Blue Mountains City Council has been commended for its leadership in making it easier for local businesses to start and grow at the inaugural Small Business Friendly Councils Conference in Sydney on May 16-17.
NSW Small Business Minister Damien Tudehope said Blue Mountains City Council was one of almost 70 NSW councils to join business leaders, mayors and experts from across the country to plan and discuss strategies to stimulate local economies.
"The Small Business Friendly Councils is a fantastic initiative that provides all NSW councils with information, workshops, networking opportunities and resources to support local businesses," said Mr Tudehope.
"This inaugural conference was a significant milestone for the Small Business Friendly Councils initiative, and I was pleased to join Blue Mountains City Council to celebrate their involvement."
NSW Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello also attended the conference to acknowledge the council joining the Easy to do Business program.
"This award-winning program puts customers at the heart of everything we do and transforms how small business owners transact with government," said Mr Dominello.
"Easy to do Business has been a huge success, with 108 NSW councils now on board, covering two-thirds of the state.
"Through the program, small business owners can access free online and phone support from Service NSW's Business Concierge, which means they can start, open and grow much faster."
NSW Small Business Commissioner Robyn Hobbs congratulated Blue Mountains City Council for embracing the Small Business Friendly Councils initiative and for their commitment to supporting the growth of their local area.
"Small business is the backbone of our economy and local government plays a key role in supporting businesses to start and grow," said Ms Hobbs.
Blue Mountains City Council was presented with a plaque to recognise its commitment to the Small Business Friendly Councilsinitiative and Easy to do Business.
"We are pleased to be part of an initiative that helps small businesses navigate their way through red tape to get started quickly and succeed," said Blue Mountains mayor Mark Greenhill.
Mr Tudehope said NSW is now home to more than 765,000 small businesses, the most the state has ever had.
For more information go to www.smallbusiness.nsw.gov.au.
