After having 20+ years experience operating a Publishing House, I am very much in favour of promoting the further development of the private business sector in Canberra. I have regular contact with businesses in the Yerrabi electorate including Mitchell and strongly represented the challenges local businesses were facing during the disastrous drawn-out light rail development. This was the creation of my Back in 5 videos originated from. Just one way I could try and help promote business during this period.
The extent of private sector business in the ACT is growing slowly but public service (Federal and ACT), defence, tertiary education and national retail still tend to dominate. The Labor/Greens government in the ACT is not business-friendly as red tape and bureaucratic practices continue to make life difficult for smaller businesses.
The satellite centre model for Canberra’s development no longer works as originally planned as few efforts and incentives are put in place to establish localised employment hubs and to attract a broader range of small retail and service businesses in our outer regions.
Benefits for the respective community economies are marginalised due to focus being placed on a few larger centres, including Civic, which draw customs away from regional areas.
These local businesses are vital for employing younger people giving them a start to their working lives, for reducing travel time and cost and for supporting local organisations. Sporting, community and cultural groups all benefit from having thriving local businesses. We need more!
I am keen to support programs that deliver a broader range of local businesses needed to service our continually growing population. Commercial development in places such as the Gungahlin Town Centre has not come close to matching the commercial/service needs of the community.
I want to see continued growth in the private business sector in Gungahlin to restore the intended satellite centre model and to create a readily accessible, wide-ranging and vibrant commercial offering.