Hi members

Strong local economies are so important, especially now, and this looks like a well worthwhile event for those that can make it in the middle of the day – if enough people would like to hear Nicole speak but can’t make this day/time – let us know and we’ll see if we can arrange another time/location after business hours – I imagine we would need to assure some sort of minimum numbers

Cheers Guy

Nicole Foss – Speaking tour at Coffs Harbour on 11 February 2012. $10 including light lunch

“why strong local economies are smart economies”

For details click on local communities built on trust and resilience

Guy Saddleton

President Bellingen Chamber of Commerce

ph 0411 229 300

Sunday, 29 January 2012

TAX OFFICE STILL NUMBER ONE RED TAPE OFFENDER

The Australian Tax Office and local councils continue to dominate the top positions on the leader board of government organisations burying NSW businesses in mountains of red tape according to the fourth annual Red Tape Survey by the NSW Business Chamber.

The top government red tape offenders with medium to high levels of red tape are:

Australian Tax Office (57.0%)

Local Councils (55.5%)

NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure (51.7%)

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (50.0%)

Fair Work Australia (49.7%)

Over the past two years, six out of ten businesses in NSW have experienced an increase in the cost (62.7%) and time (63.5%) it takes to comply with government red tape. Less than 1% (0.2%) of businesses surveyed said it had decreased.

Disturbingly, more than one in every ten (12.7%) businesses surveyed is spending over 20 hours a week on red tape. A further one in five (18.2%) is spending between six to ten hours.

“For all the rhetoric from every level of government about reducing regulatory burdens, the experience of businesses in NSW is one of increasing compliance costs and a mountain of red tape,” said Kellon Beard, Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber Regional Manager.

“Many of these government organisations and departments appearing on the Top 5 list will come as no surprise to business owners who have to deal with their reporting and regulatory requirements day in, day out.

“The ATO demonstrated during the GFC that it could be a supportive and flexible partner with the business community. That support was greatly appreciated by business operators during that tough period but sadly it appears the ATO has reverted to form.

“The message coming out loud and clear from this survey is that while the complexity of regulations themselves creates difficulty for business owners, the problem in a lot of cases is the fundamental operation of the government agency itself.

Mr Beard said complaints about government agencies included difficulty speaking to a representative and then getting accurate information, complex and unfriendly websites, inflexibility and unrealistic timeframes.

“There is a growing disconnect between expectations of government agencies and the realities of operating a business. Government agencies need to have a stronger customer focus just like the businesses they regulate.”

“The business environment is becoming more heavily regulated and that stifles creativity and innovation. Red tape is an impediment to growth and impacts costs, profits and employment.”

“Local council regulation and decision-making continues to be a cumbersome nightmare for business. Business wants certainty and timely decision making from local government – even if the answer is no – business owners want to know where they stand.”

Mr Beard said he was concerned by the response that half (50%) of businesses surveyed said red tape was having some impact on the growth of their business.

“We need strategies to remove the burden of red tape which prevents businesses from investing in the future growth of their enterprise. The effects of this are decreased employment opportunities and a weaker economy generating less revenue for government to invest in essential services and infrastructure.

“All this red tape acts as disincentive for the next generation of Australian entrepreneurs to take on the challenge of running their own business.”

Mr Beard said the NSW Business Chamber has been encouraged by the actions of the O’Farrell Government to date in prioritising red tape reduction, and in particular the fact that the Government has announced policy initiatives consistent with each of the primary recommendations set out in the Chamber’s Red Tape Action Plan.

The NSW Government has committed to:

Having all agencies pay their bills within 30 days or pay penalty interest.

Introducing a Standard Cost Model (SCM) for measuring the costs of regulation.

Implementing a “One On, Two Off‟ rule for new regulations. All departments and agencies seeking to introduce new regulation must identify two existing pieces of regulation to be removed.

Appointing a cross-border commissioner to help resolve some of the administrative and regulatory issues between NSW and the bordering states of Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.

Achieving a 20 per cent reduction in red tape within its first term (5 per cent per annum).

“Business has enthusiastically welcomed the appointment of Yasmin King as NSW’s first Small Business Commissioner. The NSW Business Chamber will be collaborating with Ms King to reduce the red tape burden on the NSW business community.”

NSW Business Chamber undertook its annual Red Tape Survey of 581 businesses during November 2011.

The fourth annual Red Tape Survey is available at www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au.

Kellon Beard

Regional Manager

Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber &

New England North West NSW Business Chamber

146-148 Gordon Street Port Macquarie NSW 2444

Tel: +612 6584 0910 | Mob: 0427 767 246 | Fax: 02 6584 0930

Web:www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au

Advice on how you invoice the former Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW).

Please find attached notification advising changes to invoice processing and registration of a small business for Office of Environment and Heritage. SB Payment of Accounts Letter 100112 VendorLetter_email_MASTER

You can send completed registration forms to the email address below.

With Thanks

Deborah Hughes

Accounts Services Manager

Office of Environment and Heritage

Department of Premier and Cabinet

Ph: 02 9585 6115

Fax: 02 9585 6536

Email: SBregister@environment.nsw.gov.au

Further information from Ausindustry re grants and other business opportunities

Hi All

Here is our summer version of our newsletter Ausindustry Regional Managers News January 2012

just a few key points of note

• TCF Small Business Program – closing 24.2.12
• Clean Technology Investment and Innovation Programs – Register your interest
• Changes to Commercialisation Australia
• Wage Connect Subsidy

If you would like to contact us regarding any of the above or you have any questions regarding any of AusIndustry programs, please phone: (02) 40 145 977

Regards

Jo Fisher

Regional Manager

Central Coast, Hunter & North Coast

AusIndustry

Tel: +61 2 40 145 977 | Mob: 0410 221 708 | Fax: +61 2 603 847

jo.fisher@innovation.gov.au

_______________________________________________________________

Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education

IDC – Hunter, Level 1

University Drive, Callaghan NSW 2308

PO Box 189, Hunter Region Mail Centre NSW 2310

Hotline: 13 28 46 | hotline@ausindustry.gov.au

www.ausindustry.gov.au

Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Online Newsletter: AusFocus

ABN 74 599 608 295

Dear all

Welcome back to those of you back in work today for the first time since before Christmas!

