Wednesday, 16 October 2024

 Richard WELCH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (19:25): (1197) The action I seek is from the Treasurer. The small businesses in my electorate, particularly in Box Hill and Glen Waverley, are facing a growing and urgent crisis. Since the start of Suburban Rail Loop construction local business owners have reported unprecedented declines in their customer base, with some seeing their customer numbers halved. It is not just a temporary inconvenience, it is a severe threat to the livelihoods of families and the viability of these businesses. The SRL construction is significantly impacting accessibility in these areas, deterring customers from visiting their local shops and cafes. The businesses of Box Hill and Glen Waverley, which have long been the central shopping strips, such as Kingsway or Whitehorse Road, are now struggling to keep their doors open. Many of these small business owners have invested their life savings only to find themselves trapped in an environment where high state taxes coupled with the disruptive impacts of construction are driving them to the wall. When businesses close, the effects ripple through the entire community. Jobs are lost and the spirit of local enterprise fails. We have lost more than 5000 small businesses in the last 12 months. More than 3000 businesses have relocated from Victoria to other states in recent years, seeking relief from the state’s high tax burden.

How can the Treasurer justify pouring $35 billion into the Suburban Rail Loop? How can the Suburban Rail Loop Authority be entitled to a $250 million slush fund for so-called community grants and yet not provide adequate, appropriate support to local businesses, keeping in mind that behind every one of these businesses are a family, children and a community? This is a requirement and a theme that I intend to return to again and again going forward, especially as my local businesses get no such support from their local members – Paul Hamer in Box Hill and John Mullahy in Glen Waverley. The action I seek from the Treasurer is to urgently deliver targeted, appropriate financial support for businesses in SRL precincts who are grappling with severe customer losses and crippling revenue drops as a result of the relentless construction impacts.