Business NSW New England has welcomed a NSW Government push to cut red tape for small businesses, promising to simplify approvals, reduce duplication and make compliance clearer for cafés, restaurants and local retailers across the state.
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey and Minister for Small Business Janelle Saffin this week confirmed the NSW Productivity and Equality Commissioner will undertake a review of the regulatory hurdles facing more than 50,000 food retail operators, with a final report due in late August 2026.
The review will examine licences and permits, reporting requirements and inspection regimes, with a focus on removing unnecessary repetition while maintaining safety and consumer protections.
“Our job is to make government easier to deal with,” Mr Mookhey said.
“This review will look for duplicated reporting, provide clear guidance, and limit unnecessary disruptions for small hospitality operators.”
Mr Mookhey said cutting red tape would free up time and reduce costs, allowing small businesses to focus on “creating jobs and keeping our local economies vibrant.”
Ms Saffin said the aim was to ensure business owners spend more time with customers and less time on paperwork.
“Small businesses like cafés and restaurants are an incredibly important part of local communities, adding vibrancy, social amenity, boosting the local economy and creating a place for people to meet,” she said.
The announcement builds on earlier reforms including the state’s first Charter for Small Business, workers compensation changes aimed at addressing rising insurance premiums, night-time economy vibrancy reforms and simplified planning processes for outdoor dining.
Business NSW New England North West has welcomed the review, describing it as an important step in easing the regulatory burden on regional operators.
Regional Director Stephanie Cameron said excessive regulation was suffocating businesses and consuming significant time and resources.
“Red tape is costing NSW businesses more than $570 million a year, forcing them to spend millions of hours on excessive and unnecessary compliance,” she said.
According to Business NSW’s latest Business Conditions Survey, 35 per cent of businesses spend more than 21 hours a month meeting compliance requirements.
In 2024 alone, businesses across the state spent more than 164 million hours — the equivalent of 977,000 weeks — meeting compliance obligations.
Ms Cameron said the burden falls hardest on smaller operators.
“Policies that increase costs or red tape hit small businesses first and hardest. Even modest cost increases can be absorbed by large firms but devastating for micro businesses and sole traders,” she said.
Business NSW data also shows that in February 2025, 39 per cent of small businesses were considering selling or closing due to regulatory and compliance requirements, compared to 36 per cent of medium businesses and 23 per cent of large businesses.
While welcoming the Government’s review, Business NSW is calling for further reforms, including the creation of a permanent online “red tape reporting” portal, twice-yearly government forums to address systemic regulatory issues, reduced Development Application fees, and greater standardisation of DA requirements across councils.
“These reforms would make an immediate and measurable difference,” Ms Cameron said.
“Local businesses want to comply, but they need a system that is practical, consistent and proportionate.”
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