Liberal candidate Jaimie Abbott has said parents, carers and small business operators in Port Stephens would benefit from two strategies announced by the party in the final week of the state election campaign.
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A re-elected Liberal Party has pledged to extended before and after school care hours as well as holiday care and implement a range of cost-cutting measures to assist small businesses, which Ms Abbott said would greatly benefit Port Stephens residents.
"Working parents across Port Stephens will get expanded care at their school, removing a lot of the stress at drop off and pick up time, helping to ease the juggle between work and school hours," Ms Abbott said, adding that the second set of measures would help remove some of the stress in operating a business.
"These measures will help small businesses to prosper and create local jobs, continuing to build our region's economic success."
The Liberal Party has committed to extending on site care at public primary schools from 7am to 6pm, starting 2021.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced on March 14 that a re-elected Liberal government would invest $120 million to expand before and after school care to provide "working families more access to affordable, convenient and flexible services".
That included a pledge to reduce the cost of before and after school care by up to $225 per child per year through a capped rental subsidy of up to $15,000 for those who use school grounds to provide services.
Education Minister Rob Stokes said the policy would also make life easier for schools with the creation of a new specialist team in the Department of Education to coordinate services and manage leases, which would relieve the burden from principals.
"We want to free principals and teachers up so they can get back to focusing on teaching and learning," he said.
"We'll work with our schools, P&Cs and principals to make sure they have the equipment and resources they need to provide the high quality out-of-school care that families expect in every local community."
The Liberal Party also pledged on March 14 to undertake a number of measures that would assist small businesses, including making insurance premiums cheaper, providing access to the Energy Switch program and payroll tax cuts.
"Port Stephens' economy and our local jobs rely on the success of our small businesses, and only the Liberals and Nationals are able to understand their needs and help them succeed," Ms Abbott said.
"As someone who operates her own business, I know the how stressful it is - from making sure that you can cover your expenses, to making sure that you're keeping up with the all of the regulatory demands."
The $120 million before and after school care strategy includes:
- $50 million over four years to help schools buy new equipment and expand their facilities;
- $40 million over four years to provide rental subsidies to service providers located at public primary schools if they can demonstrate savings have been passed on to families;
- $20 million over four years for an implementation fund focused on schools where a standalone service may not be viable, including smaller schools and rural and remote communities;
- $8.5 million over four years for a team of specialists to help coordinate services and resources on an area or regional basis, to make it easier to setup and maintain a service and to take the hassle out of managing contracts with providers for principals and;
- $2 million for a new website and mobile app to allow parents and carers to search for and book student places online.
The small business measures include:
- $300 million in workers compensation insurance premium discounts over three years for 280,000 employers, delivering an average discount of 8 per cent, and maximum of 12.5 per cent, for employers with the safest workplaces.
- Ensuring 760,000 small business can utilise the NSW Government's popular Energy Switch program and potentially save thousands off their bill.
- Continuing to slash payroll tax brackets progressively up to $1 million in 2021/22, with up to 38,000 businesses saving up to $8175 off their tax bill.
- Giving small businesses and tradies a head start in procurement by requiring NSW Government agencies to consider small business suppliers for everything they buy.
- Continuing to cut red tape and enhance the "Easy to do Business" program through work being undertaken by the NSW Productivity Commissioner.
The workers compensation premium discount rewards employers for making their workplace safer.
Savings will vary from employer to employer depending on size, industry and safety record. For example, a medium-sized employer in the childcare industry with a fair safety record and an Average Performance Premium of $50,000 would receive a discount of $1250 each year for the next three years.
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Ellie-Marie Watts
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
