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North Shore Electorate Small Businesses

Published on: October 2023

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-136428

North Shore Electorate Small Businesses

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (19:57:39):the economic and social backbone of our communities. They provide employment, drive our local economic growth and also support our community growth. Each October we engage in Small Business Month as an annual event dedicated to celebrating and supporting the vital role that small businesses play in the State's economy. I recognise my small businesses in my community of North Shore. The theme for this year is My Small Business and it is focused on providing assistance and tips on how small businesses can strengthen their business in seven key areas. This month brings together small businesses with our local chambers of commerce, our industry associations, other not‑for‑profit organisations as well as large businesses and all levels of government, includingmembers in this place.

We all know that local businesses are

Recently I was joined by the Leader of the Opposition when I took him around to a number of different businesses across my community, particularly throughout Mosman and Kirribilli. Many of our discussions with local businesses centred around some of their current challenges, which of course include the current cost‑of‑living pressures that their customers are facing and the effect that is having on commerce. We talked about staffing shortages, which has been a continuing challenge for many years across a range of industries, particularly in our retail and hospitality spaces. We talked about high operating coststhat just keep going up and the continuing supply chain issues.

In particular, I want to thank Tamara Keniry, who is the president of the Mosman Chamber of Commerce. She accompanied Mark and I on the day, introduced us to many local businesses and facilitated the conversations. We saw Floriade Florist. We went to Jimmy Stuart, which is for anyone who wants amazing menswear. We went to Vernon Partners, which is one of the many real estate agencies in Mosman. We also went to Pattison's Patisserie. We also met with a number of members from the Mosman Chamber of Commerce to hear from them firsthand about the challenges they are facing and what support we can provide to advocate on their behalf at a State Government level. They were people from professional services, people who had started their own small or online business and people who had done new product development.

I also thank Councillor Jilly Gibson from North Sydney Council who joined Mark Speakman and I in Kirribilli to talk with our local businesses to get their perspectives. We went to Morgan's Cafe to speak to Tony. We went to Bacari, which is a newly reinvigorated restaurant in Kirribilli. We also went to one of our favourites—Coco Chocolate in Kirribilli. The commercial kitchen for Coco Chocolate is in Mosman, so they are a truly local business from one end to the other of my electorate. We also ran into well-known Australian author Jaclyn Moriarty, who was working on her next novel while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate. We went to Bamfords Kirribilli for happy hour, as do so many people in our community on a Friday.

We know that our small businesses across our local communities face a range of challenges. Recognising and celebrating them in Small Business Month is one of the great ways to engage with our businesses and provide them with the tools to improve their business. I also acknowledge this year's North Shore Local Business Awards and some of the fantastic businesses that were recognised. Those awards recognise the respect and recognition of businesses becoming a finalist or a winner, and it adds credibility to their business. The awards logo in my community, as with many others, has become a symbol of an outstanding business.

I congratulate Giuseppe's Gourmet Meats in Waverton, which won the butcher category. It is one of my personal favourites, and I can never leave there without a great feed. The quality of Giuseppe's products is fantastic and his interaction with customers is truly second to none. People travel from across town to see Giuseppe—even Matt Kean is a big fan. I congratulate the following local businesses: Speaking Schools Australasia in North Sydney, who won the education service category; Anthony Tallarida Salon in Mosman, who won the hairdresser category; WOTSO Neutral Bay, who won the most inclusive employer category, is just a block away from my office. I always love interacting with them and love the business they are fostering to thrive in our community. I also congratulate The Next Step Performing Arts in North Sydney, who won the performing arts category; Kyearn Architecture in North Sydney, who won the professional services category; 2020 Projects in North Sydney, who won the service and trade category; and Mosman Travel in Mosman, who won the specialised retail business category and also took out the coveted overall North Shore Local Business of the Year Award. I particularly congratulate Sharyn Kitchener and her whole team, considering the challenging years that they have had through COVID.

I congratulate all of those businesses and acknowledge every single business that we have. I look forward to getting and visiting as many as I can. I thank all of our chambers of commerce for the work that they do, the educational opportunities, networking events and access to resources that they offer, and ultimately for contributing to the success and sustainability of our small businesses across New South Wales and all of our local communities.