Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I had the honour of visiting three local businesses in my electorate of McEwen. I visited these businesses because they were recipients of the Australian government's energy efficiency grants for small and medium-sized enterprises, which provide direct support for small and medium-sized businesses to improve their energy efficiency, ease pressure on power bills and reduce emissions.

First, I visited John Turner and his team at the Black Forest Motel in Macedon and heard how they will utilise the funds from their successful grant application. They plan to replace 14 inefficient room fridges and two communal fridges that have low energy ratings with newer and more efficient models. They will also install power card readers in every room, with the power being turned off when the card is removed. John believes these changes will see the business save approximately $5,000 to $7,000 a year on its power bills, as well as reducing emissions. The Black Forest Motel has long been a central hub for the community during times of crisis—fires, floods and storms. It's great to be able to support a business that does so much for our community.

We then went down to the Jolly Miller Cafe in Gisborne; it's a favourite stop of ours. I remember taking former prime minister Bob Hawke there, and he was very impressed with their cheese and onion sandwiches. He said that they were good helpings. It was great to see that they received an energy efficiency grant as well. Cost-of-living pressures have a flow-on effect for local businesses in our community and their ability to adapt and save on overheads. I thank the head chef, Priyanka, and the store manager, Francis, who explained what the upgrades to well-used appliances will do to help the business become energy efficient and save on costs. It means that they will be able to continue the great work they've been doing for a long time.

We also went down to Dreaming Goat Dairy in Monegeetta. Daniel and Sarah Ajzner have an amazing story. They run a 50-acre goat farm with a small-scale dairy in Monegeetta, where they produce some of the best curd that's ever been tasted. On my recent visit to congratulate them on their successful application, Daniel explained that the energy efficiency grant will make a huge difference to their food business. The funds will allow them to update their current energy-hungry, second-hand refrigeration units and purchase a new refrigerator trailer, which is important when transporting dairy goods. It was a pleasure to tour the farm, to see the many goats who were preparing for the next generation of goats to come and to see how the tree change dream will continue to flourish with the assistance of the Albanese government. I encourage more businesses to look at these grants as an opportunity to help save on one of the most expensive things in business—that is, energy—and a way to upgrade their facilities to build a better future.