Calling about a business loan from Canberra and the ACT

Canberra’s on our clock

The Australian Capital Territory uses Australian Eastern Standard Time and daylight saving on the same dates as Victoria. So our line is open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, Canberra time, all year round. For 2026–27, daylight saving starts on Sunday 4 October 2026 and ends on Sunday 4 April 2027, and both the ACT and Victoria change together.

Public holidays

Our line follows Victorian public holidays. The ACT has some of its own, such as Canberra Day. On an ACT-only holiday, our line may be open; on a Victorian holiday, such as Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday 3 November 2026, it’s closed. The call planner checks the Victorian calendar for you.

Best times to ring from the ACT

If your business is	A good time to call
A government contractor or consultancy	Late morning, between meetings
Retail or hospitality in town centres	Mid-morning, or mid-afternoon after lunch trade
A trade or construction business	9am before site, or a lunch break
Professional services	Early afternoon

If your diary is full, leave a 60-second enquiry with a preferred time and we’ll ring then.

What comes up on calls from the ACT

Start with our first-minute script. A few ACT themes come up often.

Government contracts and payment timing. Many Canberra businesses supply government agencies. Government payers are generally dependable, but the gap between doing work and being paid can be long, especially on larger projects or at the start of a contract. If that gap is why you’re calling, explain the contract, who’s paying, the payment terms and the next expected payment date. If there’s a hard date driving the need, see what to say about a tight deadline.

Leasehold property. In the ACT, most land is held under Crown leasehold rather than freehold. That doesn’t stop property being used as security, but mention the property type and ownership early, and the specialist will explain how lenders treat it. Property-secured business loans run from $20,000 to $5,000,000.

Territory taxes and rates. The ACT Revenue Office administers rates, land tax, conveyance duty, payroll tax and other levies. If one of these bills is part of the reason you’re ringing, say which and when it’s due.

Cross-border operations. Queanbeyan and the surrounding NSW region are closely linked to Canberra. If your business or property is across the border, say so; New South Wales has its own taxes and agencies.

Free help in the ACT

The ACT Government’s business support pages list several services. The Canberra Business Advice and Support Service (CBASS) offers up to four hours of free tailored advice for every stage of a business, along with webinars and workshops. The same pages point to the Small Business Debt Helpline for free financial counselling, which you can reach on 1800 413 828. If you’d like help preparing a cash flow plan before a finance conversation, CBASS is a good place to start.

A Canberra example

A Canberra IT consultancy has won a twelve-month government contract but must hire two contractors before the first monthly invoice is paid. The director needs about $90k to cover the first two months of wages and super. They ring at 11:30am between meetings, explain the contract value, payment terms and five-year trading history, and mention they’d rather not use their home. The specialist talks through unsecured options sized on turnover and the contract.

Illustrative example only.

Why ring rather than fill in a form?

Canberra businesses often have situations that are straightforward on paper but need a sentence of context: a contract that starts next month, a payment cycle that runs sixty days, a leasehold property. A few minutes on the phone lets a specialist understand that context. Our page on talking to a specialist explains what the call involves.

Neighbouring call times

See New South Wales and Victoria, both on the same clock as Canberra.

Before you ring from Canberra: a quick checklist

A few minutes of preparation makes a Canberra call short and useful. Have these in front of you:

• The contract or purchase order driving the need, including the payment terms (for example, 30 days from an accepted invoice).
• Your next two or three expected payment dates and amounts.
• Monthly deposits into the business account for the last three to six months.
• Your ABN, business structure, and whether you’re GST registered.
• Any ATO position: lodgements up to date, any balance owing, any payment plan.
• Property details, if you’re open to using property: whether it’s a house, unit or commercial premises, who’s on the lease, and what’s owing.

Government-facing businesses often have one more thing worth mentioning: security clearances or panel arrangements that make future work more predictable. If you’re on a supplier panel or have a multi-year arrangement, say so. It won’t guarantee anything, but it helps a specialist understand how reliable your pipeline is.

If you’d like the planner to build a printable card from these points, the call planner does it in a minute, and it shows today’s open window in Canberra time. If you’ve already been knocked back by a bank, read what to say when another lender said no too.

Ring from the ACT

Call 03 4059 1829, 9am to 5pm Canberra time, or request a call-back at a time that suits. Enquiring doesn’t involve a credit check, your details aren’t farmed out to a queue of lenders, and a real specialist handles your situation. Please give accurate figures, including contract and payment details, so we can match you properly the first time.