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CEO Welcome
Welcome to the Financial Year 2021 Annual Report edition of the Independent Retailer magazine. This last financial year has been one of the most challenging and frustrating years that our members have experienced across Australia.
The COVID-19 Pandemic has wreaked havoc upon the Australian Community at large, none more than small businesses. Fortunately, MGA’s members have been able to trade on as “essential” businesses, providing food and beverages to their local communities during the many months of lockdowns and restrictions.
ON BEHALF OF MGA’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WE CONGRATULATE OUR MEMBERS AND ALL INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS FOR THEIR RESILIENCE AND TENACITY IN KEEPING DOORS OPEN AND TRADING THROUGH SUCH DIFFICULT TIMES. SINCE BUSHFIRES RAVAGED COMMUNITIES IN LATE 2019 AND INTO EARLY 2020, AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FROM FEBRUARY 2020 ONWARDS, OUR MEMBERS HAVE REINVIGORATED THEIR RELEVANCE AND PRESENCE AS THE “HUBS” WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND REINFORCED THEMSELVES AS BUSINESSES THAT LOCALS CAN RELY UPON IN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES.
Since July of this year, the hardworking MGA Team have been heavily involved in many matters on behalf of our members. MGA TMA has dealt with matters concerning the multitude of red tape and cost burdens, as well as loss of sales in areas such as Illicit and illegal tobacco, Least Cost Routing to decrease merchant card fees, Competition matters such as the Woolworths and PFD acquisition, the Dan Murphy withdrawal from Darwin, deregulation of Trading Hours, Single Use Plastic Item Bans and Container Deposit Legislation. The most time-consuming tasks have involved Industrial Relations reform and the continuous management of COVID-19 restrictions in states and territories. There have been countless meetings to help MGA TMA members avoid over regulation and costly compliance suggestions coming from the Public Health departments in each state. Industrial Relations has been a priority area of most concern for members. Underpayment of wages by employers continues to be a focus by the Fair Work Ombudsman. The great news is that MGA, together with other Industry associations, has been able to arrive at an unambiguous definition for casual workers and part time workers will now have the flexibility to work additional hours at the ordinary rate of pay. On a more recent note, the light at the end of the tunnel and how we progress, comes in the form of Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory releasing their roadmaps out of lockdown. MGA TMA is a member of many Federal and State Government Business Recovery forums and is pushing for the entire retail industry to be open for business before Christmas. This vision for opening our economy is at risk of not being realised, owing to a lack of national consistency on settings surrounding mandatory vaccinations for retailers, vaccine passports, border closures and much more that leads to confusion for retail and hospitality businesses of all sizes. In the event of Vaccine Passports being brought to life in Australia, MGA TMA has consistently advocated that our members cannot take on the responsibility of checking vaccine passports. We wish to avoid the unnecessary risk of conflict and abuse between staff and customers as more freedoms are made available to double vaccinated customers. This is a time to get ready for the forthcoming Christmas trading – the 2021 Christmas and festive season is promising to be a bumper sales period with the hope of families being able to come together for Christmas celebrations being a real possibility. Good Trading – keep up the great work and best wishes to all members.
