Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too support the Export Market Development Grants Amendment Bill 2014. These changes will support manufacturers and producers in the Bendigo electorate and central Victoria. This scheme—which, I might add, was introduced by the Labor government many, many years ago, under Gough Whitlam—will not only offer financial assistance for aspiring exporters, it will offer support for current exporters. In my region, central Victoria, it has helped many over the years. The Export Market Development Grants Scheme encourages small and medium Australian businesses to develop their export markets. In the current period of economic transition it is critical that we continue to support these businesses, manufacturers and producers, in creating new opportunities to export their goods overseas.

Bendigo, as I have said, is an area where we have a number of these small to medium enterprises. One of the strengths of our local manufacturing and producing community is its diversity, yet they come together to work well together under such organisations as the Bendigo Manufacturing Group. In Bendigo we are one of the major contributors to the Loddon-Mallee south region, with regional product estimated to be worth about $5 billion. Some of the big exporters are from the manufacturing sector in our region as well as food, financial and insurance services. We are in the Asian century, and Australia's future—

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