Mayor Glen Hartwig criticises funding cuts at Gympie Business breakfast

An impassioned plea from Glen Hartwig for governments to reverse council funding cuts highlighted the launch of the 2024 Gympie Business Awards. PHOTOS, VIDEO

The looming challenges for the business community and a push for better council funding from state and federal governments were the hot topics as Gympie’s Chamber of Commerce launched its Business Awards for 2024 on Wednesday morning.

Former business award winner Michaela Dodt, tax agent and partner Shaun Ward and Telstra’s Matt Thornton were the keynote speakers at the RSL event, but it was an impromptu plea from Mayor Glen Hartwig that made the most noise.

Offered the microphone by Chamber president Martin Muller during the breakfast, Mr Hartwig took aim at decisions to strip funding away from councils by state and federal governments.

Changes to Federal Assistance Grants came under heavy fire from Mr Hartwig, who said the cut of funding given to councils in recent years, from 1 per cent to 0.5 per cent of Commonwealth tax revenue, bit hard.

Bloom Hair Studio owner and 2023 New Business of the Year winner Michaela Dodt addresses the audience at the breakfast ahead of the call for nominations for the 2024 Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

He said this amounted to taking $7 million away from Gympie council and leaving ratepayers to pick up the tab.

“Our costs are still there,” Mr Hartwig said.

There needed to be a message from the community ahead of the upcoming elections that “they need to put these funds back up”.

“They know (how difficult it has become) but the reality is they don’t care.”

Councils were now left to “throw money” at grants which are on offer “in the hope you win the lotto”.

Chamber of Commerce president Martin Muller speaks at the Gympie Business Awards launch breakfast on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Being forced to rely on grants instead of fixed funding left councils uncertain of what money was coming in, and when, he said.

Mr Hartwig’s comments followed shortly after Mr Ward said businesses across the region should be aware the federal government was signalling it was calling in debts incurred from payment plans extended during Covid at tax time.

“They’re now asking after (companies’) capacity to pay,” Mr Ward said.

Mayor Glen Hartwig made a plea for business community support to help urge a reversal of ongoing funding cuts from state and federal governments, which ultimately have left taxpayers footing the bill.

On the opposite side of the coin, Ms Dodt spoke of the challenges, benefits, and joy of running her own business and claiming one of the region’s most prestigious prizes for her efforts.

Ms Dodt’s Bloom Hair Studio won New Business of the Year in 2023, a crown the salon owner called a “major highlight” after the questions and doubts that plagued her when she first considered her own business.

“I went from a secure full-time role of nine years … to opening my own salon, with very little business knowledge and admittedly a lot of self doubt.”

Tracey Van Den Berg from the Perfect Cents Bookkeeping, Nicole Shaw and guest speaker Shaun Ward from the Carbon Group prepare for the morning’s events.

“I remember the morning I walked into Bloom and felt an overwhelming sense of pride.

“I stopped worrying about the what-ifs and the self doubt, and I started telling myself that I didn’t have an option to fail.”

“I can’t believe the success and growth Bloom … it was an unexpected win.”

Tess Parker, Lead at the Sunshine Coast University Gympie Campus and Amanda Finch at the Gympie Business Launch.

Twelve awards are up for grabs at the 2024 Gympie Business Awards, with the Chamber bringing back its Tourism Award which was left off the docket in 2023.

Matt Thornton, Telstra Engagement Manager and guest speaker at the event, with Kerri Healy from the Bookkeeping Suite and Cameron Tompkins from Gympie Accounting.

It joins returning categories of Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Micro Business of the Year, New Business of the Year, Business Innovation of the Year, Not-for-Profit of the Year, Food and Agriculture Business of the Year, Customer Hero of the Year, Work Place of Choice, Community Contribution Award, and the People’s Choice Award.

The Gympie Times is a sponsor of the awards.

Mr Muller told the crowd more than 200 nominations were sent in for the 2023 awards, and he hoped for similar numbers in 2024.

Nominations close Friday, July 26.

The winners will be revealed at a gala dinner at The Pavilion at the Gympie Showgrounds on Saturday, October 19, 2024.

Representatives of sponsoring businesses gather to help launch the 2024 Gympie Business Awards at an RSL breakfast event on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.