Tasmania could become ‘start-up capital of Australia’ with new small business permit: Premier
The Tasmanian Government says it has a plan to make Tasmania the nation’s home of start-ups, with Premier Jeremy Rockliff revealing how he intends to make it happen.
Tasmania
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tasmania. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Tasmania is poised to become the “start-up capital of Australia” after the implementation of a new red tape reduction initiative, Premier Jeremy Rockliff says.
Mr Rockliff kicked off the parliamentary year last week with a focus on eliminating excessive regulation in the small business sector.
On Sunday, the Premier announced that a small business start-up permit was expected to be introduced later this year and would allow entrepreneurs to quickly begin trialling new businesses.
The permit would last for 12 months, enabling start-ups to defer additional state and local government paperwork rather than lodging it immediately and paying for all the required permits upfront.
“Of course, those permits that are required will kick in. But in the meantime, we’ve got a small business up and running, employing people and providing the customer focus, of course, that Tasmanians will indeed be looking for,” Mr Rockliff said.
In his State of the State address last Tuesday, the Premier detailed new measures to cut red tape, including an examination of his government’s own programs.
He said the Liberals would reduce the number of required business licences in order to stimulate economic growth, as well as establish a ‘red tape portal’, which would allow Tasmanians to submit their personal experiences of encountering “unnecessary” red tape.
Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Michael Bailey said the new permit would “supercharge” the state’s economy and was a world-first “as far as we can tell”.
“What we’ll see because of this is not just a growth in entrepreneurial activity in Tasmania by Tasmanians, but mainlanders coming to our state to trial their businesses to see if they actually have a business case to move forward,” he said.
Marshall Pooley, the owner of golf simulation business X-Golf Launceston, said getting his business started would have been “a lot easier” had the start-up permit been available previously.
“Just the liquor licence alone, if you’re looking at that, it took us up to five months sort of to-ing and fro-ing with the [Liquour and Gaming] Commissioner to get that approved and then get us actually operating. So that alone, if we can get something that gets us trading and then be able to sort that out at a later date, that would be fantastic,” he said.
Labor leader Dean Winter said the permit announcement was a “distraction” after Mr Rockliff “finally admitted he’s broken Tasmania’s budget”.
“[Labor has] been talking about red tape because we’ve been engaging with business,” he said.
“[The Premier] needs to get out there and speak to businesses and they’ll tell him what it’s like doing business under his government.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Tasmania could become ‘start-up capital of Australia’ with new small business permit: Premier
‘Noise and lights’: Hobart homeowners fed up with works
Constant noise, lights and heavy vehicles are plaguing the residents close to one of Hobart’s new major roadworks. One local describes what it is like to live next door to the project.
Still waiting: Premier’s promise to doctors not a reality yet
Last year, the Premier ordered the Department of Health to change the rules and allow rural generalists to expand their scope of practice. But that has still not happened.