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a decade of wins for business

Business NSW is recognised by the Government as a leading voice and trusted advisor on key issues affecting business.

As Business NSW sees out its 195th year anniversary it is worth reflecting on some of our key policy and advocacy achievements over the past decade.

Our advocacy efforts have resulted in billions of dollars-worth of savings for business, which in turn have supported economic growth and prosperity for the people in NSW.

Over the past decade we have been instrumental in areas such as infrastructure, tax reform and skills policy. Through the Business NSW network, we have spearheaded campaigns and developed thought leadership that has translated into measurable results for the business community.

 

Making business better in NSW

2022

JANUARY 2022
Rent relief extended
Using our emergency Omicron survey results NSW govt. extends SMBs rent relief till mid-March (JobSaver package TBA)
Status: Delivered
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2021

OCTOBER 2021
National COVID business guide
As the situation evolves we deliver the latest business-relevant information for each state and territory's restrictions
Status: Ongoing
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SEPTEMBER 2021
Modern awards: casual terms
ABI successfully argued before the Fair Work Commission for simplifying the system for casual conversion.
Status: Delivered
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AUGUST 2021
National vaccination awareness
Launched a public awareness campaign for COVID-19 vaccination in the community. Helping businesses reopen safely.
Status: Ongoing
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AUGUST 2021
Lockdown advocacy
Free mental health coaching, lowered JobSaver threshold, free rapid antigen tests, reverted full construction ban.
Status: Ongoing
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MARCH 2021
Dine & Discover support
Free Q&A with Minister Dominello following advocacy for Tourism sector support via govt-funded voucher program.
Status: Delivered
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JANUARY 2021
Federal pre-budget submission
10 key recovery drivers were identified to hasten the nation's recovery from the pandemic (see pages 11-21).
Status: Delivered
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2020

NOVEMBER 2020
Junior retail pay rates win
ABLA (for ABI) defeats SDA's application to the FWC to remove junior pay rates from all levels of the award bar level 1.
Status: Delivered
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JULY 2020
NSW/VIC borders reopened
With surveys, member engagement and advocacy, reduced exclusion zone from 200 to 2km, allowing businesses to return.
Status: Delivered
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JUNE 2020
Jobkeeper extended
With our COVID-recovery report, Back On Track, argued the need to gradually wind back JobKeeper, not end it abruptly.
Status: Delivered
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APRIL 2020
Free crisis Q&A with Treasurer
Free session with Dominic Perrottet MP - 3,000 members attend to listen and ask questions on State's pandemic response.
Status: Delivered
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2019

AUGUST 2019
Education investment
Contributed to a record $21 billion in funding for NSW Schools, early childhood, TAFE and VET.
Status: Delivered
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JULY 2019
Skills shortage
Advocated for $156 million in apprenticeship incentives to address priority skill shortages shown in Work Skills survey.
Status: Delivered
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JUNE 2019
Support for exporters
$60 million in additional funding to expand support offered through the Export Market Development Grant scheme.
Status: Delivered
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APRIL 2019
Regional Infrastructure
Advocated toward the $1.1 billion additional funding outcome for regional infrastructure projects from Restart NSW.
Status: Delivered
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MARCH 2019
Drought assitance
Argued for $355 million to extend funding for critical drought assistance measures for farmers and rural communities.
Status: Delivered
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2018

JULY 2018
Payroll Tax
Contributed to the payroll tax threshold being raised to $1 million by 2021-22, saving small businesses $881 million.
Status: Delivered
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2017

JUNE 2017
Regional connectivity
Argued to use $1Bil proceeds from leasing the state’s electricity network as new funds to improve regional connectivity.
Status: Delivered
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FEBRUARY 2017
Workers Compensation
Submitted to reduced premiums by 5% in addition to previous reduction of 7.5%, saving businesses $400mil annually.
Status: Delivered
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2016

JULY 2016
Tax cuts for small business
1.5% tax cut for small companies and 5% discount on income from small business activity, saving an additional $1.2 bill.
Status: Delivered
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JULY 2016
Instant asset write-off
Argued to increase threshold, thereby saving $1.8 billion for small businesses to spend much-needed capital.
Status: Delivered
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How we achieve these results

Advocacy

Submissions

Advocacy

Surveys

Advocacy

Thought leadership
Infrastructure Education Employment

Infrastructure 

2019 
Advocated for: Approval of new gas supply into NSW. Delivered: Commonwealth and NSW Governments announce a deal to boost NSW gas supply by 70PJ/year.
Advocated for Regional Infrastructure Delivered: $1.1 billion additional funding for regional infrastructure projects from Restart NSW
Advocated for: Sydney Metro West.  Delivered: $6.4 billion to commence Sydney Metro West in 2020.

2018
Advocated for: Rail upgrades Sydney South and Illawarra.  Delivered: Build railway network by investing in the Illawarra and Airport Train Lines worth $880 million.
Advocated for:  Liverpool Innovation Precinct:  Delivered: Invest in jobs in Western Sydney through expanding and upgrading Liverpool Hospital worth $740 million. 

2017
Advocated for: City-shaping infrastructure.  Delivered: Commit to releasing a projected $20 billion in funds to be invested in new infrastructure projects including the Second Sydney Harbour Crossing and the Darling Harbour Transformation.
Advocated for: Use the proceeds from the leasing of the state’s electricity network as new funding worth $1 billion to improve regional connectivity.

2016
Advocated for: City-shaping infrastructure.  Delivered: Commit to releasing a projected $20 billion in funds to be invested in new infrastructure projects including the Second Sydney Harbour Crossing and the Darling Harbour Transformation.

