Meeting papers

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING                                             11 APRIL 2023


5.2     SMALL BUSINESS FRIENDLY PROGRAM


Author              Project Officer, Vicky Kottaras
                    Economic Development Department
Index
Attachments         1.   Sample Small Business Friendly Charter
                    2.   SBFP Project Plan Report 2023
                    3.   Noosa Council Small Business Friendly Activities 2023


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Noosa Council has been approached by the Queensland Small Business Commissioner (QSBC) to
join the Small Business Friendly Council's Program (SBFC) by signing the Small Business Friendly
Council Charter. The aim of the SBFP is to assist Councils to be mindful of and alert to the needs
of small businesses when making decisions.

The purpose of this report is to provide background information on the Charter and the organisational
implications of signing the Small Business Friendly Council Charter.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Project Officer Economic Development to the Planning &
Environment Committee Meeting dated 11 April 2023 regarding the Small Business Friendly
Councils Program and:
      A. Approve Council to join the "Small Business Friendly Councils Program" and
      B. Delegate authority to the Chief Executive Officer to deal with any matters arising from the
         implementation of the Charter.


REPORT
The Program

The Small Business Friendly Councils Program (SBFC) was introduced by State Government in
2020 to enhance the operating environment for small businesses and provide opportunities for them
to thrive, in direct response to the Queensland Government Better Regulation Taskforce. The
program is administered by the office of the Queensland Small Business Commissioner and provides
a framework, support, and tools to help local governments to realise their role in supporting small
business.

Further the Program aims to improve customer service for important business stakeholders across
all Queensland communities, which will in turn enhances the economic wellbeing of Queensland.
Importantly, joining the program is a mandatory pre-requisite for those Councils wishing to secure
funds from State Government’s $1.8 billion SEQ City Deal program, currently only two Councils
within SEQ have not yet signed.

Noosa Shire Statistics

Noosa Shire is home to just over 7,000 GST registered businesses of which 58% are non-employing,
31% have 1-4 employees and 9.2% have between 5-19 employees.




                                                                                             Page 121 of 201