Small Business

Dr HARVEY (Newland) (14:46): My question is to the Minister for Innovation and Skills. Can the minister update the house on how the Marshall Liberal government is delivering better services to small businesses?

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Innovation and Skills) (14:46): I thank the member for Newland for his question and his support for small business in his electorate. The contribution small business makes to the economy in South Australia is extraordinary, and small business has a friend in this government.

The Marshall government is ensuring that the 148,000 small businesses which form the backbone of our economy have access to better services now and in the future. We have innovated how businesses access government information with the development of the business app, providing up-to-date information on state and federal financial support for businesses in all sectors and available on the go.

We are ensuring that small business is competitive and we have ensured that businesses with a payroll of less than $1.5 million in wages are exempt from payroll tax. It was one of the first things we did when coming to office. As you recall, $600,000 was the threshold before businesses had to pay payroll tax. It has now lifted to $1.5 million. Of course, if they take on a new apprentice before 30 June this year, they will be exempt from payroll tax calculations, whether they are paying payroll tax or not. We have also increased the tax-free threshold and we have reduced the rates on land tax.

In the wake of the global pandemic and the bushfires, the Marshall government has consistently delivered better, more timely services for small businesses in South Australia. The Marshall government has partnered with the Morrison government, offering financial assistance to small businesses impacted by the bushfires. The Small Business Bushfire Recovery Grant provided up to $50,000 to small businesses directly affected by the Black Summer bushfires to assist in the clean-up and the re-establishment of those businesses; 160 grants were approved for a total of $5.5 million. The small business support grant provided $10,000 to eligible small businesses to recover from the bushfires; 582 applications were approved at a total value of $5.8 million.

The South Australian Disaster Small Business Transformation and Growth Program is delivering a range of measures. These include a Kangaroo Island business hub, which has been extremely successful in engaging and networking for businesses in Kangaroo Island; the establishment of a collaborative business network in the Adelaide Hills; access to export and investment advice; access to financial counselling, coaching and mentoring services—all very important when you are in small business, when sometimes you do feel very alone, particularly in periods of significant change; and a reduction in water and sewerage costs for the average business of $1,400.

Remember the con that those opposite placed on the people of South Australia for years and years, artificially inflating the assets of SA Water so that they could pull a swifty with ESCOSA and charge water payers more money than was justified? That came to an end with the election of the Marshall government. It came to an end when that fraud was discovered and rectified, and the average small business is saving $1,400 a year, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of retail ratepayers who are also benefitting significantly from the removal of this fraud placed on the people of South Australia by the Labor Party.

And, of course, there is $250 million in $10,000 cash grants—2,097 businesses received those cash grants which kept people in business and kept them employing their staff—and $5 million in a small business advisory service program that is a partnership with businesses, seeing $10 million spent on consulting services on improving businesses' capability here in South Australia.