28 April 2023
- Noosa Council is the 44th council to join Queensland's Small Business Friendly (SBF) program.
- Its first action as an SBF member will see Noosa Council sign the SBF Charter this morning at the 2023 Small Business Friendly Conference being held at the Maroochy RSL Events Centre on the Sunshine Coast.
- The 2023 Small Business Friendly Conference is an exclusive member benefit of the Small Business Friendly Program developed and delivered by the Queensland Small Business Commissioner to bring members together to collaborate and share ideas.
As of 28 April 2023, 44 of 77 councils (or 57% of councils) are members of the SBF program. This represents 80% of the Queensland small business community.
The SBF program was established by the Queensland Small Business Commissioner in 2020 to recognise and support organisations that are working hard to help local small businesses survive and thrive. The SBF Charter is a series of simple yet powerful commitments to guide how members can enhance how they work with small businesses. Activities can include:
- raising small business profile and capability by addressing regulatory pain points (reducing red tape)
- making it easier for councils to buy from, and be a good customer of, their local small businesses (ensuring fair procurement and prompt payment terms)
- being mindful of and proactively managing disruptions caused to business when undertaking infrastructure projects or road works
- supporting resilience and recovery in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters.
Queensland has more than 473,000 small businesses, contributing around $120 billion to our economy, creating jobs, growing local economies, and providing essential goods and services.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Employment and Skills Development and Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer:
"Small businesses are the backbone of the state's economy and are a crucial focus of the Queensland Government's objectives for the community. They are our families, our friends, our neighbours and help keep our communities strong.
"Collaborating to support jobs, grow manufacturing, and investing in skills will help Queensland small businesses thrive.
"I'm delighted that so many councils have committed to being small business friendly and I am confident that Noosa Council will benefit by aligning themselves with other like-minded SBF program members."
Quotes attributable to the Queensland Small Business Commissioner, Dominique Lamb:
"We welcome Noosa Council to the SBF family. By joining the SBF program today, it demonstrates their commitment to working together to enhance the operating environment for small businesses.
"Our team is committed to supporting the council and the local small business community to help deliver real benefits for Noosa. We are confident Noosa Council will learn a lot from the great work being done by other SBF program members.
"Being at the 2023 Small Business Conference today means all councils including Noosa Council have the chance to think about the future, share ideas and learn from one another."
Quotes attributable to Noosa Council Mayor, Clare Stewart:
"At Noosa Council, we are proud to join the Small Business Friendly program to further demonstrate our commitment to all small businesses across Noosa.
"We have a vibrant small businesses community that is key to our economic growth, the backbone of our shire who continually delivers first class service.
"By signing the SBF Charter today, we are committed to working with our local small businesses to continue to improve how we do business."
