Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I speak on behalf of small businesses in my electorate that have been left behind in the wake of the catastrophic floods in May. It's been over two months since primary producers, businesses and residents were left devastated by the flooding right across the mid-north coast.

Since that time, government supports have been drip fed with cruel delays and partial announcements. They finally received a category D declaration weeks after the event, only to see the lowest threshold of $25,000 applied, which was torture for most of those impacted. While our primary producers received a reprieve two weeks ago with the threshold increased to $75,000, this was only after thousands gathered at community rallies. But our ravaged businesses were left out.

Family owned businesses are the lifeblood of regional communities. Not only do they provide our goods and services; they employ our workers and train our young people. Without them, our communities wouldn't survive, let alone thrive. Those businesses most heavily impacted deserve our support.

I do recognise the work of the member for Eden-Monaro. I appreciate her transparency and support, and I understand that she cannot pull the trigger without the request of the NSW Premier. So, with that, I call on the Minns government to do the right thing: stop the drip-fed torture and apply the maximum business thresholds now.