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- 17 November 2004
Small Business Awards
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Page: 12960
The Hon. EDDIE OBEID: My question is directed to the Treasurer. Will he inform the House about recent wins by New South Wales small businesses?
The Hon. MICHAEL EGAN: I am pleased to inform the House that two Government-assisted companies were recently recognised at the 2004 Australia Post New South Wales-Australian Capital Territory Small Business of the Year awards. On 16 October an Armidale-based veterinary health company, Veterinary Health Research Pty Ltd, was crowned the 2004 Australia Post New South Wales-Australian Capital Territory Small Business of the Year. The company was recognised for developing the world's first all-inclusive system for accurately identifying resistant sheep parasites. I am pleased to say that the Government has assisted Veterinary Health Research, through the High Growth Business Program of the Department of State and Regional Development.
The company's patented drench test kit allows graziers to test across six categories of roundworm drench groups to identify which are ineffective in their flocks. The system helps prevent graziers wasting dollars on ineffective drenches. At the same time it lifts production, as the health of sheep flocks is improved, resulting in better wool yields, better lambing percentages, and better nutrition as food is not wasted fighting an immune response. The colour-coded system simplifies the collection of samples, which are then analysed in a laboratory.
The Minister for Primary Industries should listen to this. The wool industry says that roundworm currently costs about $250 million a year due to costs associated with treatment chemicals, labour, production losses, and higher sheep mortality rates. That figure is tipped to blow out to about $700 million a year over the next decade due to growing resistance. The work of Veterinary Health Research will help address this problem.
Another New South Wales Government-assisted company recognised at the awards was Balmain-based Concept Express, which was honoured for solving an age-old tradesmen's dilemma with a simple but effective solution. Concept Express's Ozzy Nozzy invention helps stop the problem of run-on in glue and silicon guns, which not only is wasteful but can compromise the finish of a job. The Ozzy Nozzy replaces the standard nozzles used with cartridge dispenser systems. The invention works by using fluid-flow principles and slurry-related dynamics to prevent flow-on occurring. The company has been assisted in its marketing and patenting by the Department of State and Regional Development—as a member, of course, of the Australian Technology Showcase [ATS]. I congratulate these two ATS companies on their recent wins and wish them all the best for the future.
If honourable members have further questions, I suggest they place them on notice.
Questions without notice concluded.
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