Tuesday, 7 June 2022

Ministers statements: Tarneit Business Association

Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (12:10): I rise to advise the house of the creation of a new business association that has been formed in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Business associations and traders groups provide small and family business owners the opportunity to experience the power of working together instead of going it alone. Five small business owners from the west have teamed up to form the Tarneit Business Association. The association launched on 15 March and has been working closely with their local member, Sarah Connolly. They were able to launch after receiving grant support from the Tarneit suburban revitalisation fund, an initiative administered by my colleague Minister Leane.

The Tarneit Business Association aims to provide a platform for businesses operating in the area to network and to help advocate for the needs of Tarneit small businesses. Their mission is to enhance the knowledge, skills, experience and success of their members and their local business community and to forge strong relationships between small businesses and the rest of the community. The association has formed to help make Tarneit a better place to live, visit and do business.

There are five small businesses involved in the association now. I am looking forward to seeing this association go from strength to strength as they open the doors to members. What today is five may well be 50 tomorrow given the growth of communities and indeed the growth of local and family businesses in the west of Melbourne. I would like to offer my congratulations to association president Rashi Dhagat and committee members Shivani Arora, Nihar Shah, Nimitt Shah and Sampann Agrawal for bringing the Tarneit Business Association to life. I wish every success to their current and future members in all of their endeavours.