Glen Eira signs up to the Small Business Friendly Council initiative

The Small Business Friendly Council initiative was launched yesterday by Minister for Small Business Adem Somyurek.

Glen Eira Mayor Cr Jamie Hyams and Council CEO Rebecca McKenzie were joined by Minister Somyurek; Member for Bentleigh Nick Staikos MP; and Small Business Victoria Commissioner Judy O’Connell at Fifth Chapter Café in Bentleigh for the official signing of the initiative, which will cut red tape and help businesses to thrive.

Minister Somyurek said Victoria is the best state in Australia in which to build a small business.

“We know that red tape can be a barrier to growth for small business and that is why we are working with local councils to streamline regulatory processes,” he said.

Cr Hyams welcomed the new initiative, which will help Council to continue its best-practice approach to supporting local businesses.

“Earlier this year, Council participated in the State Government’s Better Approvals Project, which helped us form a new process to help reduce the time it takes to issue footpath trading permits,” he said.

“As a result, our new process has reduced the waiting period for businesses from an average of 126 days to 11 days.

“This is a great example of what can happen when different levels of government work together, and I hope to see similar collaborations in the future.”