Griffith City Council has been commended for its leadership in making it easier for local businesses to start and grow at the inaugural Small Business Friendly Councils Conference in Sydney in May 2019.
NSW Minister for Small Business Damien Tudehope said Griffith City Council was one of 69 NSW councils to join business leaders, mayors and experts from across the country to plan and discuss strategies to stimulate local economies.
"The Small Business Friendly Councils is a fantastic initiative that provides all NSW councils with information, workshops, networking opportunities and resources to support local businesses," Mr Tudehope said.
"This inaugural conference was a significant milestone for the Small Business Friendly Councils initiative, and I was pleased to join Griffith City Council to celebrate their involvement."
NSW Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello also attended the conference to acknowledge Griffith City Council in joining the Easy to do Business program.
"This award-winning program puts customers at the heart of everything we do and transforms how small business owners transact with government.
"Easy to do Business has been a huge success, with 108 NSW councils now on board, covering two-thirds of the state.
"Small business owners can access free online and phone support from Service NSW's Business Concierge, which means they can start, open and grow much faster," Mr Dominello said.
NSW Small Business Commissioner Robyn Hobbs congratulated Griffith City Council for embracing the Small Business Friendly Councils initiative and for their commitment to supporting the growth of Griffith area.
"Small business is the backbone of our economy and local government plays a key role in supporting businesses to start and grow," said Ms Hobbs.
Griffith City Council was presented with a plaque to recognise its commitment to the Small Business Friendly Councils initiative and Easy to do Business.
"We are pleased to be part of an initiative that helps small businesses navigate their way through red tape to get started quickly and succeed," Mayor John Dal Broi said.
Griffith wines also proudly featured at the Conference, with guest speakers taking home bottles of the local drop as gifts.
Mr Tudehope said NSW is now home to more than 765,000 small businesses, the most the state has ever had.
"More small businesses are being created in NSW than any other state, with a net growth of close to 30,000 businesses in 2017-18," Mr Tudehope said.
"This is a fantastic result for our state and it shows there is no better place to start a new small business than in NSW."
