Community & Business
15 February, 2023
Small businesses want less red tape
Pat Weir and the Oakey Chamber of Commerce have called for easier, more streamlined compliance paperwork.
With an invitation for small businesses to give feedback on their challenges and issues on the table, the Oakey Chamber of Commerce has outlined its concerns and challenges.
Chief among these concerns is a focus on ‘red tape’, or the amount of paperwork and compliance required to operate in the modern world.
Whilst some compliance requirements are important, such as health and safety, other compliance paperwork is obtuse, and requires small business owners to have an understanding of government bureaucracy.
Local member for Condamine Pat Weir, says that while the Opposition is in favour of measures such as the Small Business Commissioner to provide support to small business, greater scope is needed.
“It should be broader, and focus on disputes between small businesses and government departments,” Mr Weir said.
“It doesn’t address the red tape and regulations.
“I can also assure you small business missed out on most of the grant funding (during COVID).”
Oakey Chamber of Commerce President Andrew Langton said the regulations and back and forth between government departments placed unnecessary pressure on small business owners in Oakey.
“It feels like it’s a lot harder to run a small business these days,” he said.
“It costs a lot more for owners.”
Minister for Employment and Small Business Di Farmer said in December that the Palaszczuk Government was committed to making it easier to do business in Queensland.
“During my Small Business Roadshow earlier this year, I spoke to thousands of businesses,” Ms Farmer said.
“One of the concerns raised with me was that starting a new business can be confusing and time consuming, particularly making sure you’ve ticked all the regulatory boxes.
“That’s why the new Business Launchpad offers a one-stop shop online tool for small businesses to
easily locate that required action list, instead of having to search multiple websites.”
