For businesses from Cox’s, Blenheim and Pittwater Roads to Macquarie Park through to Riverside Corporate Park in Delhi Road, there has never been a more strategically important time for a local and dedicated business organisation that can act as a conduit for information, education and local business networking.

The City of Ryde is home to some 12,000 businesses and almost 100,000 people in 16 suburbs. The North Ryde/Macquarie Park precinct is the largest and arguably the most significant contributor to the local economy, with a workforce of 29,000 which is expected to increase by some 6,000 in the coming year. More than 2,000 businesses ranging from global corporations and a world class university to small-to-medium enterprises and home-based businesses are based in North Ryde.

There are exciting plans and business opportunities for the area in coming years. The arrival of companies such as Optus and Foxtel relocating or adding to their existing workforce, and the expansion of local organisations, augers well for the area but also brings with it specfic business challenges such as transport, parking, skill shortages and recruitment pressures to name a few. There are unprecendented opportunities for small to medium businesses in the area, but there has been an absence of a medium through which this information can be funnelled and distributed.

With such an impetus to form a North Ryde Chamber of Commerce, Ryde Business Forum (RBF) has assisted businesses in North Ryde/Macquarie Park to form their own Chamber, which was launched in April 2005. The initiative was driven by RBF Chairman Catherine King, who worked with corporate leaders in the precinct to get the Chamber up and running.

To be a part of the North Ryde/Macquarie Park Chamber of Commerce, click on the How to Join link at left.