Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP has today announced that an extra 5,000 fee-free Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) courses are now open to workers and jobseekers to help ease hospitality staffing shortages.

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP has today welcomed the start of Small Business Month and highlighted some of the key statistics relevant to the Kiama electorate in data provided by the independent NSW Small Business Commissioner and published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP has today announced that local small businesses in the Kiama electorate that experienced a downturn over summer can now apply for a NSW Government support payment of up to $5,000 per week through Service NSW.

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP has today said that local small business owners and sole traders can now apply for a NSW Government rebate of up to $1,000 to make their workplaces safer with $1 million added to the Small Business Rebate Program. 

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP has today said that local businesses, workers and the performing arts across the Kiama electorate are set to benefit from a major financial support package worth more than $1 billion to help the hardest hit get through the Omicron wave.

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP has welcomed the announcement that local small businesses continuing to face challenges due to COVID-19 will benefit from an additional two months of rent relief, with the NSW Government extending its rent relief regulation until 13th March 2022.

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP has today welcomed the NSW Government’s announcement that it will go it alone to fund an extension of the JobSaver program to help our local businesses across the Illawarra, Kiama and Shoalhaven to re-open their doors and get people back into jobs.

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP has today announced that local tradies across the Illawarra, Kiama and Shoalhaven will now have greater protections to ensure they are paid on time and in full following the introduction of new laws by the New South Wales Government.

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP has today announced that Government agencies need to first consider buying goods and services from a small, medium or regional business for all direct procurements up to $250,000 as part of the NSW Government’s plan to boost local businesses.

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP has today announced that the NSW Government is providing more than $420 million in financial relief this year to help keep businesses in business and people in jobs by reducing insurance premiums for businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and maintaining current premium levels.