September 20, 2024
South Burnett Regional Council plans to set up a working group to examine “red and green tape” within Council that can bog down business activities.
Councillors voted at their general meeting on Wednesday to establish the “Red/Green Tape Reduction Advisory and Working Group”.
“This is one of the points I campaigned on and is very much something that I know the community wants to see,” Mayor Kathy Duff said.
The SBRC has defined “red tape ” as regulations that restrict the activities of businesses or imposes compliance costs on businesses.
“Green tape” refers to regulations that places restrictions or imposes requirements on businesses that relate to environmental concerns and impacts.
A Council statement said CEO Mark Pitt, Mayor Duff and all councillors would form the committee as well as Council staff who had “volunteered” their time.
“The committee will establish Terms of Reference but their core role will be to look for ways to streamline Council processes and provide better outcomes for the community,” the statement said.
Mayor Duff said Small Business Commissioner Dominique Lamb, who visited Council recently, provided some suggestions that will be on the agenda at the first meeting of the new group.
It will initially be an internal Council group but as it moves forward will look at ways to involve other groups, organisations, agencies, service providers, businesses and State and Federal Government representatives.
“It will also be a key part of the process to get community feedback and it will be important that the community has a major say in the outcomes,” Mayor Duff said.
It is expected that the group will meet quarterly or as needed.
Is this not a priority. Quarterly meetings? Come on. Just a headline grab.