CCIQ releases wishlist ahead of October state election

As Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick prepares to deliver an economic update, the state’s small business lobby group has delivered it’s state election wishlist.

CCIQ's Amanda Rohan says every dollar spent by government needed to have real bang for buck. Picture: Annette Dew

THE next state government needs to encourage corporate recycling to create jobs, fix ­broken supply chains that cause costly food spoilage and rip up the red tape stopping business from starting up and expanding, the Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland says.

The CCIQ wants the next government to incentivise businesses to increase their productivity, which will in term increase jobs, by investing in “resource precincts”.

Examples could include helping businesses use waste for energy or to transform waste such as bottle tops into goods such as furniture, with nine jobs created for every 10,000 tonnes of diverted waste.

Releasing its election wish list this week, CCIQ policy and advocacy general manager Amanda Rohan said the list didn’t have the usual list of policies and infrastructure priorities. Instead, the small business lobby group is asking both major parties to conduct a stocktake of every grant and policy it has promised to make sure they have the best plan to transform the economy in the wake of COVID.

“What we see is there is not a cohesive approach to where we want to move Queensland in the next four years and beyond,” Ms Rohan said.

“We’re going to keep getting external shocks like fire, floods, storms, now health crises.

“So what do we need to do to move the economy and make it more resilient?”

She said governments needed bang for their buck, and ensure every dollar spent had a real impact.

The call comes ahead of today’s economic update from Treasurer Cameron Dick on the budget hit from COVID and is expected to contain some new announcements.

“We really need a real focus on where we’re going to invest our money because we don’t have an infinite amount of money in the tank.”

The CCIQ wants priority given to fast rail across the state and supply chains, such as ensuring there’s cold storage at airports. Ms Rohan said structural reform could improve productivity, such as with liquor licensing changes through COVID that’s allowed off-premise alcohol sales, or regulating food safety through state permits, rather than by council.

Applications to set up and expand could be fast-tracked and digitalised, she said.

“It might just be changing their way of thinking.”