Small Business Friendly Council

What We've Done:

• Work closely with Chambers of Commerce in Chinchilla, Dalby, Jandowae, Miles, Tara and Wandoan, and attend regular chamber meetings.
• Send weekly emails to Chambers, and monthly Business in Western Downs enewsletter to subscribers, sharing grants, events, resources and other opportunities.
• Engage with Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT) on a regular basis.
• Provide regular target updates on key strategies itemised in Council's Economic Development Strategy.

What We've Done:

• Launched Buy Western Downs project.
• Continued "It's the people that make it" branding and tourism campaign.
• Supported Chinchilla Chamber of Commerce and Industry to deliver Western Downs Regional Business Summit.
• Partnered with Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) and Business Navigator Western Downs to offer a free business growth advisory service to small businesses.

What We've Done:

• Economic Development team responds to all enquiries and provided advice for local residents starting up a new business, small businesses and developers via economic.development@wdrc.qld.gov.au email account.
• A wide range of small businesses are featured in LIVE Western Downs Magazine.
• Supported Dalby Chamber of Commerce and Industry to facilitate the 31 Faces of Small Businesses campaign, promoting one small business per day during Queensland Small Business Month.

What We've Done

• Delivery of Young Entrepreneur Summit.
• Partnered with Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) and AgForce 'School to Industry Partnership' program to host the annual Ag Jobs Fair, highlighting careers in the intensive agriculture industry for job seekers and school students. Local intensive agriculture businesses were invited to have a free stall to promote vacancies within their organisation.
• Support BEST (Bringing Employers and Schools Together) groups in Chinchilla and Dalby at numerous events and initiatives, to support small businesses to connect with school students and the future workforce.
• Partnered with TSBE to deliver Protein Conference, with pork, poultry, beef and dairy producers, processors, researchers and transport operators sharing best practices and advocating for common policy changes.
• Delivered Accelerate Manufacturing Conference, to bring industry experts and manufacturing businesses together to share knowledge and opportunities including business transformation models, workforce attraction, future strategies to reach net zero, and new technologies such as AI, automation, and robotics.
• Promote Council and partner events through the Business in Western Downs enewsletter.

What We've Done: 

• New streamlined development assessment approval process under the Planning Act, with development assessments being completed within 13.5 days.
• $5 million Housing and Land Incentive to stimulate construction by offering fee discounts on applications and infrastructure charges to approved developers across the region.
• Economic Development team act as a single point of contact between business and Council and can liaise with relevant departments. We can help with site selection, development approvals, facilitating connections with relevant industry bodies and training organisations, and leveraging state and federal programs.

What We've Done:

• WDRC procurement policy allows for payment of invoices by credit card, enabling prompt payment.
• Council maintains a maximum 30-day payment term, which is often achieved in 7-14 days.
• Hosted Black Coffee Indigenous Business Network event, where Council CEO engaged with local indigenous businesses and suppliers to discuss Council's procurement opportunities.
• Partnered with Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) to deliver Indigenous Business Expo, an event centred around networking opportunities and showcasing the diversity of Indigenous businesses.

What We've Done:

• Promoted financial grants and support services available for people affected by disaster events.
• Council coordinated additional feed and water assistance for impacted small-scale (hobby) farms during disaster.
• After Tara bushfires in October 2023, Economic Development staff actively attended damaged areas to assess the direct and indirect impact to businesses in the region, including home-based businesses and primary producers.
• Partnered with health and wellness experts to deliver a roadshow supporting the health and wellbeing of small business owners in the wake of the Tara bushfire events.
• Received funding to deliver the Disaster Resilience Project, commencing in FY2024-25 with workshops and one-on-one support provided to small businesses in the region.

What We've Done:

• Regular attendance at Small Business Friendly Program round table meetings to engage and share ideas with other Councils.
• Post-event surveys following community engagement sessions and conferences, to ensure we are delivering worthwhile events.
• Monthly information sessions and regular support with the Councillor for Business Strategy and Economic Development.