Australia’s regional and rural small businesses might soon get a turbocharge, with Parliament kicking off a fresh inquiry into how to create more sustainable economic growth outside the capital cities.

The House of Representatives Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth wants to know how we can help farmers, makers and regional operators sell more of their clean and green produce and services — both at home and abroad.

Committee chair Senator Marielle Smith said the focus is on opportunities “both traditional and innovative” that regional producers are already embracing.

She added that the aim is to work out “how small and medium businesses can be better supported to not only stay in existing markets, but importantly to expand them”.

Branding the bush

At the heart of the inquiry is branding. Aussie rural and regional products already carry plenty of weight overseas; think of wine from the Barossa, beef from Queensland, or Tassie whisky, but the Committee reckons there’s more that can be done to fly the Aussie flag and make “clean and green” a selling point that boosts both exports and tourism.

Senator Smith said the inquiry will look closely at “improving domestic and international branding, and certification of products and services.” The big challenge will be figuring out how to make sure Aussie-grown or made goods stand out on crowded supermarket shelves and global markets.

She also reminded us that rural and regional businesses are the backbone of some of Australia’s most trusted products:

“Our regional and rural outputs are diverse and are the foundation of safe and top quality goods for domestic consumption and for highly-regarded and identifiable products demanded in overseas markets.”

Have your say

The inquiry is now open for submissions, and the Committee wants to hear from everyone with a stake in regional growth — from farmers and winemakers to tourism operators and local councils.

Senator Smith said they’re particularly keen to hear what would make “a real difference in sustaining economic growth in rural and regional Australia.”

Submissions close Friday 17 October 2025, and all the details are available on the Committee’s website.

For small businesses in the rural and regional areas, this could be a big opportunity to have your voice heard on how Australia tells the world its paddock-to-plate story. Who knows? Maybe you’ll secure a bigger slice of the global market pie in the process.

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