Less red tape for Ballarat business

IN a move to aid the municipality’s economy, the City of Ballarat is the latest local government area in Victoria to sign the Small Business Friendly Council charter.

In announcing a new partnership between the Victorian Small Business Commission and the City of Ballarat, Minister for Small Business Jaala Pulford signed off the on the program.

The initiative aims to remove red tape in the permit approval process to save small businesses time and money when starting out or expanding.

Ms Pulford said this is just one way the State government is supporting local economies survive.

“This is a great opportunity to support the council to allow them to do things faster and better and simpler for our small businesses,” she said.

“This is a program that started long before coronavirus came into existence.

“It’s about making council’s business friendly and to minimise disruption to them and streamline processes.”

The City of Ballarat has also completed the Better Approvals project which averages in a 73 per cent reduction in average approval times on multiple permit applications statewide.

Joined by Stuart Benjamin chair of the Small Business Ministerial Council and Jodie Gillet CEO of Commerce Ballarat, City of Ballarat Mayor Ben Taylor said it’s imperative to support grass roots operations.

“It’s important to have this charter in place so councils can support those local businesses with the small but really important things,” he said.

Ms Gillet added, “We need to buy local and keep supporting local because these businesses need every bit of support that they can get.”

Forty-one councils from around the state have already signed the charter including the City of Yarra, Corangamite Shire, City of Melbourne and the Hepburn Shire Council.

Ms Pulford said she is urging all municipalities around the state to take up the opportunity and support their small businesses.

“In the context of the pandemic and the very significant economic downturn that everyone’s experiencing, I hope the other councils get on board,” she said.

“I’m writing to all of the ones who haven’t yet taken the opportunity.

“Right now, anything that we can do to support our small businesses we are doing.”