Ros SPENCE (Kalkallo – Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Community Sport, Minister for Carers and Volunteers) (09:43): Earlier this month I had the opportunity to visit two fantastic local businesses in Mickleham which have been doing a great job in their very first year. Late last year I visited Evaryde ice cream for the first time. It was great to check in and see how everything was tracking. Anil, Neelama, Jidin and Saumya are rightly proud of their business, with all the ice cream and frozen treats made fresh in-house and heaps of delicious flavours to choose from. They are doing an outstanding job, being the first store of their kind in Mickleham, and I look forward to watching them grow.

I also had the chance to pop into Genesis Health and Fitness to meet with co-owner Michael and see some of the fantastic facilities they have on offer for locals. Michael gave me a tour of the gym, where it was clear just how busy and in demand their services are, and I also got a chance to see the next stage of works, which includes a dedicated gym area for women, which will no doubt be very popular.

Later that day I hosted a small business round table with the Minister for Small Business, where we had the opportunity to hear from local businesses about some of their experiences as well as talk about some of the supports and grants that are available to them through Business Victoria. Following that meeting those business owners have already set up a traders association, and I wish them all the best. Thank you to both Anil at Evaryde ice cream and Michael at Genesis Health and Fitness for inviting me to visit them, along with Avtar and all the small business owners who attended the round table. I am looking forward to working with all of you.