Page 4638 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
The ACT government will continue to pursue a cooperative approach with the New South Wales government and surrounding local government areas on planning, economic growth and development, services and infrastructure and environmental matters, recognising that this is important for local jobs and economic opportunities.
Let us now focus on business development. The ACT government also actively supports private sector development in the ACT through a range of targeted and well-conceived programs. These programs help small companies at important stages in their development. They support businesses as they grow and employ more Canberrans.
This Labor government’s commitment is well demonstrated through its initiatives. Let me remind those opposite of a few of them. The Canberra BusinessPoint small business advisory service delivered training to around 500 small business owners in 2009-10, engaged around 800 people in information and advisory events through the year and had 4,700 contacts through its e-learning programs.
Focused mentoring and advisory services for growth-oriented businesses are an important way to accelerate their development and their economic contribution to the territory’s economy. Canberra BusinessPoint provides guidance and support for business start-ups. It facilitates links and opens lines of communication for established businesses and service providers. Guidance, support and access to resources are key components, as are support with finance, accounting and taxation obligations, business structures, intellectual property, managing relationships and alliances, insurance and liability, record keeping, capital raising and even succession and exit strategies.
The ACT Business Licence Information Service is a free online resource providing comprehensive access and information on the range of business licences, registrations, permits and approvals required when setting up a business in Canberra. Clients can readily search and explore the range of business requirements and obligations applicable to their situation and access levels of information pertinent to their needs.
The Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre works closely with early-stage creative technology businesses to shape and improve their business model and business systems. Part of the ACT’s innovation pipeline, Lighthouse works with businesses to focus on the critical competencies and resources needed to make any business run efficiently and effectively.
Innovation Connect is a competitive grants program that provides funding for small technology-focused companies and entrepreneurs. Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000 to match applicant funding. This initiative facilitates innovation by focusing on ideas at the early and first stages of commercialisation. To date, 61 applications have been funded with approximately $1.03 million committed in grant support.
Other resources include CollabIT, aimed at connecting local small and medium businesses to larger ICT companies. The program helps business grow through collaboration and participation in larger procurement projects. The government also
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video