❓ Mrs Roberts questions the Minister for Small Business regarding the funding and future of the 25 Small Business Centres. The Minister acknowledges funding challenges and announces a rationalisation of service delivery across 12 areas.
AnsweredQoN 313Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SMALL
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION — SMALL BUSINESS CENTRES
313. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the
Minister for Small Business:
I refer to the valuable work of the state small business
centres in fostering business opportunities and local jobs.
(1) Will the
minister guarantee that all 25 listed small business centres on the Small
Business Development Corporation website will remain open and fully funded over
the next financial year?
(2) If not,
which ones will be defunded or closed?
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION — SMALL BUSINESS CENTRES
313. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the
Minister for Small Business:
I refer to the valuable work of the state small business
centres in fostering business opportunities and local jobs.
(1) Will the
minister guarantee that all 25 listed small business centres on the Small
Business Development Corporation website will remain open and fully funded over
the next financial year?
(2) If not,
which ones will be defunded or closed?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I thank the member for Midland for that question; it is a good question. As the
member knows, there were 25 small business centres across Western Australia,
six in the metropolitan area and 19 in regional Western Australia, and they are
essentially funded by multiple sources, but the Small Business Development
Corporation puts in roughly $110 000 to $120 000 per small business centre per
year out of its budget, and we are committed to continuing that funding to
provide services to small business across Western Australia. However, some of
those small business centres, for a number of different reasons, have not been
successful financially. I know the one in the western wheatbelt, in Northam in
the member for Central Wheatbelt's electorate, closed its doors about
six months ago, and I know the one in Midland closed its doors. It
self-determined to close its own doors about three months ago because of the
withdrawal of federal funding, not state government funding. That was another
one funded by multiple sources. In the last 12 months we have done a
comprehensive review of the ways small business services have been delivered
across the entire state of Western Australia. We want to get the best outcome
for taxpayers and the best outcome for small businesses who ask for services
and advice, whether they are going from conception to starting a small
business, all the way through to growing into a big business or changing the
direction of their business and, unfortunately, even sometimes if they choose
to wind up; in those circumstances, we want to see them do that in the best and
most efficient way possible.
Where we are at now is that we
will rationalise the service delivery. Delivering small business services is
not about having bricks-and-mortar buildings in 25 locations across the state;
it is about delivering the service in the most economical way possible and also
trying to provide better services for what the taxpayer pays for. The
Department of Finance has gone through a proper procurement process independent
of the Small Business Development Corporation that will conclude shortly, and
we will announce in the very near future who will provide those services across
what looks like 12 areas over the entire state of Western Australia.
I thank the member for Midland for that question; it is a good question. As the
member knows, there were 25 small business centres across Western Australia,
six in the metropolitan area and 19 in regional Western Australia, and they are
essentially funded by multiple sources, but the Small Business Development
Corporation puts in roughly $110 000 to $120 000 per small business centre per
year out of its budget, and we are committed to continuing that funding to
provide services to small business across Western Australia. However, some of
those small business centres, for a number of different reasons, have not been
successful financially. I know the one in the western wheatbelt, in Northam in
the member for Central Wheatbelt's electorate, closed its doors about
six months ago, and I know the one in Midland closed its doors. It
self-determined to close its own doors about three months ago because of the
withdrawal of federal funding, not state government funding. That was another
one funded by multiple sources. In the last 12 months we have done a
comprehensive review of the ways small business services have been delivered
across the entire state of Western Australia. We want to get the best outcome
for taxpayers and the best outcome for small businesses who ask for services
and advice, whether they are going from conception to starting a small
business, all the way through to growing into a big business or changing the
direction of their business and, unfortunately, even sometimes if they choose
to wind up; in those circumstances, we want to see them do that in the best and
most efficient way possible.
Where we are at now is that we
will rationalise the service delivery. Delivering small business services is
not about having bricks-and-mortar buildings in 25 locations across the state;
it is about delivering the service in the most economical way possible and also
trying to provide better services for what the taxpayer pays for. The
Department of Finance has gone through a proper procurement process independent
of the Small Business Development Corporation that will conclude shortly, and
we will announce in the very near future who will provide those services across
what looks like 12 areas over the entire state of Western Australia.
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