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Shop-local helps small businesses in Covid recovery

Jacinta CantatoreHarvey-Waroona Reporter
Forrest MHR Nola Marino shopping locally with gas supplier Robert Fryer of LP and JA Fryer.
Camera IconForrest MHR Nola Marino shopping locally with gas supplier Robert Fryer of LP and JA Fryer.

During the past year of lockdowns and border restrictions, when it was sometimes impossible to leave town for necessities, communities learnt the true importance of our small businesses.

A national campaign, which highlights the crucial role of small business as part of the Australia’s COVID-19 recovery, has been extended in a bid to help keep people shopping locally.

The Go Local First campaign, launched by the Federal Government last July when the pandemic continued to affect the hospitality and retail sectors, has been extended by 12 months.

The decision was made following research which showed people who had seen the “Go Local First” campaign were more likely to shop locally than those who had not.

78 per cent of people who saw the campaign said they would spend with small local businesses over multinationals, compared with 56 per cent of people who hadn’t seen the campaign.

Forrest MHR Nola Marino said local businesses kept communities thriving and create local jobs.

“The small local businesses we all know and rely on here in the South West need us to shop locally,” she said.

“As we all know our small and family-owned businesses are the lifeblood of our local communities.”

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