The Coalition Government is backing Tasmanian small businesses with a $6.4 million investment in red tape reduction, to make it easier for new businesses to start and for existing businesses to grow.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the funding was part of the Coalition Government’s $300 million Small Business Regulatory Reform Agenda.
“Our plan recognises that the private sector employs nine out of every 10 workers and is focused on making sure that businesses stay competitive, keep investing and continue to hire more workers,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said.
“This new $6.4 million investment will allow small businesses like cafes, builders and retailers to spend less time and money on regulatory burdens, and more time and money on doing business.
“New businesses will be able to start sooner and existing businesses will be able to grow faster, which will ultimately create jobs, to boost productivity and further strengthen Tasmania’s economy.”
Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the funding was good news for the 36,600 Tasmanian small businesses.
“Small business is the engine room of our economy, employing tens of thousands of Tasmanians in our cities and our regions,” the Deputy Premier said.
“This funding will make it easier to do business in Tasmania, which will drive further economic growth across our state.
“Over the next three years we will use this funding to deliver on four priority regulatory reforms that remove costs and complexity for business.”
The projects include:
- One-Stop Portal: Hospitality and tourism businesses currently have to lodge separate environmental, heritage and food safety applications in addition to their building application. The existing Planning and Building portal will be expanded to allow businesses to apply online for all these permits in one go.
- Bushfire Risks: Tasmanian businesses will have access to online mapping of bushfire risks to help them better understand, prepare and manage risks. This will reduce costs as they put in place effective mitigation measures.
- Water and Sewerage Spatial Data: Small businesses undertaking development projects will have access to improved spatial data, to identify water infrastructure on their land without having to hire a ground-surveying consultant.
- Automation of Licence Verification: Tasmanian builders will no longer need to manually verify their employees’ and contractors’ building licences for each project. A new automated online portal will help ensure those working on building sites are suitably qualified while cutting unnecessary administrative burden on builders.
This funding builds on the Coalition Government’s support for small business including increasing and extending the Instant Asset Write-Off initiative, fast-tracking tax relief for small and medium businesses and making it easier for small businesses to access finance through the $2 billion Securitisation Fund. Backing small business is part of our plan for a stronger economy.