Page 3474 - Week 11 - Thursday, 15 November 2007
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businesses need most as they develop is guidance and advice from others, especially those who have trodden the same path. With this in mind, the government has provided $1 million per annum to support small business mentoring and advisory programs, and a new service, Canberra Business Point, launched in July this year, is the cornerstone of this commitment.
More than 30 Canberra businesses and organisations have also joined forces with the government to support the Live in Canberra program, which is promoting Canberra’s unique qualities as a place to work and live, both nationally and internationally. This new branding of Canberra is being used extensively by the skilled and business migration program, which has facilitated over 900 new Canberra residents from overseas in the past 12 months.
We have taken action to streamline our regulatory practices, establishing the Office of Regulatory Services as a one-stop shop for many regulatory dealings. This step, although significant, is the first in a process to streamline and reduce the regulatory burden on business, whilst still maintaining employees and consumer protection. The office brings together capability from across government to undertake licensing, registration and accreditation activities. It has expertise in dispute resolution and providing assistance to consumers and traders, as well as a role in compliance, enforcement and education.
Doing business with government can be a daunting process, and we have revised our procurement processes to facilitate access to government business and increase industry awareness of government procurement opportunities. For example, the ability of small business to access government business opportunities is being enhanced through the use of pre-tender consultations and the lowering of contract disclosure thresholds to $20,000. We will continue to review our processes, aiming to enhance business access while still delivering value for money for the taxpayers of the ACT community.
A dynamic heart is the sixth strategic theme of the Canberra plan, and it, too, is an area of solid achievement. At the heart of this theme is a concentrated program of land release, housing, infrastructure improvements, public domain, transport improvement, entertainment and public events. This ambitious program aims to give new life to Canberra’s heart, to attract new visitors, to lure back former visitors and tenants and to foster new business, tourism and employment opportunities.
The government funded a $30 million refurbishment of the National Convention Centre, which has very recently seen it re-emerge as a leading and high quality conference, event and convention facility. After a disappointing, but nature-driven setback, we have reopened the outstanding Civic library, the completion of which was designed to complement the equally impressive Canberra theatre link project.
The Childers Street project also represents a major public sector investment in the implementation of the City West master plan. The $6.5 million project was funded by the government, and it features key infrastructure and street furniture to make that precinct a more vibrant gateway. The ANU-City West agreement continues to be a key driver in the development of City West and in the provision of essential infrastructure such as student accommodation.
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