RDASI Newsletter - July 2021
CEO Report
With lockdowns in Sydney now extending to 7 weeks our regional businesses who rely on domestic tourism are being decimated again. With the start of the lockdown coinciding with the Winter school holidays, our Snowy region missed some of the most important trading weeks of their year. Hospitality and Tourism have been hardest hit, but the businesses supporting those industries are also suffering.
With this in mind, RDASI has decided to move its next Board meeting into the Snowy region at the end of August. We’ll be touring some local businesses, attending the Jindy Connect event, hosting a stakeholder’s dinner and then holding our meeting in Cooma where we’ll be hearing from other regional department leads. We promise to share some photos in our next newsletter.
Recently, our new Board met for a strategy development day to look towards the future direction for RDA – Southern Inland. The day was productive, collaborative, and full of great ideas. With Commonwealth funding secured until June 2025 RDASI has the security to take a longer-term view of economic development in the region. Stay tuned for updates as the strategy takes shape.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been involved in a number of community engagement events for some interesting projects, potentially coming into our region. The circular economy seems to be a focus with plastics recycling in the Highlands and a waste to energy project proposed in Bungonia. Although both could bring much needed jobs to our region, community sentiment around them isn’t overly positive. If you have views on these projects, I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts, so please get in contact with me.
The Canberra Region Local Jobs Program has an interim facilitator I’ve been working with to discover some of the priorities to help support local job seekers in our community. We know the last 18 months has been tougher than we could have ever imagined and so our priorities have changed accordingly. I’m very excited to have this successful Federally funded program coming permanently to our region and look forward to continuing to contribute to effective employment outcomes.
RDASI has been working with our local councils to bring into our region access to a grant finder platform. It’s so easy to use and will send you automatic emails on funding opportunities. We’ll be launching this initiative in the next month, so please keep a look out.
Again, our hearts go out to everyone being affected by these most recent lockdowns and please get in contact with us if you’re finding it difficult to navigate the support funding that’s been made available.
COVID-19 Support for Businesses
The NSW Government's economic support programs are providing timely and targeted support for businesses.
Service NSW is working with federal, state and local government and the private sector to bring together all support services available to assist businesses impacted by COVID-19.
The Accelerated 2021 COVID-19 Business Support Grant is now open to eligible NSW businesses, sole traders and not-for-profit organisations of up to $15,000 for businesses with a turnover of more than $75,000 and up to $50 million, and have a total annual wages bill of below $10 million. Visit Service NSW for more information and to apply.
The Small Business Fees and Charges Rebate is available to small businesses to apply for a rebate up to $1,500 to assist with government fees and charges.
The Micro Business Support Grant is available to eligible businesses, offering a tax-free payment of $1,500 per fortnight during the restrictions for businesses that provide the primary income source for a person associated with the a business that has a turnover between $30,000 and $75,000 with a revenue decline of 30% or more.
The JobSaver Program is now available to help small and medium businesses retain staff. Eligible businesses who maintain their staffing levels can receive tax-free fortnightly payments of 40% of their weekly payroll, with a minimum payment of $1,500 per week, and a maximum payment of $10,000 per week. Eligible non-employing businesses will receive fortnightly payments of $1,000 per week.
The NSW Government Support for Accommodation Providers is a targeted support program assisting accommodation providers that have lost business during the school holiday period. Further details can be found at Service NSW.
To be notified as NSW Government’s COVID-19 financial support programs become available, visit the Service NSW website and complete the form.
Payroll Tax Concessions
Concessions of up to 25% in 2021-22 payroll tax are available to help reduce overheads for eligible businesses. Visit Revenue NSW for eligibility information.
Payroll Tax Deferrals
Businesses can opt in to defer payments on the 2020-21 annual reconciliation return and wages paid in July and August. Interest free repayment plans for up to 12 months will be available. Any business paying payroll tax is eligible. Visit Revenue NSW for more information.
Banking Industry Support
The Australian Banking Association (ABA) has announced a package of measures to support small businesses and homeowners affected by lockdowns.
