Budget 2021: $8 million for campaign to promote small and family-owned businesses
Eloise Keating
Small Business Minister Stuart Robert. Source: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas.
Australians will again be urged to continue supporting small and family-owned businesses in their local areas, with the federal government setting aside another $8 million to fund a nationwide ‘shop local’ campaign.
Small Business Minister Stuart Robert announced the two-year campaign in a media statement accompanying the federal budget papers on Tuesday, saying the campaign will help support SMEs as they continue to recover from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During 2020, the Council of Small Business Organisation Australia (COSBOA) received $5 million in funding to run the ‘Go Local First ‘campaign, and Treasury officials confirmed to
Small Business Minister Stuart Robert. Source: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas.
Business owners can now call the national Employer Reporting Line to disclose information about job seekers who make inappropriate applications, turn down job offers or do not show up to interviews.
Dubbed ‘dobseeker hotline’ by its critics, the employer reporting line has not been met without backlash. However, small business minister Stuart Robert has stood by the reporting mechanism, saying it’s intended to ensure that mutual obligations are being met.
The hotline allows employers to notify the Department of Education, Skills and Employment if a job seeker “submitted an inappropriate job application”, “failed to attend an interview” or “voluntarily left a suitable job”.
Prudence Marx is Director of Marx Design. She says: “We knew we needed to take action on climate. But, as a small business we were not sure what to do or what actions would be best for the environment and the impact those actions would have on our business. “We found the toolbox really helpful, easy to follow and it’s given us a great action plan.” The tool box is the result of a collaboration between the public and private sector involving the Sustainable Business Network, business.govt.nz, Waka Kotahi (New Zealand Transport Agency), New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (EECA), BNZ, Meridian Energy and design agency DNA.
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