Ballina Chamber of Commerce

Lobbying Organisation Ballina Chamber of Commerce

Date published 21 Jan, 2019

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Transport

Period 1 Sep, 2018 to 31 Dec, 2018

Specific Details Ballina Chamber and its members met with local Councillors to discuss the roadworks into Ballina town on the station road which occurred throughout the month of November 2018, and caused a reduction of footfall into the town. The town was like a ghost town with many people deciding not to come into Ballina. The Roadworks caused long traffic tailbacks and added a minimum of a half hour onto travel into the town. Business owners, in particular retailers were not happy as there was no prior warning

Intended results Councillors and Mayo Co Co are made aware that proper consultation and pre-warning about roadworks must be discussed with retailers and business owners.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Hugh Rouse, Ballina Chamber of Commerce

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Mass communications

Email All Councillors Email communicated with all Ballina Municipal District Council Councillors

Meeting All Councillors Councillors were invited to a town meeting to discuss with Ballina Chamber and its members the events around the roadworks and subsequent mass exodus out of town and lack of consumers into town.

Phone call All Local Authority Members Communications with Head of Municipal District Council to clarify the length of roadworks, to urge the council to continue roadworks at night, and to be finished the work on time.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Meeting (2-5)

A large public meeting was held as well as various phone calls to the Councillors individually to clarify the length of time the roadworks were scheduled to continue into Ballina. The public as well as Ballina businesses were up in arms regarding this matter and the meeting with three of the councillers who attended clarified the desperate times the business folk are experiencing four weeks into the Christmas period.

Designated public officials lobbied

There were no DPOs directly lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area.