made in their backyard makes it onto shelves across Western Australia or the country.
“You go to these communities and you see businesses flourishing and other new ones starting up,” Kitty says. “This builds confidence but also contributes positively to the economic development of that community in so many ways.”
Backing regional produce
This sense of pride is also evident at the annual WA Regional Small Business Awards. Although the celebrations are held in Perth, to make it easier for finalists from all corners of the State to get there, what is dished up to guests is very much focused on the regions.
“We work with the chefs and their kitchen so we can have as much regional produce as possible,” Kitty says.
In its first year at what was then the Hyatt, the hotel sourced two new suppliers from regional WA because of the event, an immediate boost to those producers. And every drink served is, of course, Western Australian.
The regional focus extends beyond the food and drink, too, with a photographer from Port Hedland, a botanical stylist from Bridgetown, and the striking wooden trophies handcrafted in a regional men’s shed.
The power of connection
Kitty’s passion for all things regional extends to Meet the Buyer™, where she encourages new delegates to make the most of every opportunity. Her advice: Talk to everyone and try everything.
“Just be open to having genuine conversations with the people behind the stalls,” she says. “Find out what their story is and why they are doing what they are doing.”
Kitty also loves to see the connections made between small producers. “If you’re working on something like bespoke, small-batch olive oil and you’re going absolute hammer and tongs to get it done, coming to something like this means you can take a breath,” she says. “And you then get to meet all these other growers and know ‘it’s not just me feeling the pressure’ – there’s a whole community out there.”
The regions are full of communities with stories to tell and Kitty has seen first-hand how hospitality operators respond to them.
“Chefs love knowing what the grower of their asparagus does and how many people are involved, that kind of thing,” she says. “It helps them to create their own story and that flows on.”
There are many stories to tell. Western Australia grows almost everything, and across longer seasons than most places, thanks to the range of climates.
“We’ve got it all here,” Kitty says. “We just need to tell more people about it and celebrate it more.”
Meet the Buyer™ is at Crown Perth on Tuesday 20 October. The exhibition floor has sold out, but buyers can still book tickets to the trade show.
Note: Meet the Buyer™ is a trade and industry event only but you can support local by supporting the businesses mentioned and looking out for local produce wherever you shop.