Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Macnamara is home to some outstanding small businesses. In fact, some of the best small businesses in our country are in my electorate, whether at the markets, on high streets, or in community-run cafes. On one end of the electorate we have the Caulfield Village shopping precinct. There's Elsternwick Village on Glen Huntly Road, Carlisle Street in east St Kilda, and Acland Street and Fitzroy Street in St Kilda. And Middle Park has wonderful little shops. In Albert Park there are brilliant high streets, such as Victoria Avenue, with great boutique shopping as well as cafes. In Port Melbourne there is the iconic Bay Street, and, up and down Southbank and South Melbourne, Clarendon Street. In so many pockets around Southbank there are small businesses where you can get literally anything you could possibly want.

Of course, we are bringing back into Macnamara Chapel Street in Windsor. I personally am very happy about Windsor coming back into Macnamara, after we briefly gave Windsor to the excellent member for Higgins for some short-term care and representation. We're bringing them back to Macnamara, and I'm very pleased about it. Not only is the community of Windsor so wonderful, so multicultural and so vibrant but also there are so many outstanding small businesses in Windsor. They've got so many great options where you can go and enjoy your free time.

The thing about these small businesses and these little villages in Macnamara is that, when you ask people about what the great things are about living in our area, in our community, they don't just mention the schools and the different recreational facilities that we have around there; they mention the people behind the small businesses. They mention the people who make up our community businesses that have been there for generations—for decades. They mention the fact that each of these small businesses is a part of what makes our community so wonderful.

It is really hard right now, especially as a retailer. The economics of being a small business is really hard. If you're in a high street in Melbourne right now, it can cost you somewhere between $70,000 and $100,000 for a 70- or 100-square-metre retail outlet. When you add staff on top of that, you're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars of outlay before you even make any income. These small businesses on our high streets have to have $700,000 worth of revenue before they become viable, and it is really challenging for a lot of businesses.

So, the retail market is really stretched and the retail sector is really stretched. But what keeps them going is our community, and they keep our community going. They are really valuable and we need to support them in every way we can.

Another model that's happening in our local community in South Melbourne is the South Melbourne Market. This is a modified retail model with smaller market stalls. The overall market is managed by the city of Port Phillip. With obviously a high amount of foot traffic they are really successful businesses. Some of these businesses have been there for decades, and they have really good relationships with the council. In fact, I even took the Minister for Small Business to the South Melbourne Market recently to show off some of our fantastic small businesses that are operating in South Melbourne. The first one we stopped into was Georgie's Harvest, a potato store. The minister was talking about Tasmanian potatoes—which I had to admit isn't my level of speciality! But I was very happy that all these things and some of the best food in the country are available in the South Melbourne Market.

This goes on top of some of the work we're doing to try and support small businesses. Obviously we're extending the $20,000 instant asset write-off. We have also given small businesses $325 for energy bill relief, which builds on top of the $650 rebate provided last financial year, which is almost $1,000 for energy bill support. I'll note that the coalition likes to talk a big game but opposed both of those measures—almost $1,000 to help small businesses with their energy costs. Nonetheless, I'm always pleased to stand up and talk about the small businesses that make our community vibrant, small businesses that are run by wonderful members of our local community and small businesses that make Macnamara the best electorate in the country.

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