Page 4070 - Week 13 - Thursday, 10 November 1994
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We wonder why it is so difficult for small business in Canberra. It has been estimated recently that there are some 13,000 small businesses in Canberra. It is hard to tell exactly, but that is probably a reasonable figure. Let me look at one of the matters that I have mentioned in this Assembly before on a matter of public importance. There was a company involved in tipping household rubbish. When one of our many taxes was introduced in the ACT - tip fees on businesses only - the company was being crippled by tipping fees. They did something that was very good. They decided that, as 90 per cent of the stuff they were tipping was green, they would turn it into compost. They worked on that for a while and realised that it was a viable situation. They were turning out very nice compost. I have been out there and had my hands in it. They have a wonderful little set-up. They made an application for a site. That cost just under $4,000. That was 22 weeks ago - and there it sits. They made their application 22 weeks ago.
Various Ministers with responsibility in this particular area might comment that it is important that such applications go through various processes. I do not disagree with that; but what about getting out there and helping small businesses, particularly those that are doing something like composting? Why do we not set up a section so that, the moment someone comes up with a good idea, they can be put in touch with some capable people who will get the show on the road?
Mr Wood: More bureaucracy?
MR STEVENSON: No, Bill. It is what you set up when you want to avoid bureaucracy, when you want to avoid strangling people with red tape. I understand that there is value in rules and regulations, but you cannot tell me that for a business to have no result after a 22-week delay is a sensible or justifiable situation. It simply is not, however we may try to justify these things. I do not want to have a go at people, but we need to do something about this as more and more businesses go down the chute in the ACT and more and more of them are living on a shoestring. I raised an MPI about that particular case some two months ago, but still we do not have a result. The key is a result. It is nice that things are being done, but this particular group are confronted with never ending rules and regulations and their business, which is extremely valuable to the ACT, is not operating as it should. I am told that they are losing $500 a day because of the delay. That is amazing.
Many months ago I brought up the matter of an organisation in Melbourne that approached the ACT Government with a proposal to establish a business within the ACT. The business was involved in recycling paper, perhaps using methane gas from a tip. I believe that our tips may not be big enough to link up. I am not 100 per cent sure, but I have been told that that may be the case. A full and detailed submission was made to this Government. It cost quite a lot of money to get that submission done. It was very complete. I have seen it. I have read it. It is superb. It resulted in the Queensland Government offering land and $1m. It resulted in the Berwick Council offering land and money. In fact, the proposal is going ahead in Victoria. Unfortunately, we did not even send a letter of reply to that company in Victoria. Is this promoting small business in the ACT? I think not.
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