Local businesses need support before crisis point hits

Nationals’ member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland has been meeting with local business owners across the region in a push to deliver stronger support for small and medium-sized businesses before they hit breaking point. Ms Cleeland has met with operators in Euroa in recent weeks, with visits planned around the electorate in coming days. “I’m on a mission to meet with businesses of all sizes before they hit crisis point,” Ms Cleeland said. “Too often, I only hear from business owners when they’ve been backed into a corner, when they’ve had to step away from the tools and walk into my office out of sheer frustration or desperation. “I’d rather get in early and ask, what can I do now to advocate for better conditions in Victoria?” The push comes as local economies reel from a sharp rise in business closures across the state. According to recent insolvency data from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, 4,242 Victorian companies collapsed or had a financial controller appointed in the 2024–25 financial year. This is a 48 per cent increase compared to the 2,863 recorded in 2023–24. Victoria recorded the largest percentage increase of any mainland state, with business failures nearly doubling over the past two years from 2,144 in 2022–23. “Businesses are shutting down at an alarming rate across our region,” Ms Cleeland said. “These are towns Labor promised they would grow, but instead, our main streets are filling with ‘For Lease’ signs. “Rising taxes, soaring energy prices, a broken WorkCover system, and constant red tape are making it near impossible for many businesses to survive, let alone grow. “Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our economy, particularly in regional towns. “They don’t need more promises – they need lower taxes, fewer bureaucratic hurdles, and a government that listens before it’s too late.”