Tuesday, 17 June 2025

 Luba GRIGOROVITCH (Kororoit) (19:03): (1182) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Small Business and Employment, and it is great to see her in the chamber here tonight. The action I seek is for the minister to provide an update on the support available to small businesses across the Kororoit electorate and to outline how the government is working to ensure that businesses in our outer suburban growth areas are receiving the targeted assistance that they need to thrive.

Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, as the minister well knows, and I had the great pleasure of having her out at Kororoit last week to visit a number of small businesses. They create jobs, they support families and they bring life to our community centres, such as shopping strips. In Kororoit I have had the pleasure of visiting many such businesses, and I want to acknowledge the incredible contributions that they make, often in the face of significant challenges.

In Caroline Springs I recently visited Désir wine bar and No9 the Cafe, two locally owned and operated businesses that not only offer excellent hospitality but also play an important role in building a community connection. Like many in the hospitality sector, they have had to navigate rising supply costs, shifting consumer behaviours and the pressures of staying competitive in a fast-changing economy. In Derrimut, GB Financials is another great example of a small business providing professional services to both individuals and families, helping locals make informed financial decisions at a time when economic uncertainty is front of mind for many. And in Deer Park, Roxy Kebabs, which is quite famous, has long been a community staple – a family-run business that has served generations of local residents. They too have shared with me the everyday realities of running a small business, from rising energy costs to access to skilled staff.

In Rockbank small retail and service providers are emerging as the population continues to grow rapidly, yet many of them face limited access to commercial support and networks due to the area’s still developing infrastructure. Similarly, in Albanvale small shopfronts and family-run operations form the backbone of local trade, but these businesses often miss out on grant opportunities or advisory support simply due to a lack of awareness or capacity to navigate government systems.

These examples reflect a broader need for more accessible localised small business support, whether it is mentoring, grant information, digital training or improved access to procurement opportunities. I ask the minister to please outline what is currently being done to support small businesses in growth areas like Kororoit and how we can better ensure that these vital operators have the tools and resources that they need to not only survive but of course to grow and succeed long into the future.