On 1 July 2023, award rates of pay and the National Minimum Wage increased by 5.75%.
It is critically important that all employers review their payroll systems and ensure they are applying the correct
rates and Awards. The National Minimum Wage applies to workers not covered by an Award or registered agreement.
From 1 July 2023, the National Minimum wage has increased to $23.23 per hour ($882.80 per week for a full time employee working a
standard 38 hours week). For casuals, the minimum wage including the 25% casual loading is a minimum of $29.04 per hour.
For workers under an Award, adult minimum award wages increase by 5.75% applied from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2023.
Proportionate increases apply to junior workers, apprentice and supported wages.
In addition, the superannuation guarantee increased from 10.5% to 11% on 1 July 2023.
If the employment agreement with your workers states the employee is paid on a ‘total remuneration’ basis (base plus
SG and any other allowances), then their take home pay might be reduced by 0.5%.
That is, a greater percentage of their total remuneration will be directed to their superannuation fund. For employees paid a rate plus
superannuation, then their take home pay will remain the same and the 0.5% increase will be added to their SG payments.
We want our people to be the best they can be.
.png)
Please note: This event is not until March 2027 — AI agent technology is moving fast, so the workshop content will continue to evolve to bring you the latest of what is happening in the AI agent space.
AI-Enhanced Automation for Accounting and Finance Professionals: Leveraging ChatGPT, Copilot & Claude for Innovation and
Productivity.
Join SkyBots’ 2-day Workshop in MORNINGTON with automation expert Daryl Aw to revolutionise your workflow using
cutting-edge Agentic AI tools including Chat GPT, Claude, CoPilot and Gemini. This workshop is built for accountants,
bookkeepers, finance teams, and business owners who want to move beyond basic prompts and turn AI into a reliable, ethical, and practical
system for everyday work.
.png)
Please note: This event is not until February 2027 — AI agent technology is moving fast, so the workshop content will continue to evolve to bring you the latest of what is happening in the AI agent space.
AI-Enhanced Automation for Accounting and Finance Professionals: Leveraging ChatGPT, Copilot & Claude for Innovation and
Productivity.
Join SkyBots’ 2-day Workshop in PERTH with automation expert Daryl Aw to revolutionise your workflow using
cutting-edge Agentic AI tools including Chat GPT, Claude, CoPilot and Gemini. This workshop is built for accountants,
bookkeepers, finance teams, and business owners who want to move beyond basic prompts and turn AI into a reliable, ethical, and practical
system for everyday work.
.png)
AI-Enhanced Automation for Accounting and Finance Professionals: Leveraging ChatGPT, Copilot & Claude for Innovation and
Productivity.
Join SkyBots’ 2-day Workshop in GOLD COAST with automation expert Daryl Aw to revolutionise your workflow using
cutting-edge Agentic AI tools including Chat GPT, Claude, CoPilot and Gemini. This workshop is built for accountants,
bookkeepers, finance teams, and business owners who want to move beyond basic prompts and turn AI into a reliable, ethical, and practical
system for everyday work.
.png)
AI-Enhanced Automation for Accounting and Finance Professionals: Leveraging ChatGPT, Copilot & Claude for Innovation and
Productivity.
Join SkyBots’ 2-day Workshop in MORNINGTON with automation expert Daryl Aw to revolutionise your workflow using
cutting-edge Agentic AI tools including Chat GPT, Claude, CoPilot and Gemini. This workshop is built for accountants,
bookkeepers, finance teams, and business owners who want to move beyond basic prompts and turn AI into a reliable, ethical, and practical
system for everyday work.
.png)
INVESTOR BRIEFING — JOINTLY PRESENTED BY SMART BUSINESS SOLUTIONS & AREA SPECIALIST
Thursday 29 October, 5:30-7:30pm, $20 per person — 100% donated to Mornington Community Support Services, Mt Martha Lifesaving Club, Mount Martha
The property rules changed — negative gearing, capital gains and more. Join SMART Business Solutions and Lauren Wild of Area
Specialist for a joint evening briefing on the 2026 tax reforms for residential property investors, plus live residential and commercial
market updates from two local experts. Find out whether the changes affect you — and what is worth doing before 1 July 2027.
Reserve a seat »
.png)
Lunch & Learn Workshop // Friday 19 February, 2027 - 12:00 - 2:30pm
$75 (incl. GST)pp includes drink on arrival & a wonderful two course Italian lunch - antipasto, pasta & pizza. Be prepared!
Bridging the gap between legal and financial expertise in family law. Many practitioners see the legal issue, but the strongest
outcomes for separating clients come from understanding the numbers behind the matter. This practical session provides family lawyers with
the financial fluency to spot issues early, guide clients with confidence, and collaborate more effectively with accountants and financial
advisers.
