Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Small Business Minister Sean L'Estrange said with more than 400,000 square metres of additional retail space approved for development, and more than 1,700 new retail stores expected to be developed in Western Australia by 2020, the project would focus on making it easier for small retailers to start and grow their businesses. "Following planning reforms introduced by the State Government in 2010, Western Australia is now undergoing the biggest retail shopping centre upgrades it has ever seen, with about $4.4 billion to be invested into the sector over the next three to four years," Mr L'Estrange said. "More than 11,000 jobs will be created during the construction phase and more than 8,000 ongoing retail jobs. We are acting now, to reduce the red tape barriers for entrants into the retail sector as well as to ease the burden for existing retailers." The 90 Day Retail Mapping Project will be led by the Small Business Development Corporation. The project will identify unnecessary or inefficient regulatory burdens and lead to reduced compliance for new and existing retailers. It will also examine the practice of landlords on-selling electricity at a profit to tenants and it will look at the potential introduction of a standard form tenancy contract for small businesses. "As Small Business Minister, I am committed to making the regulatory environment easier for retailers," Mr L'Estrange said. "As an example, a new clothing retailer must negotiate at least 35 licensing requirements before opening. If we want to attract new entrants into the retail sector and see them succeed, the regulations need to be reduced and improved. "Essentially it is about streamlining regulation and accelerating approvals and licensing to get retail start-ups open for business with less cost and in a shorter amount of time." Fact File
|
|