It also affected the local chamber, Commerce North West which was forced to lay off its permanent staff member in 2016 and forced to move its annual MineX expo to a biennial event around the same time.

It meant a lot more unpaid work by the work but also meant some opportunities simply could not be followed up.

Commodity prices and the general business outlook have improved in the three years since then and I was pleased to note that at the chamber's annual general meeting last week they have found the funding to employ someone on a part-time basis, 25 to 30 hours.

That someone is Emma Harman, formerly of Southern Cross Austereo, and already a board member and treasurer of Commerce North West.

This is a great move and I'm sure Emma will provide dynamism and focus to the organisation and help bring more grants to it that might eventually lead to a full time position.

Emma's role was not the only change in direction for the chamber announced at the AGM.

The other one was no real surprise as he flagged it at the business awards but Travis Crowther has stepped down after seven years as president to concentrate on his business and his family.

Travis has been a great servant of the chamber and has put many unpaid hours into its service over the years.

The chamber can look with pride on its many initiatives: the business brew, the buy local gift card, the evening networking events, training seminars, rodeo best dressed premises, the dragon boat regatta and its big night the business awards,

Of course this year was also a MineX year and the chamber showed it was not afraid to experiment with its first ever Saturday opening and a closing night concert.

Travis and team can take great credit for these initiatives.

The new constitution means we don't yet know which of the new seven committee members gets which position.

But I wish our peak business body well as we steer into the new and exciting times of the 2020s.