Falling behind on your BAS lodgements looks like an administrative problem. Left long enough, it becomes an expensive one, because the GST you collected stays payable indefinitely while the GST credits you are owed disappear after four years. Here is what that looks like in dollars.
With negative gearing now quarantined for established dwellings, new house and land has become the sensible play for investors — but there is a trap in the first eighteen months. Interest on the land is denied, while interest on the construction is not. If the bank has written one loan, someone has to do the sums. Here is why it pays to split the loan before you sign.
When the draft legislation for the trust minimum tax was released, it came with a reassurance: if you do not want to restructure, you can simply make an election instead — no restructure, and no state stamp duty. That is accurate, but it is also a very small part of the decision. Here is why you should choose your structure for the eventual sale of your business, not for the announcement.
Treasury has released the draft legislation for the new 30% minimum tax on family trusts. From 1 July 2028, income earned by a family trust will carry a minimum tax of 30 per cent, paid by the trustee. Here is what it says in plain terms, what is not caught, and why the decisions worth making need to happen well before 2028.
.png)
Fundraising Evening // 9 October, 2026 - 5:30 - 7:30pm
$35pp includes a welcome drink & nibbles
An evening of networking, meaningful conversation and fundraising with Wayne Holdsworth, supporting the vital work of SmackTalk and helping
create safer online communities.
The ATO will stop accepting direct credit card payments from 1 July 2027 — after the ATO extended the original deadline of 1 December 2026 to 30 June 2027 following community feedback — requiring businesses and individuals to switch to alternative payment methods such as debit card, BPAY, EFT or bank account direct debit. While the change affects only a small percentage of taxpayers, businesses that rely on credit cards to manage cash flow or fund ATO payment plans should act now to update arrangements, avoid missed payments and prepare for the cash flow impact of having tax obligations funded from available business funds.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Downsizing, Retirement Living & Future Care event. Access the presentation slides and materials here.
LIVE INFORMATION EVENING
Wednesday 7 October, 5:30-7:30pm
Most families don't start thinking about retirement living or aged care until they're forced to make decisions quickly. Join us for an informative evening covering retirement living, future care planning, downsizing considerations, aged care costs, estate
preservation and strategies to help families make informed decisions before they become urgent. Designed for retirees, adult children and families looking to better understand their options and plan ahead with confidence.
Following the latest RBA cash rate increase, borrowing costs and financial pressure may rise for households, investors and business owners. We explain what the decision means and why now is a sensible time to review your lending, cash flow and broader financial strategy.
SMART Business Solutions is proud to support the Mornington Community Support Centre (MCSC) and The Ranch.
MCSC has been a lifeline on the Mornington Peninsula since 1971, providing emergency relief, food assistance, crisis accommodation, and practical support to local people doing it tough. From their hub at 320 Main Street, Mornington, their small team and volunteers help hundreds of individuals and families every year.
The Ranch is MCSC's crisis housing initiative — the Peninsula's only dedicated crisis accommodation. The original Ranch Motel ran for five years, housing 250 people who were sleeping rough, with 60% of those supported into permanent housing outcomes. Following its closure in 2026, MCSC launched Ranch 2.0: a block of seven units in Mornington, generously provided by the Payton and Upotipotpon Foundations under a five-year lease at no cost, and renovated in 2025 through an incredible community-led effort by the Peninsula's Rotary groups, local businesses, schools and volunteers.
We support MCSC because no one in our community should live in a tent. Their work turns crisis into stability for our neighbours, and we're honoured to play a small part in it.
Learn more about The Ranch and Ranch 2.0
Sale and leaseback is often effective with assets that have a clear, assessable market value and a reasonable remaining useful life.
A number of projects with development approval are now contingent on tenant commitments before construction begins, a shift likely to push delivery timelines into 2028 and beyond.
Falling behind on your BAS lodgements looks like an administrative problem. Left long enough, it becomes an expensive one, because the GST you collected stays payable indefinitely while the GST credits you are owed disappear after four years. Here is what that looks like in dollars.
With negative gearing now quarantined for established dwellings, new house and land has become the sensible play for investors — but there is a trap in the first eighteen months. Interest on the land is denied, while interest on the construction is not. If the bank has written one loan, someone has to do the sums. Here is why it pays to split the loan before you sign.
When the draft legislation for the trust minimum tax was released, it came with a reassurance: if you do not want to restructure, you can simply make an election instead — no restructure, and no state stamp duty. That is accurate, but it is also a very small part of the decision. Here is why you should choose your structure for the eventual sale of your business, not for the announcement.
