New law gives power to Small Business Commissioner

The NSW government has established the first Small Business Commissioner as a statutory officer.

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has welcomed the introduction of the legislation by NSW minister for small business Katrina Hodgkinson.
According to ARA executive director Russell Zimmerman, the legislation will give power to the Small Business Commissioner to represent and advocate for the interests of small businesses in NSW.

“The ARA has commenced working with the NSW Small Business office in the development of the Small Biz Connect program. We look forward to furthering the relationship that has been built with the NSW Small Business Minister and the Small Business Commissioner on behalf of NSW small to medium retailers,” he said.

“About 80 percent of the ARA’s retail members fit the description of a small business, and so legislation which represents these interests effectively is welcome in recognition of the vital role small business plays in Australia’s economy.

“The ARA looks forward to working with the NSW government and Small Business Commissioner in order to represent the interests of the retail sector, which in NSW is directly responsible for 384,900 jobs and contributes 15.4 billion to the state’s economy,” Zimmerman said.