Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Small businesses and their workers are the backbone of my region. On the New South Wales South Coast we have lots of different businesses—tradies, retailers, providers of hospitality, accommodation and tourism, manufacturers, dairy farmers, health providers and more. It's no wonder that small businesses love the South Coast region. It has so much to offer, including a beautiful environment, beaches, bays, bush and gorgeous villages. It's a great place to raise a family or retire.

Our local businesses on the New South Wales South Coast have been through a lot, from the drought to the Black Summer bushfires, natural disaster after natural disaster, COVID-19 and more natural disasters, but one thing that our local businesses and communities have in spades is a love for community, supporting each other through some of the toughest of times. That's why we have to do everything possible to support our small businesses. We know they are doing it tough, and workers are too. That is why the Albanese government is doing everything possible to provide relief for small businesses where we can.

We provided the $325 energy bill relief for one million small businesses, which businesses in my electorate are starting to benefit from. We provided tax cuts for every taxpayer, which is so important. We know that, when taxpayers have more money in their pay packet, more money is spent in our local businesses, which supports local spending and jobs.

Our Energy Efficiency Grants for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises program is proving very popular and providing much-needed relief in Gilmour. Just recently I announced the 15 local businesses in Gilmour that were successful in receiving an energy efficiency grant. Grants were around $25,000 and were used by businesses to implement new technology to lower energy consumption and energy costs. I was really pleased to deliver a total of $325,000 in grants for these 15 local businesses, which ranged from caravan parks to hospitality providers, manufacturers, a brewery and more.

Just last week I visited one of the successful recipients, a boutique brewery, Dangerous Ales, at Milton. This award-winning brewery has been operating for five years at the Milton Hotel. I was pleased to learn that the grant will help the owners, Damian and Alice, set up new digital tank monitoring technology, which will reduce their energy costs by monitoring their glycol brewing system remotely, using an app. The brewery produces around 200,000 litres of beer per year and supplies artisan beers to local restaurants as well as some major liquor chains and boutique eateries as far away as Tasmania and Western Australia. They produce four or five core beers, including their most popular, Crispy Boi Lager, and release new brews every second or third week.

These grants are part of the Albanese's government's commitment to ease cost-of-living pressures for Australian businesses by putting downward pressure on energy bills without adding to inflation. They are just one of many measures outlined in our small business statement, which outlines $641.4 million in targeted support for small businesses in the recent budget.

I want to take these last moments to give a shout-out to all our amazing local businesses and their workers across Gilmour. Recently I had the pleasure of attending the Eurobodalla Business Awards, hosted by Eurobodalla Shire Council. I have to say this was a wonderful celebration of businesses in the Eurobodalla. On Friday night I attended the Shoalhaven Business Awards, with so many magnificent finalists and award winners. A special shout-out goes to all our Kiama business, ably represented in the Illawarra Business Awards, and well done to the Kiama and District Business Chamber, who always run very progressive and wonderful networking opportunities for local businesses. Thank you to all our small businesses for everything you do to support our workers and communities.

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