Tracie Kyne has always loved the Rochester community — she moved here with a small family in the mid-1990s and has has rarely shied away from doing her bit to enhance the small town living experience for the 4016-strong population.
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Such is her passion for the 3561 post code that her google mail address even includes the four digits allocated to Rochester by the national mailing entity.
A bit over three years ago Tracie stepped away from her role as manager of Rochester’s Community Bank and now, if at all possible, she is preparing to rev up her involvement in further enhancing the offerings of the Campaspe River township.
Her next level involvement in Rochester’s small business community comes as she was last week voted in as the new vice presidential role of the Rochester Business Network — filling the rather large shoes of another dedicated and long-time community focused individual, Brad Major.
“I’ve been part of the RBN since it began, but it was more of a back-seat role as I was the community bank manager.
“I wasn’t able to get to all the meetings, but since resigning from the bank I’ve been able to re-allocate some time,” she said.
Tracie was involved in the financial industry for almost three decades and was the first manager of the Rochester community bank branch.
She followed their parents to Rochester, arriving in 1994 — which is when she met and married her husband Justin.
"When we left Melbourne I wanted to be in Rochester, it’s just a wonderful community,“ Tracie said.
The Kynes were “empty nesters’’ until the recent return of their son, Matt, who has recently opened a barber shop in the town.
Their other children, Jaye at Thales in Bendigo, Jock (a Melbourne-based teacher) and Jarrod, who is studying architecture at Deakin University in Geelong, retain strong connections to their home town.
Tracie’s penchant for everything “community based’’ made her the ideal figurehead for the development of the Lockmore Fincancial Services bank branch, the last remaining financial institution in the town, and she now hopes to further that involvement.
That is in between her work as a celebrant, where she is “booked out’’ almost every weekend between now and May next year.
In keeping with her high energy-super organised personal attributes she has become a central figure for families experiencing the highest of highs — wedding days — and, often, the lowest of lows — funerals.
“I did a few family funerals as a celebrant and someone said they wanted me to marry them, and so became a Commonwealth Registered Celebrant. It has snowballed from there,” she said.
She has a similar approach to both and constant demand for her services which underlines an innate ability to satisfy the emotional demands of families at the often highly stressful times of funerals and marriages.
And while her professional life will continue to be a focus, the Rochester Business Network can expect a “shot in the arm’’ with her taking up the 2IC position to long-time chair Glenda Nichol.
"The business network is a group of like-minded individuals and when goal-oriented people come together great things can happen,“ she said.
Tracie, among other things, has been a part of the mural festival committee and through her community banking role has rarely not had a presence at a town-based gathering.
Her new VP role with the RBN and her celebrant duties are being “married’’ into the project she and her Foodmach-based project manager husband are currently focused on completing in the next short while.
"We are house sitting for an extended period at the moment, while we prepare to build a new house.
“Justin has built a big shed on a block and within it is my office.
"He and a mate are going to build our new house on the block,“ she said.
Last week’s AGM of the business network has created a new focus on increasing the membership of the organisation.
"That was the big-ticket items to come out of the meeting,’’ Tracie said.
“I don’t think people realise that they don’t need to have a shop front to be a member.
“We want anyone in business, including farmers and people that work from home, to have a say in what happens in our town.
“We are passionate about developing small business and the more people involved in that decision-making process the better.”
The group is currently researching just how many businesses are in Rochester and how many of those are members of the RBN.
Then the sub-committee of five — commissioned with the role of increasing membership numbers — will launch its campaign.
Helping Tracie to enhance membership numbers are like-minded Rochester community leaders Cate Ward, Megan Keating, Nicki Henderson and Bec Peacock.
“We’ve all been on the group for a while and there are about a dozen members who are at the meetings.
“We’d love to encourage more to attend,” she said.
While the membership drive remains a focus with the group, the business network will continue to work closely with Campaspe shire Rochester ward Councillor Paul Jarman, who, ironically, grew up as a neighbour to Justin Kyne.
“We know we have strong support from Jarmo (Cr Jarman), which gives us a strong connection to council,’’ Tracie said.
“Leading into summer one of our major focus points will be the use the pool.
“We are planning to have a free admission sign put on the fence and are encouraging families to plan their use of the pool.
“I know my family, and some friends, are committing to spending a night out every week at the pool. We may also invite local community groups such as the Lions Club, Rochester Fire Brigade and SES to raise much-needed funds via a sausage sizzle.
"We will encourage people to do a similar thing.’’