The package includes up to three-month repayment deferrals for small businesses, refunds of merchant terminal fees for up to three months and loan deferrals on a month-by-month basis for eligible homeowners and small business customers. Visit the ABA website for more information.
BDCU Winter Warmer Appeal
During July Berrima District Credit Union (BDCU) is running a Winter Warmer Appeal as part of their regular Make An Impact program. Due to the current Covid situation this will only be run in the Bowral and Goulburn Centres.
Their shared goal is to donate 500 jackets, jumpers and blankets to local community partners or people in need this winter. Similar to the Christmas Giving Trees, Bowral and Goulburn Centres will have a collection point for members and the community to place their donations. Donations will be greatly accepted from 16 July for a month. For further information visit BDCU's facebook page.
$1 Million Funding to Support Entrepreneurs in Bushfire-Affected Regions
The University of Wollongong’s (UOW) business incubator and accelerator iAccelerate has been awarded $999,570 from the Federal and NSW governments’ combined Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLER) to bring the iAccelerate program to 10 bushfire-affected regions. The project, led by UOW’s iAccelerate, will deliver education programs to support 90 of the most promising entrepreneurs and business owners in bushfire affected areas to create 300 new jobs.
This funding will allow UOW to work with specific local government areas (LGAs) to deliver the program through local facilitators. The program will roll out in the Bega Valley Shire, Eurobodalla Shire, Goulburn Mulwaree, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Snowy Monaro, Wingecarribee Shire, as well as four Local Aboriginal Land Councils.
The program will assist with increasing economic resilience and help to keep young people in the regions by providing employment and business opportunities. For further information, visit UOW iAccelerate.
59th Australian Export & Investment Awards
The Annual Australian Export & Investment Awards are back to showcase a range of Australian exporters across 13 categories. No matter how big or small your achievements or level of experience in export or your industry, this is a chance to tell your story.
Applications are initially judged at the state and territory level, with winners then progressing as national finalists in their category. Applications close on Friday 6 August 2021. Visit exportawards.gov.au to apply.
Viva La Truffle Cooking Experience
It doesn’t get any easier than cosy-ing up at home, getting to know our NSW Truffle Growers and having a celebrity chef get you comfortable with cooking with luscious, NSW locally grown truffle, fresh from their farms!
Why not have a Highlands wine-and-truffle matching box to your door – packed with just-harvested truffle and one of 10 premium Highland Pinot wines.
Logon to a virtual Viva la Truffle Masterclass with celebrity chef Fast Ed who’ll walk you through prepping three delicious truffle dishes. Then Rob Geddes, Master of Wine will share his Highland Wine-and-Truffle pairing prowess with you, exciting your palate with 10 sublime pinot’s supplied by The Southern Highlands Food & Wine Association. Visit vivalatruffle.com.au for more information.
2022 Heywire
The ABC’s Heywire competition is calling on people aged 16-22 years to share their experiences of life in regional Australia and for their stories to be featured on the ABC.
Young Australians with a story to tell about life outside of the big cities are encouraged to enter and the ABC will choose 33 winners from across regional Australia to work with ABC producers and to have their stories featured across ABC platforms including ABC Television, RN, Local Radio and triple j. Entries are now open, and close September 16, 2021. Visit the Heywire website at http://www.abc.net.au/heywire/competition/ for more information and to enter.
Inland Growth Summit - Housing 2021
RDA Orana is teaming up with RDA Riverina to host its fourth Inland Growth Summit, with a focus on Housing.
We love living in regional Australia, but a multitude of factors is pushing housing availability to the limit with a severe shortage of properties to rent or buy. This is having a resonating effect on communities where residents who can’t find a home have to move somewhere else.
The Summit will examine why inland areas are in crisis, what can be done to resolve the problem and who is responsible for addressing the issue.
There’s never been a better time for our Inland regional communities to come together to discuss this important issue. Attend in person or register for a full access digital pass.
To find out more about the event, including seeing a list of speakers and the agenda, visit RDA Orana's event page.
