THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell said the majority of small business disputes dealt with by her office are resolved at mediation or before.

Releasing a short video today outlining the benefits of mediation and ASBFEO’s free dispute resolution support services, Ms Carnell said small businesses should only consider taking legal action as a last resort.

“We want to keep small businesses out of the courts, where let’s face it, the only winners are lawyers,” Ms Carnell said.

“Since my office opened four years ago, we have provided free assistance to more than 20,000 small businesses nation-wide. Two-out-three of those disputes were successfully resolved at mediation or prior to that through contact with our assistance team.

“Our assistance team can often help the small business resolve their dispute without any need for mediation.

“But when a dispute is referred to mediation, it is faster and far more cost-effective than seeking a resolution through the courts.

“We know small and family businesses that get swept up in legal proceedings can spend thousands of dollars seeking a resolution and are often left feeling the process was a waste of time and money," Ms Carnell said.

“Even if the small business has $100,000 owing – which is a huge amount for them – that can be eaten up quite quickly by legal fees and may take a long time to get a resolution.

"The ASBFEO assistance team can help small businesses with a range of issues including everything from intellectual property, disputes with the ATO and payment disputes.

"We can also provide assistance with disputes that fall under a number of industry Codes including Franchising, Dairy, Horticulture and Oil.

“At the end of the day, we want to help small businesses resolve a dispute as quickly as possible so they can get on with what they do best – running their business,” Ms Carnell said.

Small businesses that need help with resolving a dispute can visit www.asbfeo.gov.au or call the hotline 1300 650 460.

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A QUEENSLAND resources industry plan for the COVID-19 recovery will assist keeping Queenslanders in work and get more back into employment, with confirmation today the State’s jobless rate was now the nation’s highest at 8.8 percent.

Queensland Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the industry had worked extremely hard to flatten the curve and to keep the workers prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“The resources industry is seeking an industry development plan to work in partnership with government to seize on the opportunities for new investment and new jobs across the state,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“The industry needs greater certainty about the assessment and approval processes for new projects and stability on the taxes and royalties the industry pays.

“On the same day, the ABS confirms Queensland’s unemployment rate is 8.8 percent, there are 800 job vacancies in resources and energy across Queensland on Seek."

QRC’s Resource Industry Recovery Agenda is a detailed plan that has been presented to the State Government, all Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Government’s economic recovery. 

Link to the QRC’s plan https://www.qrc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Resource-Industry-Recovery-Agenda_updated.pdf.

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell said the Victorian Government’s $26 million wellbeing initiative for small business owners and workers would save lives.

“The enormity of this second wave lockdown and the psychological distress it is causing for small business owners cannot be underestimated,” Ms Carnell said.

“Given small business loans are often secured against the family home, the stakes are incredibly high and that is understandably taking a huge toll on small business owners’ mental health.

“The Victorian Government is responding to the needs of the small business community, including sole traders, who will require ongoing mental health support for the duration of this crisis. This will save lives.”

Under the program, St John Ambulance will provide accredited mental health support training to chambers of commerce across Victoria.

“Local chambers of commerce have direct links to the small business community,” Ms Carnell said.

“It’s logical to provide them with training to not only respond to small business owners experiencing stress, but even more critically -- to identify the signs of someone who needs support.

“I would encourage all small business owners to seek help if they need it – there are plenty of free support services out there. You don’t have to face this alone," Ms Carnell said.

“The expansion of the Partners in Wellbeing telephone hotline to include immediate access to business advisors and financial counsellors is also a welcome move.

“There’s never been a tougher time to be in business, so it’s really important that small business owners are prioritising all aspects of their health right now.

“Our My Business Health web portal provides free practical resources to help with running your business and also links to leading mental health organisations such as Beyond Blue.”

The Partners in Wellbeing telephone hotline is 1300 375 330 and Beyond Blue’s Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service is at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au

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THE INQUIRY into food pricing and food security in remote Indigenous communities is holding further public hearings on Tuesday 18^th and Wednesday 19^th August, 2020.

Julian Leeser MP, Chair of the House of Representatives Indigenous Affairs Committee, said key stakeholders from Queensland and Western Australia would be appearing including local councils, health agencies, Aboriginal Corporations, the WA Government and Metcash. The chairman of the National COVID-19 Commission Advisory Board will also appear before the committee.

"These hearings will contribute significantly to the existing body of evidence for this inquiry. The committee looks forward to discussing some of the reasons for food insecurity in remote Indigenous communities, its impacts, and some of the possible solutions," Mr Leeser said.

"We will be particularly interested to hear from the National COVID-19 Commission on the additional challenges the pandemic is causing for remote food supplies."

The hearings will be conducted via telephone and video links due to social distancing requirements relating to COVID-19. Full programs are available at the inquiry website.

Public hearing details

Date: Tuesday, 18 August 2020
Time: 9.40am to 4.20pm
Location: Via conference call

Date: Wednesday, 19 August 2020
Time: 9am to 3.40pm
Location: Via conference call

An audio broadcast will be accessible at aph.gov.au/live.

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