Qld SME owners urged to ‘speak up’ on government red tape reduction

The Crisafulli government is encouraging SME owners to voice concerns surrounding business regulations as part of its mission to reduce red tape across all industries.

Government leaders have urged SME owners to provide feedback on red tape reduction, in a move to reduce the surging number of business insolvencies.

According to the government, it wanted to focus on effectively delivering for the 495,000 small and family-owned businesses in the state as part of its 100 Day Plan.

Phase one of feedback was focused on Queensland’s 120 Chambers of Commerce, which paved the way for phase two – feedback from SMEs in all industries.

The government said a decade of the former Labor government's red tape restrictions had driven the highest failure rate of businesses in the country.

The Crisafulli government said this drove it to implement change as 30 per cent of the state’s small businesses were failing within the first five years of business.

Minister for Small and Family Business, Steve Minnikin, said the Crisafulli government’s actions would all small businesses to “unleash” their full potential.

“Feedback is now open to all 495,000 small and family businesses across Queensland from tradies to tourism operators, and cafes to clothing stores,” Minister Minnikin said.

“Some of the feedback we’ve already received includes language on government forms being too complicated, contradicting information from different areas of government or duplication in auditing and monitoring requirements.”

Analysis from Business Chamber Queensland highlighted the cost of regulation had doubled in just two years to $50,000 and on average businesses were having to engage the equivalent of a fulltime employee to manage the regulation.

Minister Minnikin noted points like this motivated the 100 Day Plan and red tape reduction, as the Crisafulli government wanted to see small businesses “not only survive but thrive.”

The Crisafulli government had already taken steps to cut red tape, such as the Building Reg Reno to reduce red tape and unnecessary costs for builders, tradies and subbies, he said.

“Small and family businesses are telling us that growing red tape and inefficient regulation is stifling their business growth and competitiveness.”

“We’ve reinstated the Productivity Commission and paused Labor’s Best Practice Industry Conditions, stopping many additional costs and red tape flowing through to small and family businesses.”