- The Queensland Small Business Friendly Program's annual conference and inaugural awards ceremony in Cairns is one of the final events on the Queensland Small Business Month calendar.
- This month celebrated Queensland's more than 482,000 small businesses.
- Today's conference brings together the 49 councils from Gold Coast to Burke that have joined the Small Business Friendly family since it started in 2020 as an initiative of the Queensland Small Business Commissioner.
As Queensland Small Business Month ends, the new Miles Government supported 4th annual Small Business Friendly Program conference and inaugural awards ceremony was held in Cairns with winners from across the state taking home the silverware.
Minister for Employment and Small Business Lance McCallum officially opened the conference and presented the awards to the Member of the Year - City of Moreton Bay, Regional Member of the Year - Balonne Shire Council, and Innovator of the Year - Ipswich City Council.
The Small Business Friendly Program is a community of 49 like-minded organisations championed by the Queensland Small Business Commissioner to work together to ensure their small business community is flourishing.
By signing the Small Business Friendly Charter, councils commit to creating operating environments that help their small business communities to grow and thrive.
As stated by the Minister for Employment and Small Business Lance McCallum:
"Small businesses are vital to Queensland's economic wellbeing, contributing more than $117 billion each year and fueling the cycle of growth by providing employment for over one million Queenslanders.
"The new Miles Government is committed to supporting our small business sector and this is reflected in the new $250 million Queensland Small Business Strategy 2024-27 to help power small businesses to grow and thrive.
"The inaugural Small Business Friendly Awards are another important initiative to recognise the role that local councils play in supporting their local business communities.
"Congratulations to all the winners. As the Member for Bundamba, I'm particularly proud to see the Ipswich City Council in this year's winner's circle as part of Queensland Small Business Month."
As stated by Mayor Peter Flannery, City of Moreton Bay:
"This win recognises Council's strong commitment to supporting small business and the collaboration involved in building a cohesive and productive local business community.
"I'm incredibly proud of Council's hard work in supporting such a strong local business community. Small businesses are core to our community, and we want them to thrive.
"We'll continue to work closely, with our business community, to grow the economy in City of Moreton Bay.
As stated by Mayor Samantha O'Toole, Balonne Shire:
"We are so thrilled to receive the Regional Member of the Year Award for 2024 at the Small Business Friendly Awards.
"As a Council, we aim to consistently collaborate with our local business community to ensure that Balonne is a great place to do business.
"In receiving this Award, we also really need to acknowledge the great work our local businesses do for our community.
"This is further recognition of how our Shire is a great place to set-up and do business with the full support of your local Council."
As stated by Mayor Teresa Harding, Ipswich City Council:
"As Queensland's first small business friendly council, Ipswich City Council continues to explore new and innovate solutions to support our more than 12,000 small businesses.
"Council has worked in partnership with our small businesses to introduce new initiatives that encourage residents and visitors to shop, stay and spend in Ipswich. This includes our Queensland-first street patio program which offers local restaurants and cafes an additional and attractive outdoor dining space.
"Small businesses are a big deal for our city, and we are delighted to see Council recognised as the Innovator of the Year for our ongoing efforts to support and advance local businesses in Ipswich."
Quotes attributed to the Queensland Small Business Commissioner, Dominique Lamb:
"Queensland small businesses are the heart and soul of our communities from our remote towns to our metropolitan cities.
"As a community we cannot survive without small businesses, and they can't thrive without vibrant communities, which is why the Small Business Friendly Program is so important.
"The conference and the workshops give members an opportunity to share their success stories and learn together. This is about supporting councils and chambers with economic development."
