To find out the latest information and advice on COVID 19 (Coronavirus) visit the Health Department website.
To find out what the City is doing and how it’s responding in terms of events, facilities and other community services, visitcockburn.wa.gov.au/COVID-19.
Working Together to Support Local Businesses
With the COVID-19 health crisis deepening every day and many businesses already starting to experience economic and social impacts, the City of Cockburn, together with the City of Melville and and the Melville-Cockburn Chamber of Commerce are very mindful of the impact on businesses and will be working out what we can do to support you through these difficult times.
The Australian Government is providing support to assist businesses in this time of need and we have summarised some of this here for your benefit.
We are also working with many of our business partners in the community to bring you additional information if you need it.
If you are experiencing difficulties paying your rates, please email Customer Service or call 08 9411 3444.
Business Assistance Centre
WA small business owners can now access the State Government's newly created assistance centre for advice and guidance on managing the impacts of COVID-19, and this would be a good starting point for every business.
The service provides guidance on available support options, and deals specifically with queries from business owners looking to navigate the wide range of Federal and State government measures that are being introduced to alleviate the impacts of COVID-19.
The State Government is providing localised assistance with a $607 million economic stimulus package for WA households and businesses. Key assistance includes:
$114 million committed to bringing relief to small and medium businesses
A one-off grant of $17,500 is available to businesses with a payroll between $1 million to $4 million.
Changes to the payroll tax exemption have been brought forward to 1 July 2020, when the payroll tax threshold will be raised to $1 million.
Businesses that pay less than $7.5 million in taxable wages each year can defer payroll tax payments until 21 July 2020
Confused about how the stimulus can support your business?
The City of Cockburn as part of its Small Business Capacity Building Program has partnered with Business Foundations to deliver complimentary one-on-one advisory sessions to provide information about the Federal and State stimulus packages, and what support is available to your small business via the programs.
Business Foundations can offer the service online or over the phone. Advisors will spend an hour with you, providing tailored advice.
To access this service please email the Business Engagement Officer, who will arrange a call back from a qualified Advisor.
Support from the the Small Business Development Corporation
The Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) have put together to blogs in relation to the Federal and State government stimulus packages. These have the most up to date information and will be updated as more information comes to hand.
The SBDC have also created a series of online webinars and workshops to help businesses continue to operate during the COVID-19 outbreak:
You can contact the SBDC on 133 140 should you require over-the-phone business advisory services. During this time, you can continue to access their support services online or over the phone but please note SBDC are not providing face-to-face services at the moment.
COVID-19 Small Business First Aid
The City of Cockburn has partnered with Business Foundations to deliver complimentary one-on-one advisory sessions to provide guidance in the face of the challenge that COVID-19 presents to businesses. This can be offered online or over the phone if required. Advisors will spend an hour per session with each business, providing tailored advice.
Session 1 – Strategic Review
Business continuity plan
6 month cash-flow forecast
Occupation health and safety for staff/employment obligations
Session 2 – Review of Cashflow and Expenditure
This is an in depth look at financial pressures in the business, looking to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on the bottom line
Session 3 – Sales and Marketing Review
Review sales channels, and identify new opportunities
Packaging of products in new ways (gift vouchers, advance booking discounts, delivery boxes)
Identifying adjacent markets
Eligibility Criteria
A lease on, or ownership of a business in the City of Cockburn; and
Small business as defined by Australian Bureau of Statistics (fewer than 20 employees) and the Australian Taxation Office (Annual revenue less than $2 million).
Please note that: - Only a limited number of places are available for eligible businesses. - Businesses can elect to do session 1 only, or all three sessions. - Businesses who register but do not utilise the sessions will be charged a fee
To access this service please email the Business Engagement Officer, who will arrange a call back from a qualified advisor for eligible businesses.
For businesses experiencing financial difficulty, assistance is also available via the Australian Tax Office (ATO). For more information visit the ATO Website.
If you have any queries or would like to get in touch with Sarah Kahle, Business Engagement Officer please email business@cockburn.wa.gov.au or call 08 9411 3444
