Business
7 October, 2026
Tuckerman urges locals to back small business
Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman is urging residents to shop locally during Small Business Month, as the NSW Opposition promises payroll tax relief for businesses if elected.
Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman is urging residents to shop locally during Small Business Month, as the NSW Opposition promises payroll tax relief for businesses if elected.
Mrs Tuckerman said small businesses were important employers and community supporters across the Goulburn electorate.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of the Goulburn Electorate. They provide jobs and contribute to local organisations like schools and sporting clubs,” Mrs Tuckerman said.
The NSW Liberals and Nationals used Small Business Month to renew criticism of the Minns Government over the cost of doing business, pointing to weak confidence and rising insolvencies across the state.
Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane said more than 6,200 NSW businesses had closed their doors in 2025 and said the Coalition would seek to reduce payroll tax costs.
“Business is what drives our state, it’s creating the jobs in communities, and we need to give them a reason to hire and take on that extra apprentice which is why the NSW Liberals and Nationals will deliver the most competitive payroll tax regime in the country,” Ms Sloane said.
The Opposition pointed to figures from the NSW Small Business Commissioner’s Momentum Survey, which found only six per cent of business owners expected profitability to increase, compared with 63 per cent expecting it to decline.
The survey also found just nine per cent of businesses were confident about their local economy, while almost 70 per cent were extremely or fairly worried about their own business prospects.
Small Business Month runs throughout October.
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