Queensland MGAQ Committee

NATIONAL

On 14 February 2019 the MGAQ committee had its first meeting for the year in Brisbane to discuss a variety of QLD industry issues and opportunities.

Committee members travelled from all over Queensland to attend the meeting including Cairns, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast.

The committee planned and arranged to have a number of meetings with key industry stakeholders, Government representatives and the Minister for Small Business Shannon Fentiman.

Key matters of concern were discussed including;

• Trading Hours

It was determined there are approximately 3 years left of a 5-year moratorium of no changes to the current restriction of trading hours.

MGA will investigate how and why big businesses were able to open on restricted days during the Chinchilla

Melon Fest. • The ongoing debilitating cost of electricity • Planning and zoning matters • Retail Tobacco Licensing • A review of Container Deposit

Legislation that was implemented in November 2018; and • Plastic Bag Ban implemented in

July 2018.

The most compelling discussion concerned an initiative that will bring locally produced Queensland fresh food, grocery, dairy, cheeses, small goods and beverage businesses together to create an “eco system” of small businesses working together to grow their respective businesses in the face of ever-growing competitive challenges from the 2 big chain stores and Aldi.

The MGAQ committee meeting welcomed Andrew Sydes, representing the Queensland Independent Brewers Association (IBA) to the meeting. Andrew joined the meeting to discuss the prospects of working closer together to realise the possibilities of joint business initiatives. The Wine Industry Association President, Michael Hayes, who lives in Stanthorpe, was unable to join the meeting owing to extensive and damaging bush fires in that area. Queensland Small Business Champion Maree Adshead also joined the meeting to discuss the opportunities to showcase Queensland small businesses during small business week from 27 – 31 May.

MGAQ committee representatives, Debbie Smith, Roz White and Jos de Bruin, together with IBA’s Andrew Sydes, visited Parliament House to meet with Minister for Small Business Shannon Fentiman. The major opportunity for discussion concerned how Queensland local businesses – independent supermarkets, beer, cider and wine producers, fresh produce, dairy, cheese and other food producers could work with each other to grow Queensland businesses in an eco-system to provide competition to the big chains and drive for successful Queensland businesses.

The MGAQ Committee also met with Deputy Director General for Small Business – Steven Koch to discuss a range of matters and opportunities concerning small business in Queensland, including being able to leverage the opportunity to create an event promoting local fresh food growers and beverage producers (wines, beers and spirits) to help celebrate Queensland small businesses working together at the forthcoming Queensland Small Business Week from May 27 – 31 2019.

MGA Queensland members must be able to offer consumers a whole of meal solution including local beers and wines in order to grow their businesses and be sustainable into the future.

Other matters discussed by the committee included;

• Expired agreements – Zombie agreements – Bill Shorten will legislate to terminate Expired Agreements – what does this mean for members? • Scanning Code of Conduct – modernisation of the code itself and the relevant point of sale communications • Treasury Unit Pricing 10-year review – recommended to leave as is – it works perfectly well – MGA has discouraged extending Unit Pricing to Hardware • National Wage Review – currently underway by MGA – all member surveys have been collated and at this stage it is unlikely our industry sector can absorb any form of future wage increase as determined by the FWC.

L to R: Peter Lee, Mark Meszoros, Chris Antonieff, Mark Paladino – MGA, Roz White, Peter Piconne, Andrew Sydes – IBA, Terry Stehbens, Wayne Mason, Stephen Koch, Deputy Director General QLD Small Business – Debbie Smith, Terry Slaughter.

NATIONAL

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