All has been very busy at Kombu. We have continued to grow and have run out of room in our current location. We were recently offered a gorgeous and much larger space in central Bellingen and will be moving with much excitement later this month. Key dates that you may need to know are:

LAST DATE FOR DELIVERY INTO CURRENT STORE AT 105 HYDE ST: 12noon Wednesday 25th January

FIRST DATE FOR DELIVERY INTO NEW STORE: CHILLED LINES: 9am Monday 30th January NON CHILLED LINES: 9am Monday 23rd January

We are open at 105 Hyde St until 5.30pm on Wednesday 25th January

We are closed Thursday 26th January through Sunday 29th January

We open in our new location 9am Monday 30th January – 1 Church St Bellingen NSW 2454

Phone number, email address etc. remain the same

Can we ask that you please update your records accordingly.

If you have any questions please let me know.

Great to be working with you.

Many thanks and wishing you a great 2012.

Kev

Kombu Wholefoods

105 Hyde St Bellingen NSW 2454 From 30/1/12: 1 Church St Bellingen NSW 2454

p: Customer Service: 1300 741 192 Admin: 02 5615 8086 Produce: 02 5615 8087

e: shop@kombu.com.au / w: www.kombuwholefoods.com.au

Join the Kombu community on Facebook and Twitter

Mission Australia’s service, Junaa Buwa! Centre for Youth Well Being in Coffs Harbour (previously named Coffs Youth Rehab Service) provides a residential rehabilitation service to young people between the ages of 13 – 18 whose established use of alcohol and other drugs places them at risk of significant harm and leads to offending behaviour. Myself and several staff have decided to support the national campaign Febfast 2012 by giving up alcohol for one month to raise money for young people in Australia with drug and alcohol problems. We believe that this also sends a supportive message to the young people currently in our care.

As a member of the Bellingen Chamber of Commerce we appeal to other members to support our sobriety by sponsoring us to raise money for this great cause.

A word on where the money goes. The donations you make help young people throughout the country to deal with alcohol and other drug issues. In 2012, eight charities and community partners will benefit from your funds. They are:

• YSAS in Vic

• Mater Health Services in Qld

• The Ted Noffs Foundation in NSW and ACT

• Bushmob in the NT

• Mission Australia in SA and Tassie

• Holyoake in WA and

• The Australian Drug Foundation nationwide.

Each of these great organisations provides a range of support, re-education and counselling for young Australians tackling serious alcohol and drug issues.

You can access my fundraising page via http://www.febfastfundraising.com.au/carolyn_heise

Thank you,

Carolyn Heise – Services Manager , Northern NSW, Mission Australia

E: heisec@missionaustralia.com.au | P: (02) 66585437 | M: 0409803572 A: PO Box 396 Sawtell NSW 2452 | W: www.missionaustralia.com.au

Our Values – Compassion Integrity Respect Perseverance Celebration

Our Vision – To see a fairer Australia by enabling people in need to find pathways to a better life.

The Telstra Business Awards are about to open again (Feb 6) and the Telstra Business Women’s Awards are now open. Council would like to encourage businesses in the Bellingen Shire to be involved with these very worthwhile and exciting awards.

For businesses looking for support, there is a business network website that encourages contact to mentors and other business folk for support, ideas etc.

Telstra Business Awards – http://www.telstrabusinessawards.com/2011-awards-14.aspx – This year the Awards are introducing the Telstra Start-up Business Award that might be applicable for some of the new comers in the Shire to consider.

Telstra Business Awards Network – https://telstrabusinessawardsnetwork.com/Default.aspx

Telstra Business Women’s Awards – http://telstrabusinesswomensawards.com/nominate/default.aspx – Nominations are open now and not likely to close until June 2012 so lots of time. One to keep in mind.

Australian Business Awards are also open but may be more suited to the larger companies/organisations etc. They do have a product awards category however that may be suitable. Both links attached.

The Australian Business Awards – http://www.businessawards.com.au/australianbusinessawards/

Product Awards - http://www.productawards.com.au/productawardcategories/

Best wishes

Stuart

Stuart Allardice

Manager Economic Development and Tourism

Bellingen Shire Council

PO Box 117 Bellingen NSW 2454

Mob:0428670357

Ph:02 6655 7306

Fax:66552310

Email:sallardice@bellingen.nsw.gov.au

” It is not the strongest of the species that survive,nor the most intelligent,but the one most responsive to change” Charles Darwin.

From January 1, 2012 you may be eligible to receive around $5700 for each new employee, or around $220 per week (pre-GST), to subsidise the costs of wages and training for the first six months your eligible employee is in the job.

Please see pdf for full details Wage Connect Subsidy flyer

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/newlegislation2012/Pages/default.aspx . There are links to fact sheets, webinars, a PowerPoint presentation and publications at this site.

Beverley Jackson, Business Advisory Officer, Business Assistance Branch WorkCover NSW, also recommends that members subscribe to the free eNews for updates.

“Our community has yet another chance to ensure local issues are heard and I’m asking all residents to view the Planning Review Issues Paper and send submissions before the closing date of February 17, 2012, ” Mr Stoner said.

See full details in pdf  161211PlanningReview