Hon Geoff Brock MP, welcomes the year-long extension of the GO LOCAL FIRST campaign to urge Australians to buy from small businesses in our community to strengthen our local economy and create local jobs.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting global economic downturn hit the small businesses in the Frome Electorate community we all know and love, far harder than large businesses,” Hon Geoff Brock MP said.

The GO LOCAL FIRST campaign, first launched in July 2020, is an initiative coordinated by the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA). It will run throughout 2021 and into next year, highlighting the vital role small business plays in our nation’s economy, in keeping communities thriving and creating local jobs.

“The GO LOCAL FIRST campaign has helped people in our local community understand the importance of supporting small businesses during these difficult times, and I welcome the extension of the campaign for another 12 months”.

The campaign extension will build on the success achieved throughout 2020 in encouraging Australians to choose local small businesses when purchasing products and services to help support local jobs in every community around the country.

Research commissioned by COSBOA shows Australians are spending more at small local businesses since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but volatile lockdowns and border closures have made for a sporadic recovery and therefore capacity to employ locals.

The research finds Australians see expediting our economic recovery and creating local jobs as the most important issues for the country, after managing the spread of the coronavirus.

GO LOCAL FIRST Spokesperson Mark McKenzie said, “Small businesses account for just over one-third of Australia’s GDP and a full economic recovery will not be possible without small local businesses creating jobs for their communities.”

“We want to see Australians out there supporting their local grocers, butchers, and accountants, which in turn will allow them to employ locally and continue to be the fabric of their community.”

“While 2020 showed us that Australians are ready and willing to support their small local businesses, we still need local communities to stand by them and support them in job creation as we emerge from Australia’s first recession in three decades,” Mr McKenzie said.

The GO LOCAL FIRST campaign will be rolled out on outdoor, radio, TV, and digital advertising with a call to action to consumers to spend locally first to stimulate local job creation. It is an initiative supported by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.

For more information on the campaign or to be part of it, go to www.golocalfirst.com.au