Small Business Friendly Program · Report

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING                                                11 APRIL 2023


   •   Reaffirms the importance of, and value that small businesses bring to our shire.
   •   Provides access to a dedicated point of contact within the Office of the QSBC to seek
       immediate advice or information.

Signing the Charter will enhance the operating environment for small business by:
   •   Engaging the whole organisation, not just the customer service team or a specific function in
       a collective and integrated approach.
   •   Creating a journey of continuous learning and improvement.
   •   Connecting Noosa Council with other Local Governments and other organisations to share
       knowledge and ultimately improve the efficiency and effectiveness of all member
       organisations.
Council has continued to reduce red tape through the Noosa Plan. When the Noosa Plan was
introduced levels of assessment were reduced for many uses, making it easier for business in
centres for example to change between uses.

Reporting

As a signatory, Council will be required to report back to the QSBC with a progress update tracking
our small business friendly activities and achievements. Contained within the Charter are a number
of requirements Council would be expected to address. Many of these requirements are already
standard reporting procedure for the Economic Development branch of council and are not
considered overly burdensome.

As a mechanism for continuous improvement, many of the Charter's tasks can be considered ‘good
practice’ and embraces systems and processes that Council is already addressing to ensure that
engagement across all directorates is easier for the small business community.

Alignment with Council Strategic Priorities

The SBFP initiative aligns with the activities identified in the endorsed Noosa Shire Economic
Development, Smart Biosphere Strategy 2021 – 2030.

Growth enabler              Priority Action
Encouraging                 Explore the opportunities and benefits of adopting the Queensland
Entrepreneurship &          Small Business Friendly Councils Charter to guide quality engagement
Innovation                  between Council and the business community



Organisational Implications

Although championed and led by the Economic Development Team, for the initiative to be successful
the following requirements are necessary:

   •   Support from Noosa Council’s Executive and Leadership Team
   •   Support from Council Officers across all departments that deal with small businesses
   •   Establishment of a cross-council working group/s to assist with an Audit of existing small
       business friendly initiatives; identify current Small Business friendly activities; identify areas
       of improvement and initiatives to embed and maintain a small business friendly culture across
       the organisation.