Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This federal Labor government is helping small business. My area—Ipswich and the Somerset region—was flooded and under the Small Business Advisory Service's natural disaster assistance $2.5 million has been allocated for 25 not-for-profit business advisory bodies not just in Ipswich and the Somerset region but across the country. I want to congratulate the Somerset Region Business Alliance and the Business Enterprise Centre Ipswich Region, both of which received $100,000 to provide advisory services to primary producers, tourism operators and small businesses affected by the floods. About 600 Ipswich businesses were flood affected and suffered damage and loss, and 279 agribusinesses and 100 small- to medium-sized businesses in the Somerset region suffered loss and damage from the floods. We are providing significant support.

I congratulate the Ipswich Business Enterprise Centre and Tony Axford, who is the CEO, and I also want to congratulate Paul Heymans for his advocacy on behalf of the Somerset Region Business Alliance. The services will provide assistance for business mentoring, business planning advice, assistance in developing marketing plans to help businesses get back on their feet, and guidance on loans and leasing and government regulation. This is another example of why this federal Labor government is the only government committed to small business in Australia.

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