Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hawkesbury businesses that are still struggling to recover from the most recent floods have been left high and dry by the New South Wales government. A program that provides a $10,000 business grant to businesses who didn't themselves get water through the doors but nonetheless suffered a 40 per cent drop in revenue has been expanded to areas like the Kangaroo Valley. That's the right thing to do. But the New South Wales government has declined to include the Hawkesbury on this list.

When the New South Wales Premier visited South Windsor in July, I personally raised the need for assistance for businesses indirectly affected by the floods. I provided them with a number of case studies. They've ignored this. This is joint Commonwealth-state funding delivered through the New South Wales government, but it needs the New South Wales government to nominate an area. The funding helps small business operators recover from having the doors closed because they or their staff couldn't get to work or because the customers weren't able to reach them or they couldn't reach their customers, and it helps them to recover from the prolonged slump that happens after a flood. Not every business will be eligible, but every area that's had a natural disaster should be eligible. New South Wales should not pit one flood-impacted community against another. This is an issue of fairness. If a business in the Hawkesbury has suffered the same impact as a business in another flooded community, they should be treated equally. It should not depend on your postcode.