Minister's message

Queensland small and family businesses are critical to our communities—creating jobs and supporting diverse local economies across the state. While small businesses continue their work delivering vital goods and services to Queenslanders, they are doing so in the face of a range of operating challenges and pressures, which include cost of living pressures, digital transformation, global uncertainty, cyber threats, and natural disasters. Collectively these factors are affecting business confidence and profitability and testing the grit of our small business owners.

Noting our ageing population, we also need to make sure our younger generations feel supported to take over or create new small businesses. It is vital that future generations see the value in self-employment and/or family businesses, and understand and appreciate the vital contribution small enterprises make to our economy and our communities.

With these conditions in mind, the Queensland Government's Small Business First approach is supporting small and family businesses by putting in place the right operating environment for them to thrive. This includes a clear focus on reducing costly red tape, streamlining government services, and fostering innovation.

As Minister for Customer Services and Open Data and Minister Small and Family Business, I am committed to meeting the needs of government customers and ensuring our small and family businesses can easily access the information, advice and supports they need from government to help them focus on their business goals.

I know from speaking with small and family businesses across the state that government red tape is an ongoing frustration, and inefficient regulation is stifling business growth and competition. We've heard loud and clear that we need to improve the operating environment for businesses. We will do this through measures that improve business cashflow and make it easier for businesses to interact with a more customer focused government.

This Small and Family Business First Action Statement outlines our immediate priorities for small and family business—a clear set of actions underpinned by new investment in excess of $100 million over 4 years.

This is the first step in ensuring Queensland small and family businesses are empowered to get on with business and in doing so, drive economic growth and employment across our state—multiplying the benefits for us all.

Steve Minnikin MP
Minister for Customer Services and Open Data and
Minister for Small and Family Business