Kellie Sloane
Leader of the Opposition
NSW Liberal Leader
Gurmesh Singh
NSW Nationals Leader
Shadow Minister for Regional NSW
Shadow Minister for Small Business
Scott Farlow
Shadow Treasurer
Shadow Minister for the Hunter
Taxes, levies and other government charges remain the number one cost concern for NSW businesses for a second consecutive quarter, at the same time as more businesses are cutting jobs than creating them according to the Business NSW Business Conditions report for September 2026.
Business confidence is still well underwater at -65.0, with no region and no industry in NSW reporting positive confidence overall.
The employment results are the most concerning with nearly one in three businesses reducing staff over the past quarter, while only 12 per cent hired.
One in five businesses expects to cut staff over the next three months, compared with 12 per cent who intend to hire.
Asked to nominate a single area for the NSW Government to improve 35 per cent of businesses asked for reduced taxes and charges and a further 18 per cent called for it to be easier to employ workers.
To help businesses stay afloat and get more people into work, the Liberals and Nationals have unveiled a plan to:
· Raise the payroll tax threshold from $1.2 million to $1.5 million
· Cut the payroll tax rate from 5.45 per cent to 4.75 per cent on the first $10 million of payroll for businesses
· Index both the threshold and the $10 million band to Sydney CPI each year
Leader of the Opposition Kellie Sloane said businesses are telling the Minns Labor Government the same thing quarter after quarter.
“At a time of record insolvencies, Labor must do something about the issues businesses repeatedly complain about, high taxes and charges,” Ms Sloane said.
“Labor’s response cannot be more of the same when confidence among business owners is in the red across every region and industry in NSW.”
NSW Nationals Leader Gurmesh Singh said cutting red tape and making it easier for businesses to employ needs to be a key focus of the NSW Government.
“It’s disappointing but not surprising that under Chris Minns, the lowest business confidence in our state is in regional areas,” Mr Singh said.
“Small business is the biggest employer in our regional communities but Labor is drowning them in red tape and making it harder for them to get ahead.”
Shadow Treasurer Scott Farlow said payroll tax is the one tax that falls directly on the decision to employ someone, and that a government serious about jobs would start there.
“The job of government is to make employing people the most attractive decision a business can make. Labor has made it harder to employ workers by failing to lift the payroll tax threshold,” Mr Farlow said.
“The Liberals and Nationals will make sure that hiring the next worker costs less, growing businesses are not punished for their success, and small business is not dragged into the tax net by inflation.”
