Business
12 August, 2020
Making It Easier for Small Business
Mums and Dads businesses will receive a boost today after Cairns Regional Council endorsed their measures designed to ease the way forward for small business in Cairns.
Free pre-lodgement meetings, a reduction of application costs and lower infrastructure charges are components of a new Council strategy to stimulate small scale development.
Council today endorsed the COVID-19 Response – Investment Incentive Policy, which is aimed at supporting small scale development, such as those being considered by “mum and dad” investors, where infrastructure charges may be a barrier.
It is also hoped that the policy will encourage the reuse of existing infrastructure and tenancies, and looks to promote development in key locations such as the CBD, Gordonvale, and Babinda.
The policy is supported by a host of other services, including:
Free pre-lodgement meetings and written responses (not offered by other Councils),
Lower development application fees,
Lower infrastructure charges rates when compared to other Councils,
Expedited assessment for well-made dwelling house Development Applications,
Expedited extension requests for first time extensions, and
Dedicated specialist assessment team for large scale and CBD projects.
In 2018/2019, the construction industry was the second largest employer in Cairns with a fulltime workforce of more than 9,200 people, representing about 13.4 per cent of the city’s employment.
Notably, recent economic growth in Cairns can be attributed to the construction industry, which increased employment by 3,139 people over the three-year period from 2015/2016 to 2018/2019.
