CCIWA has outlined seven big ideas to power up WA, in its submission to the 2027-28 state budget.
The detailed submission includes calls for meaningful payroll tax reform, an innovation package, greater focus on skills and training and significant investment in the state’s future energy needs.
CCIWA Chief Economist, Dr Daniel Kiely, said there should also be a bold push to put WA on the world stage.
“Our budget submission calls for WA to make a serious bid to host the World Expo in 2040,” he said.
“The World Expo is a global showcase of technological innovations and cultural achievements, most recently hosted in Osaka in Japan where it delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in direct economic benefits.
“It’s an ambitious target but we think it’s achievable given the 2040 timeline.
“It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase Perth as the gateway to the Indo-Pacific region and would position the city as a globally connected and economically dynamic capital.”
CCIWA has continued to call for payroll tax reform in its budget submission, with more businesses than ever now falling into payroll tax liability.
“We know bracket creep is a real issue for WA businesses,” Dr Kiely said.
“Some small businesses have been tipped into payroll tax liability simply because their wage costs have gone up, not because they’re hiring more people.
“Payroll tax is a tax on jobs and growth, and at a time when businesses are already being squeezed by rising costs, lifting the threshold for payroll tax to $1.3 million for metropolitan businesses and $1.5 million for regional WA would bring significant relief to businesses at the smaller end of the scale.
CCIWA strongly supports a call from WACOSS for the appointment of a Minister dedicated to tackling the cost-of-living, but suggests it be expanded to also tackle the cost pressures faced by small and medium sized businesses.
CCIWA’s budget submission also highlights the need to tackle WA’s dwindling skills pipeline by increasing investment in apprenticeships and traineeships.
“We’ve seen a decline in completion rates for apprenticeships and traineeships, which reflects the need to improve incentives for both employers and apprentices,” Dr Kiely said.
“If WA is going to deliver the infrastructure we need to grow our economy, including things like housing and the AUKUS project, we need the right local workforce to do it.
“Skilled migration is also central to meeting the needs of our economy, along with opening up opportunities for workers with disabilities and older people.”
CCIWA also calls for the State Government’s Seven Cities strategy for regional WA towns to be expanded to include Carnarvon, Northam and Mandurah, and to create dedicated planning roles in each region to support infrastructure development.
“There’s significant untapped potential in regional WA to bring in investment and business development, but we need to get the fundamentals right,” Dr Kiely said.
“Housing supply issues in regional WA are worse than in metropolitan Perth and the cost of living is higher in country areas.
“We’ve made a suite of recommendations to make regional WA a more attractive place to live, better for business and better connected to big economic opportunities.”
Dr Kiely said reforming retail trading hours in the metropolitan areas was also on CCIWA’s agenda.
“WA’s retail trading laws are archaic, and Perth is the only capital city where the shops can’t open all day on a Sunday,” he said.
“This might have worked in the 1990’s, but our economy and the way we live has been completely transformed since then.
“Consumers want more choice and our businesses are up against online competitors who can open 24/7.
“It’s time for sensible shopping hours reform, starting with Sunday trading.”
You can read CCIWA’s detailed submission to the 2027/28 State Budget <here>.