2015
Advocated for: Asset recycling.  Delivered: NSW Government leasing 49% of the state’s electricity network which will release a projected $20 billion to be invested in new infrastructure projects with a minimum of 30% of proceeds to regional projects.

2014
Advocated for: Second Sydney Airport in Western Sydney.  Delivered: Approval of Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek, generating 28,000 new jobs for the region.

2013 - Helped finance the procurement of the F3 to M2 Road Link worth $15 million.
2011 - Allocate $19 million in funding for the Mid-North Coast Aviation Plan for new infrastructure at Port Macquarie, Kempsey and Taree airports.    

Education

2019
Advocated for: Address priority skill shortage areas through new apprenticeship incentives.  Delivered: incentives worth $156 million, providing $8,000 for employers and $2,000 for apprentices (targeted to 10 skill shortage areas). 
Advocated for: Fund a record $21 billion of NSW Schools, early childhood, TAFE and VET.

2018
Advocated for: Funding for apprentices and trainees.  Delivered: NSW signs on the Federal Government’s Skilling Australia Fund, providing up to $500 million in new funding over the next 5 years for training in apprentices and trainees.

2015
Commit to $27 million to keep the Structured Workplace Learning program running and help ensure that students who enroll in a vocational education and training course as part of their HSC get an opportunity to apply their skills in the workplace. 

2011
(1) Allocate $359 million over four years as part of the establishment of the National Workforce Development Fund for employers to access funding to support skills development in their workforce; (2) allocate $143 million over four years to fund 30,000 additional training places under the Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program (LLNP).

2010
(1) Introduce over $100 million Apprenticeship Kickstart program (AKP) over 2009-10 summer period to train 21,000 apprentices; (2) provide additional $20 million for pre-vocational training to lift commencements and completion rates; (3) expand AKP to include a $10.3 million mentoring services program. 

Employment

2022

ABI successfully argued before the Fair Work Commission for simplifying the system for casual conversion Modern Award rates.

2019
Address priority skill shortage areas through a new apprenticeship incentive worth $156 million, providing $8,000 for employers and $2,000 for apprentices (targeted to 10 skill shortage areas).

2018
Invest in jobs in Western Sydney through expanding and upgrading Liverpool Hospital worth $740 million. 

2016
Back down on the measure which would have created unnecessary paperwork on businesses, saving $700 million in processing costs each year.

Small Business Tax Reform Tax Reduction Superannuation Worker Compensation Red Tape Climate Export

Small Business

2022

Using our emergency Omicron Business Conditions Survey results, the NSW Government agrees to extend rent relief for small businesses until mid-March. They've also announced a targeted JobSaver package, which we have also been strongly advocating for.

2021

Advocated for and delivered Government-funded free mental health coaching for small business owners, lowered JobSaver threshold, provided free rapid antigen tests, and had the full ban on construction work reverted.

2017
Support small business by offering a $4 million government backed loan-guarantee scheme, allowing Business NSW member Gundagai Meat Processors to finance a $30 million facility upgrade. 

2016
Increase the instant asset write-off threshold, saving $1.8 billion for small businesses to spend much-needed capital.

Tax Reform 

2014
Reduce the cost of doing business by abolishing the Carbon Tax which is expected to yield a household saving of $550 and remove unfair taxes on business transactions, saving businesses $400 million per year.

2010
A better GST deal for NSW.  As a result, Commonwealth Grants Commission recast the formula and delivered a better result, providing $300 million more for NSW.

Business Tax Reduction

2018
Advocated for: Payroll tax relief.  Delivered: Lift the payroll tax threshold from $750,000 to $1 million by 2021-22 saving businesses $881 million.

2017
Advocated for: Business tax cuts.  Delivered: Cut state taxes including transfer/mortgage/insurance duty to save NSW businesses $500 million per year.  
Advocated for:  Company tax cuts.  Delivered: Cut the corporate tax rate from 27.5-25% for SMEs and together with changes to other federal taxes will save businesses $4 billion.

2016
Advocated for: Expansion of the instant asset write-off.  Delivered: Increase the instant asset write-off threshold for small businesses to spend much-needed capital.
Delivered a 1.5% tax cut for small companies and 5% discount on income from small business activity, saving an additional $1.2 billion for business from 2015-17.

2011 - Cut payroll tax from 6 to 5.45 per cent which helped to save businesses $3.2 billion by 2013-14. 

Superannuation

2015
Advocated for: Easier super compliance.  Delivered: Allow more small businesses to access the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House, reducing approximately $20 million of red tape equivalence for employers.

Workers Compensation

2014
Reduce the Workers Compensation Premiums by a further 5%. This is in addition to previous premium reductions of 7.5% which save business $400 million annually.

2013
(1) Avoided business operators from a 28% hike in workers compensation premiums, protecting 12,600 jobs being lost and $700 million additional costs; (2) Make improvements to the Workcover system which result in a workers compensations system with a greater focus on return to work and increased support for injured workers, saving business $200 million a year. 

Red Tape

2014
Advocated for: Easier superannuation compliance.  Delivered: Allow more small businesses to access the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House, reducing approximately $20 million of red tape equivalence for employers.

Climate

2019
Advocated for: Drought Assistance.  Delivered: $355 million to extend funding for critical drought assistance measures for farmers and rural communities.

Export

2019
Advocated for: Support for exporters.  Delivered: $60 million in additional funding to expand support offered through the Export Market Development Grant scheme.