The Nationals Patron Senator for Bendigo Bridget McKenzie is calling on residents to show their support for local family-run businesses for National Family Business Day.
The Federal Coalition will move a notice of motion today, acknowledging the role that family businesses play in shaping the social, economic and cultural fabric of Australia.
“Family businesses, much like families in Australia, are rich in their diversity,” Senator McKenzie said.
“Statistics suggest that 7 in every 10 businesses in Australia are family businesses.”
With small business accounting for half of Victoria’s private sector jobs, Senator McKenzie said it was vital communities get behind their local goods and service providers.
“Family businesses can be found in every business sector including hospitality, transport, technical services, retail, manufacturing and trades.
“Bendigo has approximately 7,200 registered businesses, of which more than 6,000 of them are small businesses.
“Roughly 60 per cent of family businesses have two generations involved in the business.
“Bendigo’s Jimmy Possum is a multi-generation family business and a great example of the type of commerce that can be achieved regionally, and around Australia.”
Senator McKenzie said growing up in a family business had taught her the value of the sector in regional areas.
“My father’s family ran a bus line throughout regional Victoria—creatively named McKenzie’s—the type of business which is the backbone of regional communities and sustains so many of our local economies.”
In recognising the importance of family businesses, Senator McKenzie said the Coalition had plans to create opportunity and reduce compliance burdens by cutting $1 billion worth of red-tape out of the economy.