❓ The Minister for Regional Development outlines government initiatives, including workshops and funding, to support small to medium businesses in regional Western Australia, focusing on improving access to government tenders and procurement processes.
AnsweredQoN 480Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
REGIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS
480. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER to the Minister for Regional
Development:
I understand that a number of
business development workshops are being held in regional centres, including
Kalgoorlie. Can the minister explain to the house how the government is working
to assist small to medium businesses in regional Western Australia?
480. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER to the Minister for Regional
Development:
I understand that a number of
business development workshops are being held in regional centres, including
Kalgoorlie. Can the minister explain to the house how the government is working
to assist small to medium businesses in regional Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kalgoorlie
for the question and for his —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, you might just want to remain silent. I do not think,
member for Girrawheen or member for Collie–Preston, that the Minister
for Regional Development needs your assistance at this point. I do not want to
hear any offers of assistance from you either.
Mr
B.J. GRYLLS : I thank the member for Kalgoorlie for the question and his
work as the chair of the regional Buy Local group, which was formed to
investigate buy-local policies and explore ways to improve business
competitiveness across regional Western Australia. On that committee was the
member for North West, the member for Geraldton and the member for Albany. They
did some very good work in bringing back to me and the Minister for Commerce
some policies and options to improve the buy-local aspects of government
contracting and to ensure that royalties for regions had a strong focus on
buying local and on raising the issue of local content with government
agencies. It was good work. That good work led to a commitment to spend $1 million
through the Small Business Development Corporation on conducting a series of
workshops across regional areas. These business development workshops have got
underway. The first one was in Geraldton last Thursday. It was aimed at
informing small to medium enterprises about how they could increase their
competitiveness in accessing government tenders and government spending
opportunities. There was a big focus by the Liberal–National government
on improving the market share of small businesses in those government tender
and procurement processes. These business development workshops are aimed at
building the level of knowledge of small businesses in regional areas about how
they can make that happen.
Additional workshops will be held in
Northam, Kalgoorlie–Boulder, Collie, Mandurah and Albany. I inform the
member for Kalgoorlie that that small business workshop will be in his
community on 4 October, and I encourage him to encourage all small businesses
in the region to come along and get a better understanding about how they can
increase their opportunities. At a time of uncertainty in the business sector,
that is often felt most by small businesses, and the Liberal–National
government is very determined to work hard to increase their opportunities. It
comes off the back of the announcement in recent weeks about housing in the
Pilbara, where hundreds of new houses have been made available at subsidised
rents for small businesses in that community to try to deal with the high rents
and the pressure that they have been under. I think everyone in the chamber
would acknowledge that it is very important that we support the small business
sector. Small businesses are the ones that generate so many jobs in our
community and are very important. As we move into this period of economic
uncertainty, it is very important that we protect them.
In addition to that, tomorrow in the
member for Dawesville's electorate the Peel Chamber of Commerce and
Industry will be launching its education and training framework project, which
has been funded through the Peel Development Commission's royalties for
regions funding. This is a three-tier education program in business development
and training, business innovation, and leadership and mentoring. Local
businesses in the Peel region can apply for partially funded places in these
courses, which range from workshops through to managerial professional
development and leadership programs. I know that the Minister for Health has
been very keen to drive this agenda in his local area. Businesses in the Peel
region therefore will be able to work closely with the Peel Chamber of Commerce
and Industry to continue to drive that agenda. I can say on behalf of the
Liberal–National government that, although we know that the small
business sector is under pressure, we are doing as much as we can to support
and enhance the sector, and anything we can do to increase the capacity of
those in that sector and give them a better chance to access government
contracts is a job of work well done. Thank you again to the member for
Kalgoorlie for the work that he and his team have done on bringing some of
those issues to government.
for the question and for his —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, you might just want to remain silent. I do not think,
member for Girrawheen or member for Collie–Preston, that the Minister
for Regional Development needs your assistance at this point. I do not want to
hear any offers of assistance from you either.
Mr
B.J. GRYLLS : I thank the member for Kalgoorlie for the question and his
work as the chair of the regional Buy Local group, which was formed to
investigate buy-local policies and explore ways to improve business
competitiveness across regional Western Australia. On that committee was the
member for North West, the member for Geraldton and the member for Albany. They
did some very good work in bringing back to me and the Minister for Commerce
some policies and options to improve the buy-local aspects of government
contracting and to ensure that royalties for regions had a strong focus on
buying local and on raising the issue of local content with government
agencies. It was good work. That good work led to a commitment to spend $1 million
through the Small Business Development Corporation on conducting a series of
workshops across regional areas. These business development workshops have got
underway. The first one was in Geraldton last Thursday. It was aimed at
informing small to medium enterprises about how they could increase their
competitiveness in accessing government tenders and government spending
opportunities. There was a big focus by the Liberal–National government
on improving the market share of small businesses in those government tender
and procurement processes. These business development workshops are aimed at
building the level of knowledge of small businesses in regional areas about how
they can make that happen.
Additional workshops will be held in
Northam, Kalgoorlie–Boulder, Collie, Mandurah and Albany. I inform the
member for Kalgoorlie that that small business workshop will be in his
community on 4 October, and I encourage him to encourage all small businesses
in the region to come along and get a better understanding about how they can
increase their opportunities. At a time of uncertainty in the business sector,
that is often felt most by small businesses, and the Liberal–National
government is very determined to work hard to increase their opportunities. It
comes off the back of the announcement in recent weeks about housing in the
Pilbara, where hundreds of new houses have been made available at subsidised
rents for small businesses in that community to try to deal with the high rents
and the pressure that they have been under. I think everyone in the chamber
would acknowledge that it is very important that we support the small business
sector. Small businesses are the ones that generate so many jobs in our
community and are very important. As we move into this period of economic
uncertainty, it is very important that we protect them.
In addition to that, tomorrow in the
member for Dawesville's electorate the Peel Chamber of Commerce and
Industry will be launching its education and training framework project, which
has been funded through the Peel Development Commission's royalties for
regions funding. This is a three-tier education program in business development
and training, business innovation, and leadership and mentoring. Local
businesses in the Peel region can apply for partially funded places in these
courses, which range from workshops through to managerial professional
development and leadership programs. I know that the Minister for Health has
been very keen to drive this agenda in his local area. Businesses in the Peel
region therefore will be able to work closely with the Peel Chamber of Commerce
and Industry to continue to drive that agenda. I can say on behalf of the
Liberal–National government that, although we know that the small
business sector is under pressure, we are doing as much as we can to support
and enhance the sector, and anything we can do to increase the capacity of
those in that sector and give them a better chance to access government
contracts is a job of work well done. Thank you again to the member for
Kalgoorlie for the work that he and his team have done on bringing some of
those issues to government.
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