Mr STEPHEN KAMPER ( Rockdale ) ( 17:13 ): I acknowledge the fantastic work of the Bayside Business Enterprise Centre, formerly known as the Botany Bay Business Enterprise Centre, and thank it for hosting me at the executive meeting this morning. The Bayside Business Enterprise Centre has been operating for more than 30 years within the territory of my good friend the member for Heffron. The centre is relatively new to Rockdale, but I am highly impressed with its professionalism, organisational structure and skill base. I welcome the centre to my community. The Bayside Business Enterprise Centre, which is part of the network of business enterprise centres across Australia, provides a range of professional services, training, networking opportunities and support to local businesses. What strikes me as special about the Bayside Business Enterprise Centre is the fantastic job it does in bringing small, medium and large businesses together in a mutually beneficial manner.
The Bayside Business Enterprise Centre was first formalised in 1987 as the Botany Enterprise Development Agency with support from the Botany Municipal Council, relatively early in the member for Heffron’s long tenure at the helm of the City of Botany Bay. The board of directors was made up of senior employees—often the chief executive officers of a range of major local businesses, including banks, airlines and port-related businesses—and this tradition continues to this day, with many major companies taking on leadership roles within the business enterprise centre. The business enterprise centre was set up to create links among businesses and all levels of government, and it continues that job admirably to this day. The Bayside Business Enterprise Centre is lucky to have the support of some of the State significant businesses that call the Botany Bay area their home—Port Botany, Caltex, airlines and others with major pull—and they share their expertise and resources across the entire local business community. I am happy to see that collegiate spirit enter the Rockdale business community.
It is well known that I am a passionate advocate for local businesses in my community and across New South Wales. I ran my own businesses largely out of the Rockdale area for 30 years before I entered politics and as the local member I take a keen interest in promoting employment and business opportunities within my electorate. In my financial practice I spent a great deal of time advising clients on growing their businesses and thinking outside the square. I am well aware of the importance of skill sharing, advice and support in making or breaking local enterprise. That is why I am so excited by the quality of the services being offered by the Bayside Business Enterprise Centre and the opportunities this will offer to businesses in Rockdale as they expand across the local government area. It will offer great new opportunities, which have not always been highly accessible, in the Rockdale area.
I congratulate Executive Officer Marcus Dwyer, who has led the push to expand into Rockdale and grow the Bayside Business Enterprise Centre. I would recommend to all businesses in my electorate that they engage with Marcus and the Bayside Business Enterprise Centre to see how they might be able to support, and be supported, by this fantastic local network. Crucial to modern small businesses, Marcus and his team are providing advice and training in how to tackle the challenges of the digital economy, how businesses can engage with online marketplaces, how to make use of shared workspaces and virtual offices, how to deal with the challenges of cyber security and the possibilities created by our increasingly globalised world. The Bayside Business Enterprise Centre has set the gold standard for local business advocacy and advisory services. I look forward to working with the centre in the future to support our local business community and economy.
Mr MARK COURE ( Oatley ) ( 17:17 ): As a former director of a business enterprise centre in my capacity as a councillor at Kogarah City Council, I too acknowledge the Bayside Business Enterprise Centre for its contribution to the small business community not only in Rockdale but also across the St George area. It is well known that small business is the backbone of our community, but small business only prospers in a good economy. Since 2011 this Government has turned the New South Wales economy around in every key major economic indicator. New South Wales is now contributing to more than 80 per cent of the economic growth across this country. We are creating more jobs, building infrastructure and reinvesting into local economies. It is good to see that small businesses are continuing to grow not only in my community but also in the community of the member for Rockdale.
