Major Illawarra businesses have pledged to hold events in bushfire-affected towns to help communities get back on their feet.
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The NSW Business Chamber has launched a campaign and website called Backing the Bush where companies of all sizes promise to hold a board, management or staff meeting in one of the impacted areas between now and the end of 2020.
The Illawarra Business Chamber executive director Adam Zarth is supporting the initiative and encourages more businesses in the region to join in.
"Companies such as BlueScope, WIN Corporation, IMB Bank, AON, Peoplecare, Waples, KPMG Wollongong and the University of Wollongong have already signed the pledge," he said.
"Now we are calling on all Illawarra businesses to join in and support bushfire-affected communities.
"While cash donations have been received with great thanks, the next step is for companies to hold meetings normally scheduled for Wollongong, Sydney, or interstate in one of these impacted towns.
"This will help businesses of all sizes, from the accommodation venue, to the caterers, the cleaners, newsagents and local restaurants and cafes - everyone in the town benefits."
Mr Zarth said the support from corporate Illawarra to the bushfire and drought relief efforts had been "outstanding", and this was the next piece of the puzzle to sustain small businesses, and their staff, in affected areas especially during what is their quiet season.
"The board of the NSW Business Chamber has also agreed to hold its May State Council meeting on the NSW South Coast," Mr Zarth said.
"It is a two-day event for more than 60 people.
"So many of us in business have watched the crises unfold, feeling at times helpless, but now there is a practical and real way to assist these communities."
Mr Zarth said the Illawarra Business Chamber would not be acting as a booking service, but rather the site would encourage corporate companies to use the #backingthebush hashtag on social media when their meeting occurs.
"I would encourage other businesses across the Illawarra to get on board and sign the pledge," he said.
"These fire-effected regions are right on our doorstep and this is another way the business community can lend its support and contribute to sustaining the wider regional economy."
