Regional NSW requires Payroll Tax relief

The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party Leader and MLC, Mr. Robert Borsak and I met with employers across the North Western region to discuss the financial pressures they faced after years of drought and COVID-19. Added to this pressure is the impact of the current rain, and in some cases hail, that is effecting the winter crop harvest.

The correlation of these three events has been historic and brutal. We continue to visit, listen and propose solutions to the NSW Government. These solutions include the SFF Party’s standing commitment in seeking State Government support to abolish the payroll tax in regional areas, and introduce a zonal taxation system in NSW.

Payroll tax is a handbrake on regional economic growth and regional employment. A zonal taxation system, on the other hand, would provide financial incentives for people and businesses to live, work and invest in regional NSW.

Outside of Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, payroll tax in regional NSW would cost the government just $1 billion of $87 billion across the state. The collected payroll tax in comparison is such a small amount that instead would allow businesses and communities across regional NSW to recover from a devastating four years, retain their current employees and also grow their businesses.

Whilst we can appreciate that there may be some consideration made towards payroll tax in the November budget, we want to see removal of payroll tax in regional areas outside of Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong and will seek this through the Parliament - for the sake of sustaining the future of our regional communities and businesses.